Web Accessibility

Definitions  

Cégep à distance websites: The expression “Cégep à distance websites” means the main website (cegepadistance.ca), the online Course Selection Guide (courseselectionguide.cegepadistance.ca) and the Campus. 

Campus: The Campus is a digital space that houses the student’s administrative file and learning environment.

Definition of web accessibility 

Web content is accessible when it meets standards that make the website accessible to all users, regardless of their physical and cognitive aptitudes or the technological tool they are using. It is the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that dictates this set of standards (WCAG 2.0), which offers three compliance levels (A, AA, AAA). 

Limits of web accessibility 

Certain parts of the Cégep à distance websites do not comply with web accessibility standards.   

Those parts are:   

  • Downloadable documents (Acrobat pdf and Microsoft Word)  
  • Complex tables 

We recommend downloading an up-to-date browser in order to enjoy the best possible web experience.  

Web accessibility standards do not apply to:  

  • Web platforms provided by third parties not subject to those standards
  • Third-party sites linked to our websites, including those on which we post content (e.g., social media, forums, etc.)   

Web accessibility of Cégep à distance websites  

Cégep à distance is adopting best web accessibility practices with the ultimate goal of making all our web content accessible and compliant with WCAG 2.0 levels A and AA.  

Cégep à distance uses AccessiBE, an AI-powered solution, to make our websites accessible and to offer an enjoyable experience for visitors. This software achieves and surpasses the minimum government standards required:  

Click here to try it now.

How does AccessiBE work?   

AccessiBE makes Cégep à distance websites accessible to anyone living with certain disabilities, such as:    

  • Blindness  
  • Motor impairment 
  • Cognitive disorders  
  • Colour-blindness 
  • Macular degeneration 
  • Epilepsy 
  • Blurred vision 
  • Old age 
  • Cataracts 

Automatic screen reader settings powered by AI  

Using contextual understanding and image recognition, AccessiBE’s AI digitizes and analyzes the websites to determine the elements and features they include and the adjusts them for the screen readers of non-seeing people. These are the elements it addresses:  

  • Alt tags  
  • Status controls 
  • ARIA attributes 
  • Icons and buttons 
  • Roles and landmarks 
  • Forms and validations 

User experience and adjustment of icon design  

The AccessiBE interface offers an accessibility experience that is fine-tuned to the individual needs of each user, making a whole range of adjustments to the user interface and design.  

  • Content and display
  • Colour and contrast
  • Online dictionary
  • Stopping animations
  • Blocking sounds
  • Focus and accent 

Automatic keyboard navigation settings powered by AI  

AccessiBE’s AI contextual understanding technology helps it learn and understand the structures and behaviours of website elements such as:

  • Drop-down lists 
  • Menus 
  • Pop-up windows
  • Forms
  • Links
  • Buttons

The AI’s contextual understanding allows it to automatically create keyboard settings that can handle these elements.