Accessibility glossary

Accessibility work comes with its own vocabulary. This glossary defines the terms you are most likely to see in our reports, in the WCAG standard and in Manitoba's Accessible Information and Communication Standard Regulation. Definitions are written for website owners, not developers.

Accessible format

A version of information that a person with a disability can use, such as large print, an accessible electronic document, audio or Braille. Under Man. Reg. 47/2022, organizations must let the public know accessible formats are available on request (s. 5 (opens in a new tab)).

Accessibility statement

A public page on a website that describes the organization's accessibility commitment, the standard it aims to meet, any known limitations and how to request accessible formats or give feedback.

Alt text

Short for "alternative text". A written description attached to an image in the page code, read aloud by screen readers. Good alt text conveys the image's purpose, for example "Map showing our location on Pembina Highway", not "image123.jpg".

ARIA

Accessible Rich Internet Applications. A set of code attributes that give assistive technology extra information about interactive elements, such as whether a menu is open or closed. ARIA used incorrectly can make a page less accessible, so it is applied with care.

Assistive technology

Software or hardware that helps people with disabilities use computers and websites. Examples include screen readers, screen magnifiers, speech recognition software, switch devices and alternative keyboards.

Audit

A structured evaluation of a website against a standard, in our case WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Our audits combine automated scans with manual testing by keyboard, with NVDA and VoiceOver, at 200% zoom and at 320 pixel reflow.

Captions

Text versions of the spoken words and important sounds in a video, shown in time with the audio. Captions help people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, and anyone watching without sound. Pre-recorded video with audio requires captions under WCAG 1.2.2 (opens in a new tab).

Colour contrast ratio

A measure of the difference in brightness between text (or an interface element) and its background, from 1:1 to 21:1. WCAG 2.1 Level AA requires at least 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text, and 3:1 for user interface components and meaningful graphics.

Communication supports

Methods that help people communicate, such as captioning, plain language, sign language interpretation or assistance from another person. Man. Reg. 47/2022 requires organizations to let the public know these supports are available on request (s. 5 (opens in a new tab)).

Compliance order

An order under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act (s. 27 (opens in a new tab)) requiring an organization to take steps to comply with an accessibility standard. Administrative penalties may follow only if an order is not complied with (s. 29 (opens in a new tab)).

Focus indicator

The visible outline or highlight that shows which link, button or field is currently selected when someone navigates with a keyboard. WCAG 2.4.7 (opens in a new tab) requires it to be visible.

Focus order

The sequence in which interactive elements receive keyboard focus as a person presses Tab. It should follow a logical order that matches the meaning of the page, usually top to bottom and left to right (WCAG 2.4.3 (opens in a new tab)).

Heading structure

The hierarchy of headings on a page, coded as heading levels 1 to 6. Screen reader users often move through a page by headings, so headings should be real headings in the code, not just large bold text, and should follow a logical outline.

Keyboard trap

A part of a page that a keyboard user can move into but cannot leave, such as a pop-up or embedded widget that captures the Tab key. Keyboard traps are a Level A failure under WCAG 2.1.2 (opens in a new tab).

Landmark

A coded region of a page, such as the header, navigation, main content or footer. Landmarks let screen reader users jump directly to the part of the page they need.

Magnification

Enlarging content on screen, either with browser zoom or with dedicated screen magnifier software. Pages should remain usable when text is resized to 200% (WCAG 1.4.4 (opens in a new tab)).

NVDA

NonVisual Desktop Access, a free, open-source screen reader for Windows. It is one of the screen readers we use in manual testing.

Overlay

A third-party script or toolbar added to a website that claims to make it accessible automatically. Overlays do not repair the underlying code and can interfere with users' own assistive technology. We do not use them.

Programmatic label

A label connected to a form field or control in the code, so assistive technology can announce it. A visible word next to a field is not enough on its own; it must be linked to the field so a screen reader says, for example, "Email address, edit text".

Reflow

The ability of content to rearrange into a single column on a narrow screen without needing to scroll sideways. WCAG 1.4.10 (opens in a new tab) requires content to reflow at a width of 320 CSS pixels, which is roughly a 1280 pixel wide window zoomed to 400%.

Remediation

The work of fixing accessibility issues found in an audit. Our remediation follows a "least visible change" principle: repairs are made in the code wherever possible so the site keeps its existing design.

Screen reader

Software that reads the content of a screen aloud or sends it to a Braille display. Screen reader users navigate by headings, links, landmarks and form fields, so these need to be coded correctly.

Skip link

A link at the very top of a page, often visible only when it receives keyboard focus, that lets users jump past repeated navigation straight to the main content (WCAG 2.4.1 (opens in a new tab)).

Success criterion

A single testable requirement in WCAG, identified by a number such as 1.4.3 (Contrast, Minimum). WCAG 2.1 Level AA includes 50 success criteria: 30 at Level A and 20 at Level AA.

Text alternative

Any text that serves the same purpose as non-text content, such as alt text for an image, a label for an icon button or a transcript for audio. Required under WCAG 1.1.1 (opens in a new tab).

Undue hardship

One of the exceptions in s. 7(2) (opens in a new tab) of Man. Reg. 47/2022. It refers to circumstances where meeting the requirement would impose a hardship that goes beyond what is reasonable. It is a narrow exception, not a general allowance for inconvenience or cost. Whether it applies is a legal question.

VoiceOver

The screen reader built into Apple devices, including Mac computers, iPhones and iPads. We use it to test sites on macOS and iOS.

WCAG

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the international standard for web accessibility published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WCAG is organized into principles, guidelines and testable success criteria at three levels: A, AA and AAA.

WCAG 2.1 Level AA

The specific version and level of WCAG that Man. Reg. 47/2022 requires web content to meet (s. 7(1) (opens in a new tab)). It consists of all Level A and Level AA success criteria in WCAG 2.1, 50 in total.

Web application

An interactive tool that runs in a browser, such as an online booking system, customer portal or ordering platform. Under Man. Reg. 47/2022, web applications published or significantly updated after the applicable date are addressed in s. 8(1) (opens in a new tab).

For a plain explanation of how these terms fit together in Manitoba's rules, see the standard explained. Questions about a term not listed here are welcome through our contact page.

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