We are committed to making interactive maps available to everyone. We have implemented a substantial rework of the mapping engines with the goal of achieving WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) Level AA compliance.
This commitment goes beyond simple cosmetic changes, focusing on how users interact with and understand the map content using assistive technologies.
In the future, we will endeavour to work closely with the community to reach higher levels of compliance by driving future development around community feedback.
If you have feedback on how we can improve this further, where it matters most, please reach out to us to discuss this with on of our developers!
Note: These changes came into effect with the release of our V10 builds, and to benefit from these changes, you will need to be up to date with the latest releases.
Key Accessibility Improvements #
The following core changes have been implemented to support users with disabilities:
- Keyboard Navigation: Full support for keyboard-based interaction has been implemented, allowing users to navigate various map elements without a mouse.
- The Tab key is used for moving focus between interactive elements.
- The Enter and Space keys are used to activate buttons, links, or open panels.
- The Escape key is used to close open panels, modals, or pop-ups.
- Aria Labels and Roles: Appropriate ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) labels and roles have been added to UI components to clearly communicate the purpose and state of elements to screen readers.
- Improved Focus Cues: We have enhanced the visual styling of focus cues to clearly indicate which element is currently selected when navigating with a keyboard. The colour of these focus cues pull directly from your map styling accent colour (Maps > Styling)
- Hierarchy Restructuring: The underlying HTML structure has been adjusted to ensure a logical tab order and a proper hierarchical flow, which significantly improves screen reader navigation.
Testing and Verification #
To ensure our implementation meets the highest standards, we have successfully tested the frontend experience using several industry-standard tools and manual checks:
| Testing Tool | Result | Standard Verification |
| Microsoft Accessibility Insights (FastPass) | Pass | Automated quick checks. |
| Axe DevTools | Pass | WCAG Level AA automated rules. |
| Google Lighthouse | Pass | 100% Accessibility Score. |
| Wave Tools | Pass | Comprehensive web accessibility evaluation. |
| Manual Testing | Pass | Confirmed full keyboard navigation functionality. |
Installation Recommendations #
Due to the technical limitations of directly selecting dynamic map objects (like markers) within the map canvas via keyboard, we strongly recommend a specific setup for accessibility-focused installations:
| Feature | Status | Recommendation |
| Marker Selection (Within Map) | Not Supported | Users cannot select a marker directly on the map using a keyboard alone. |
| Marker Selection (via Marker Listings) | Supported | We recommend you enable marker listings (sidebar, table, or similar list view) on your map. This allows users to easily navigate to and select a marker using the keyboard, which then triggers the marker’s pop-up or detail panel. |
By enabling marker listings, you provide a fully keyboard-accessible method for users to interact with every piece of data on your map.
Known Issues #
We view accessibility as an ongoing commitment, not a one-time feature release. We will continue to work towards more robust accessibility focused solutions moving forward.
- Frontend Only: Accessibility improvements are currently only supported on the frontend (the public view of the map), and not within the administrative backend settings.
- Third-Party Verification: While we have passed all major machine-driven compliance checks, this implementation has not yet been verified by third-party compliance testers.
Community Input #
We recognize that compliance is more nuanced than simple machine tests. Although we have passed these automated tests and meet the hypothetical standard for compliance, we would like to focus future developments by improving the systems where it matters most, from a day-to-day usage perspective.
We actively encourage our community to help us improve. If you find any issues or elements that you believe should be prioritized for improvement, please reach out to us directly!
