Website accessibility compliance in Thompson

Thompson had a population of 13,035 (Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population), but it serves far more people than live within city limits. It is about 761 km north of Winnipeg, and the city's mayor has described Thompson as a service hub for northern Manitoba communities with a combined population of around 60,000. Nickel mining and health care are major parts of the local economy.

When customers or patients may be travelling long distances, a website is often the only practical way to check hours, book an appointment or find out whether a trip is worth making. Since May 1, 2025, organizations with one or more employees in Manitoba have been covered by the Accessible Information and Communication Standard Regulation, Man. Reg. 47/2022 (s. 2(c) (opens in a new tab)). Web content published on or after that date, or needed to access an organization's goods or services, must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA (s. 7(1) (opens in a new tab)). We work with Thompson organizations remotely.

Which organizations in Thompson are covered

Any organization with one or more employees in Manitoba: retailers, clinics, restaurants, contractors, hotels, social service agencies and employers that recruit from across the North. Large employers must also document their accessibility measures and policies (s. 3(2) (opens in a new tab)) and a training policy (s. 4(4) (opens in a new tab)).

Websites we see most often in Thompson

The issues below are common patterns on websites that serve a regional population. They are not findings about any particular organization.

Health and social services

For someone in a community hours away, a booking tool that cannot be used by keyboard (2.1.1) or a referral form that is only a scanned PDF can mean a wasted trip or a missed appointment. Session time-outs without warning (2.2.1) are a common problem in multi-step forms. See clinics and healthcare and non-profits.

Retail and services for visitors

Hours, stock information and contact details need to be readable on a phone. Text below 4.5:1 contrast (1.4.3), pages that scroll sideways at 320 CSS px (1.4.10) and image-only menus or flyers (1.1.1) are frequent. See retail and restaurants.

Employers and contractors

Careers pages and online applications are used by job seekers across the region. Unlabelled fields (1.3.1), upload buttons with no accessible name (4.1.2) and error messages shown only in colour (3.3.1) can stop an application. See trades and contractors and professional services.

Languages other than English

Cree is among the languages spoken in Thompson and the surrounding region, according to 2021 Census data. If your website includes Cree or another language, those passages need to be identified in the code (3.1.2) so assistive technology handles them correctly.

How we work with Thompson organizations

All of our audit and repair work is done remotely, so distance does not affect the process or the price.

1. Remote audit against all 50 WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria, with automated scans, keyboard-only testing, NVDA, VoiceOver, 200% zoom and 320 CSS px reflow.
2. Phone consultation with screen-share to explain the findings.
3. Fixed written quote for the repairs, with no hourly billing.
4. Repairs that keep your design, with the least visible change and no overlay widgets.
5. Compliance documentation, including accessible formats notice wording (s. 5 (opens in a new tab)), a feedback process (s. 9 (opens in a new tab)) and training material (s. 4 (opens in a new tab)).

If anything we repaired is later found not to meet WCAG 2.1 AA, we correct it at no charge. See our services.

Last reviewed October 2026. General information, not legal advice.