New York Urban is committed to providing a city information and community resource that is usable by as many people as reasonably possible, including people with disabilities.
Our accessibility work is guided by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and our current target is WCAG 2.2 Level AA for the public-facing New York Urban website and its core functionality.
1. Our Accessibility Approach
Accessibility is considered throughout design, development, content creation, data presentation, and quality assurance. We aim to improve accessibility continuously as New York Urban adds new live-data sources, maps, AI tools, event information, and other features.
Our goal is not simply to meet a checklist, but to make New York Urban practical for people who navigate using keyboards, screen readers, screen magnification, voice input, reduced-motion settings, alternative color settings, and other assistive technologies or preferences.
2. Measures We Aim to Maintain
- Logical page structure and heading hierarchy.
- Keyboard-accessible navigation and interactive controls.
- Visible keyboard focus indicators.
- Sufficient color contrast for text and meaningful interface elements.
- Text that can be enlarged without losing core functionality.
- Meaningful alternative text for informative images and appropriate handling of decorative images.
- Form labels, instructions, validation, and understandable error messages.
- Skip navigation and semantic landmarks where appropriate.
- Accessible menus, dialogs, tabs, accordions, filters, and other interface controls.
- Support for reduced-motion preferences where motion or animation is used.
- Responsive layouts designed for desktop, tablet, mobile, zoomed views, and reflow.
- Accessible alternatives to information that is otherwise presented visually.
3. Maps and Location-Based Information
New York Urban uses maps and geographic information to help users explore events, neighborhoods, transportation, restaurants, attractions, and other places. Because interactive maps can create barriers for some users, important map-based information should also be available through a text or list-based experience wherever practical.
We aim to avoid making a map the only way to obtain essential information such as an address, event name, nearby place, or transportation option.
4. Live City Data
Live or frequently updated modules may include weather, transportation, traffic, air quality, city alerts, bike availability, and event information. We aim to present status information in text as well as through color or icons so that meaning is not communicated by color alone.
Where data is temporarily unavailable or stale, we aim to provide understandable text status messages rather than leaving blank or inaccessible interface elements.
5. New York AI Guide and Smart Day Planner
We aim to make the New York AI Guide and Smart Day Planner operable with a keyboard and usable with common assistive technologies. The chat and planner interfaces should provide clear labels, readable status updates, logical focus behavior, and accessible alternatives to map-only itinerary views.
AI-generated information may contain errors. Users should verify important government, emergency, legal, transit, health, or public-service information with the linked official source.
6. Documents, Images, and Editorial Content
New editorial content should use meaningful headings, readable typography, descriptive links, suitable image alternative text, and structured content wherever practical. We aim to avoid publishing essential information only inside an image when equivalent text can be provided.
Third-party documents or embedded materials may not always meet the same accessibility standard. Where feasible, we will provide an accessible link, summary, alternative format, or method to obtain the information.
7. Third-Party Content and External Websites
New York Urban links to many external websites, including official government agencies, transportation operators, event organizers, venues, businesses, and data providers. We do not control the accessibility of third-party websites or applications.
If an external resource is not accessible, you may report the issue to us and we will consider whether an alternative source or format can reasonably be provided. Official government services should also be contacted directly for accommodations related to their own services.
8. Known Limitations
New York Urban is an evolving platform, and some content or features may not yet fully meet our accessibility target. Potential limitations can include third-party embeds, complex maps, external data visualizations, automatically imported content, or features provided by external services.
We work to identify and address material accessibility barriers and prioritize issues that prevent access to core city information and functions.
9. Compatibility
New York Urban is designed for current versions of major browsers and modern assistive technologies. Accessibility and performance may vary when using older or unsupported browsers, operating systems, or assistive technologies. We aim to rely on standards-based HTML and accessible interaction patterns to maximize compatibility.
10. Accessibility Feedback
If you experience an accessibility barrier on New York Urban, please let us know through our contact page. Select or identify the request as an accessibility issue where possible.
To help us investigate efficiently, please include, when you are comfortable doing so:
- The page or feature where you encountered the issue.
- A brief description of the barrier.
- The browser, device, or assistive technology involved, if relevant.
- The format or alternative that would help you access the information.
You are not required to disclose a disability or medical information in order to report an accessibility issue.
11. Alternative Access
If you cannot access information because of an accessibility barrier, contact us and identify the content you need. Where reasonably possible, we will work to provide the information in another usable format or direct you to an accessible authoritative source.
12. Ongoing Improvement
Accessibility is an ongoing process. As New York Urban adds new features, data providers, AI functionality, editorial content, and city integrations, we will continue reviewing accessibility and addressing issues identified through testing, audits, user feedback, and platform updates.
13. Independent Website Notice
New York Urban is an independent city information and community resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the City of New York or NYC.gov. Accessibility accommodations for an official government service must be requested from the government agency responsible for that service.
14. Contact
Accessibility questions and feedback may be submitted at our contact page.
