Civic Maple (civicmaple.com) is an independent Canadian digital news and explainer publisher owned and operated by Maple Lane Media Inc., an Ontario corporation (Ontario Business Registry company number 1002847593) with its registered office at Suite 402, 151 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5C 2W7, Canada. Editor-in-Chief Jonathan MacDonald has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that this website meets the accessibility standards required under the Accessible Canada Act and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA.
Who is responsible for accessibility at Civic Maple?
Maple Lane Media Inc., as the corporate owner of Civic Maple, and Editor-in-Chief Jonathan MacDonald are jointly responsible for accessibility compliance. Oliver Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, coordinates the monitoring and testing of accessibility features across the site.
All accessibility-related decisions are reviewed by the editorial leadership team, and any reported issues are escalated through our complaints procedure when necessary. For direct accessibility enquiries, readers can contact Oliver Bennett at accessibility@civicmaple.com.
What accessibility standards does Civic Maple follow?
Civic Maple is committed to conforming to WCAG 2.2 Level AA as the target conformance level, which is the standard referenced by the Accessible Canada Act for digital content published by federally regulated entities and widely adopted as best practice for Canadian digital publishers.
We design and develop all editorial content, navigation, and interactive features to meet or exceed WCAG 2.2 Level AA success criteria. Our conformance is verified through periodic internal audits and user testing. The Accessible Canada Standards published by the Government of Canada serve as the enforcement route for any unresolved accessibility complaints, which we take seriously under our editorial policy.
How does Civic Maple ensure keyboard navigation and focus?
Every page on civicmaple.com is designed for full keyboard navigation without requiring a mouse. All interactive elements — links, buttons, forms, and media controls — are reachable using the Tab key in a logical order.
We provide visible focus indicators (a high-contrast outline) on every focusable element so that keyboard users can see exactly where they are on the page. Skip-to-content links are available at the top of each page to bypass repeated navigation blocks. We test keyboard navigation on major browsers and screen readers, and we repair any discovered barriers promptly.
How does Civic Maple handle contrast and reduced motion?
We apply minimum contrast ratios of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, as required by WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Our colour palette was selected with accessibility in mind, and we avoid relying solely on colour to convey information.
For users who prefer reduced motion, we respect the operating system’s “prefers-reduced-motion” setting. Animations, transitions, and auto-playing video are suppressed or limited when this setting is enabled. We also provide a static alternative for any content that uses movement to convey meaning.
What are the known limitations of this website?
Some content published before our current accessibility standards were adopted may not fully meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Third-party embeds, such as maps, social-media feeds, and some advertising, may also present accessibility gaps that are outside our direct control.
We are actively auditing legacy articles and working with third-party providers to improve compliance. Readers can report any specific limitation they encounter to accessibility@civicmaple.com. We will acknowledge the report within two business days and provide a timeline for remediation.
How can I report an accessibility issue or provide feedback?
If you experience any barrier when using civicmaple.com, please email our accessibility team at accessibility@civicmaple.com. We will respond promptly and work to resolve the issue.
For general contact, visit our Contact page. If your concern involves a potential violation of the Accessible Canada Act, you may also file a formal complaint through our complaints procedure. Your feedback helps us improve the experience for all readers.
Our commitments
- Maintain conformance to WCAG 2.2 Level AA across all new and updated content.
- Conduct at least one full accessibility audit of the website per calendar year.
- Train all editorial and technical staff on accessible content creation and development.
- Respond to every accessibility-related report within two business days and provide a fix or timeline.
- Integrate accessibility testing into every major site update and feature launch.