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WCAG Accessibility Compliance – Community Connect, Portals & Public Documents

Purpose Statement

This article explains what WCAG accessibility standards are and confirms that our user-facing platforms and public documents meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance standards.

Our goal is to ensure that all members of the public — including individuals using assistive technologies — can successfully access and interact with Community Connect and other customer-facing portals.

Background Information

What Is WCAG?

WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

These internationally recognized standards define how digital content should be designed so that it is:

  • Perceivable

  • Operable

  • Understandable

  • Robust

WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the widely accepted compliance level for government and public-sector digital platforms.

These guidelines help ensure accessibility for individuals who:

  • Use screen readers

  • Navigate using a keyboard instead of a mouse

  • Require high-contrast visuals

  • Use assistive technologies

  • Have visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments

As a platform serving fire departments and public-sector agencies, accessibility compliance is a core requirement of our user-facing systems.

Our Accessibility Commitment

Our public-facing systems are designed and maintained to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

This includes:

  • Community Connect

  • Business Portal (user-facing components)

  • Online invoices and payment workflows

  • Public-facing PDF documents

  • Account registration and user forms

Accessibility is incorporated into both design and development practices to ensure inclusive public access.

How WCAG Compliance Applies to Community Connect

Community Connect is a public-facing platform used by residents to:

  • Create accounts

  • Submit forms and requests

  • Apply for permits

  • Request smoke alarms

  • Update contact information

  • Interact with department services

To meet WCAG standards, Community Connect includes:

  • Clear visual indicators for interactive elements

  • Visible keyboard focus states

  • Accessible form labels

  • Properly structured page landmarks

  • Screen reader-friendly navigation

  • Accessible modal dialogs

  • Logical tab order and focus management

These features ensure that users relying on assistive technologies can complete workflows successfully.

How WCAG Compliance Applies to Other Portals

Business Portal & User-Facing Pages

User-facing portal components are structured to include:

  • Semantic page layout

  • Accessible naming for buttons and controls

  • Keyboard-accessible navigation

  • Proper form field labeling

  • Clear interactive states

This ensures consistency across all public interactions.

How WCAG Compliance Applies to Public PDFs

Public-facing PDF documents are structured to support accessibility through:

  • Proper document tagging

  • Logical reading order

  • Structured headings

  • Alternative text for non-text elements

  • Screen reader compatibility

This ensures that downloadable documents are accessible in the same way as web content.

What WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance Means for Your Department

By meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards:

  • Public users can access your digital services without barriers

  • Accessibility expectations for government platforms are supported

  • ADA-related digital accessibility requirements are addressed

  • Your department’s public engagement tools are inclusive

Accessibility compliance helps ensure equal access to emergency service information and public safety workflows.

Ongoing Accessibility Improvements

Accessibility is an ongoing priority. As features evolve, accessibility standards continue to guide design and development decisions across all public-facing systems.

If accessibility concerns are identified, they are reviewed and addressed as part of our continuous improvement process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are your public portals WCAG compliant?

Yes. Community Connect, public-facing portals, and related public documents meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.

Does this include account registration and public forms?

Yes. Registration workflows and interactive forms are designed to meet accessibility standards.

Does this apply to internal administrative interfaces?

This article applies specifically to public-facing systems and documents.

Who should we contact with accessibility concerns?

Please submit a support ticket referencing accessibility so our team can review the issue promptly.

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