Designed and Built to Be Usable for Everyone
busschedules.org/ is committed to digital accessibility. We target Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA conformance and align with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Section 508, the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), and applicable state accessibility laws.
What’s on this page
1. Our Commitment
Bus and transit information is essential infrastructure. Riders with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities have the same need to find a route, check a fare, or apply for paratransit as any other rider. We design and build busschedules.org/ so that anyone using a screen reader, keyboard navigation, magnification, voice input, or any other assistive technology can get the information they came for.
2. Standards We Follow
| Standard | What it covers |
|---|---|
| WCAG 2.1 Level AA | Web Content Accessibility Guidelines from W3C — perceivable, operable, understandable, robust |
| ADA Title III (42 U.S.C. § 12181) | Public accommodation accessibility, increasingly applied to commercial websites by federal courts and the DOJ |
| Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794) | Prohibits disability discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance |
| Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d) — 2017 Refresh | Federal accessibility standards now harmonised with WCAG 2.0 AA |
| 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) | Communications and video accessibility |
| State accessibility laws | California Unruh Civil Rights Act, NY Human Rights Law, and other state-level accessibility frameworks |
3. Accessibility Features Built Into Every Page
Keyboard navigation
All functions reachable with Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, and Space. No keyboard traps.
Visible focus
Strong, high-contrast focus indicators on every interactive element.
17 px+ body text
Minimum 17 px body type with comfortable line-height for sustained reading.
Color contrast — AA
Body text meets WCAG 2.1 AA contrast ratios; key text often meets AAA.
Semantic markup
Proper headings, landmarks, lists, and tables — not divs styled to look like them.
Alt text
Meaningful images carry descriptive alt; decorative images use empty alt.
Form labels
Every form field has an explicit, programmatically associated label.
Responsive layout
Works at any viewport from 320 px upward; reflows without horizontal scrolling.
46 px touch targets
Tap targets are large enough to use comfortably on a phone.
Language declared
Page lang="en-US" declared on every page.
Descriptive link text
Links describe their destination — no “click here” or “more.”
No motion-induced harm
No flashing or rapidly-moving content; animations respect prefers-reduced-motion.
4. Assistive-Technology Compatibility
| Technology | Tested |
|---|---|
| NVDA (Windows) | Yes — Firefox, Chrome |
| JAWS (Windows) | Yes — Chrome, Edge |
| VoiceOver (macOS & iOS) | Yes — Safari |
| TalkBack (Android) | Yes — Chrome |
| Narrator (Windows) | Yes — Edge |
| Browser zoom up to 400% | Yes — content reflows |
| Voice input (Dragon, Voice Control) | Yes — links and buttons properly named |
| Switch control | Yes — all interactive elements reachable |
5. Supported Browsers
- Latest two versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Brave
- Mobile Safari (iOS) and Chrome for Android — latest two versions
- Older versions usually work but may not receive the same level of testing
6. Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Move forward through interactive elements | Tab |
| Move backward | Shift + Tab |
| Activate a link or button | Enter |
| Toggle a checkbox or expand a disclosure | Space |
| Skip to main content | Tab from page top, then Enter on the “Skip to content” link |
7. Known Limitations
We link extensively to U.S. transit agency websites, intercity carrier portals (Greyhound, FlixBus, Megabus, Peter Pan, Trailways), federal agency pages, and trip planners. The accessibility of those external sites is determined by the operating organisation — not by us. Some agency portals and PDF documents may not meet WCAG 2.1 AA. Where we are aware of a particular accessibility barrier on a linked third-party site, we note it on the relevant page where practical.
- Some embedded third-party widgets may not be fully accessible — we work to replace them with native, accessible alternatives
- PDF documents on linked agency sites are produced by those agencies and accessibility varies
- Linked intercity carrier ticketing flows are not within our control; report accessibility barriers to the carrier and (in serious cases) to the FTA at transit.dot.gov
8. Alternative Formats
If you need information from busschedules.org/ in an alternative format — large print, plain text, or a verbal summary over email — please contact us. We will respond within 1–3 business days.
9. Our Testing Approach
- Automated testing — Axe, WAVE, Lighthouse, Pa11y on representative pages each release
- Manual keyboard testing — every new template tested with keyboard alone
- Screen-reader spot-checking — NVDA + Firefox and VoiceOver + Safari on each new template
- Reader-reported issues — every report investigated and addressed
- Quarterly broad audit — sitewide accessibility review at least every 90 days
10. Report an Accessibility Issue
If something on the site doesn’t work for you with a screen reader, keyboard navigation, magnification, voice input, or any other assistive technology, please tell us. Email info@busschedules.org with subject line “Accessibility issue.” Include:
- The page URL where the problem occurred
- The browser and assistive technology you were using (e.g., “Chrome 120 + NVDA”)
- A description of what you expected and what happened
- Any screenshots or recordings if practical
We acknowledge accessibility issues within 1–3 business days and prioritise resolution.
11. External Escalation Routes
| Body | Role | URL |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Justice — ADA Information Line | ADA Title III enforcement (websites of public accommodations) | ada.gov |
| U.S. Access Board | Develops and maintains accessibility standards including Section 508 | access-board.gov |
| FTA Office of Civil Rights | ADA enforcement for public transit agencies and recipients of FTA funding | transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/civil-rights-ada/file-complaint-fta |
| FCC Disability Rights Office | CVAA enforcement | fcc.gov/general/disability-rights-office |
| State Attorney General consumer-protection bureau | State accessibility-law enforcement | Varies by state |
Spotted an Accessibility Issue?
Tell us what happened. Acknowledgment within 1–3 business days, prioritised resolution. Your reports help us improve the site for everyone.
📧 Report an accessibility issue