Accessible Content

All online content, including PDFs, must meet provincial accessibility standards. If you supply content to the city, you are responsible for meeting these standards.

Accessibility Requirements

All content the city publishes online must meet WCAG 2.0 AA standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Anyone creating or supplying content for the city, including consultants, vendors and partners, is responsible for meeting these standards.

What qualifies as content

Content means any information on a webpage or web application, including:

  • text, images and buttons
  • forms
  • documents, including PDFs
  • video and audio

If it is published online, it must be accessible.

What websites must comply

All public-facing websites the city controls, directly or through a contract, must meet accessibility standards. This includes Cambridge.ca, social media and other public-facing sites. Internal websites are exempt.

Make webpage content accessible

When preparing content for Cambridge.ca, use clear headings, plain language, descriptive link text, meaningful image descriptions, and standard website components wherever possible. Avoid using images of text unless the same information is also provided as accessible text.

Make a PDF accessible

PDFs posted on any city website must meet WCAG 2.0 AA requirements under AODA. If you supply PDFs to the City of Cambridge, they must be fully accessible before submission.

Before you submit your PDF:

  1. Test the file using the PAC Checker.
  2. Fix all accessibility errors identified by the tool.
  3. Conduct a manual review to confirm:
    • logical reading order
    • accurate and meaningful alt text and links
    • colour contrast that meets WCAG 2.0 AA requirement
  4. Include a passing accessibility report with your PDF.
PAC Test Report showing the PDF meets WCAG 2.2 requirements, indicated by a green checkmark. Accessibility checkpoints across categories show successful compliance.
Sample PDF is WCAG 2.0 AA compliant
PAC Test Report showing accessibility results. The report indicates the PDF is not WCAG 2.2 compliant, with a red X icon. Several checkpoints under Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust show partial passes.
Sample PDF is not WCAG 2.0 AA compliant
PAC Test Report showing the PDF meets PDF/UA-1 requirements, indicated by a green checkmark. Accessibility checkpoints across categories show successful compliance.
Sample PDF is PDF/UA compliant
PAC Test Report evaluating PDF/UA compliance for a document. The report shows the file is not PDF/UA compliant, marked with a red X. Summary tables list issues under basic requirements, logical structure, and metadata, including missing alternative descriptions and metadata errors.
Sample PDF is not PDF/UA compliant

Automated tools do not catch all accessibility issues. A manual review is required. PDFs that do not meet accessibility standards may be returned for correction.

If you are submitting content to the City of Cambridge and are unsure whether it meets accessibility requirements, contact accessibility@cambridge.ca with before submitting the final version.

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