BuzzLayer is committed to making its digital news content accessible to all readers, regardless of ability or the assistive technologies they use. This page explains the accessibility standards we follow, how we meet them in practice, and how you can report an issue or request an alternative format.
What does this accessibility statement mean for you?
This statement tells you, as a reader, what level of accessibility you can expect from BuzzLayer and how we work to remove barriers. It also explains how to provide feedback so we can address any problems you encounter. We treat accessibility as an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time fix, and we are committed to transparent communication about our progress.
Every article, image, video, and interactive element on BuzzLayer is designed with accessibility in mind. Our goal is to ensure that people using screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, voice commands, or other assistive technologies can read, understand, and interact with our journalism without unnecessary obstacles.
What accessibility standards do we follow?
BuzzLayer follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA, the standard recommended by the Accessible Canada Act. This commitment is guided by the Canadian Accessibility Standards published at accessible.canada.ca, which serve as the enforcement route for federal accessibility requirements under the Act.
We regularly test our site against WCAG 2.2 success criteria covering perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness. As a Canadian digital publisher operated by Northern Beacon Media Inc., an Ontario corporation (Ontario Business Registry number 1003194827), we take our legal and ethical obligation under the Accessible Canada Act seriously. Our conformance target remains WCAG 2.2 Level AA for all new and substantially updated content, and we work to remediate older content where feasible.
How this works in practice
For example, a reader using a keyboard to navigate a news article on BuzzLayer will see a visible focus ring around each link, button, and interactive element as they tab through the page. Headings are structured hierarchically so screen reader users can jump between sections using heading navigation. Colour contrast meets minimum ratios of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text relative to its background. If a reader enables “reduced motion” in their operating system or browser, BuzzLayer respects that setting by limiting animations, scrolling effects, and automatic transitions. All images with informational content include equivalent alt text, and video content provides captions and transcripts.
What are our current limitations?
We acknowledge that some areas of BuzzLayer may not yet be fully accessible. Third-party content embedded on our site (such as social-media posts or interactive data visualizations from external providers) may not always meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards. Older articles published before our current accessibility policy took effect may have legacy formatting issues, such as missing heading hierarchy or older PDF attachments that lack full tagging. We are actively auditing and improving these areas. Where a known barrier exists for a specific piece of content, we will provide an accessible alternative on request.
Our team documents known limitations in an internal accessibility roadmap, and we communicate significant updates through this statement and our editorial policy.
Who oversees accessibility at BuzzLayer?
Accessibility is a shared responsibility at Northern Beacon Media Inc., the owner of BuzzLayer. Our editorial team, led by Editor-in-Chief Alex Nguyen, works with our technical partners to ensure new content meets accessibility standards. Daily oversight is coordinated by Managing Editor Maya Singh and our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead Priya Sharma. For specific accessibility concerns, the primary contact is our accessibility inbox: accessibility@buzzlayer.org.
Northern Beacon Media Inc. is an Ontario corporation with its registered office at Unit 12, 95 King Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1G4, Canada. Company decisions about accessibility investments and compliance reporting are made at the executive level, informed by feedback from readers and staff.
How can you report a problem or request an alternative format?
If you encounter any accessibility barrier while using BuzzLayer, or if you need a news article, graphic, or video in an alternative format (such as large print, plain text, or accessible PDF), please email accessibility@buzzlayer.org. You can also use our general contact page or submit a formal complaint via our complaints procedure. We aim to respond within five business days and will work with you to find a solution, which may include providing the content in an accessible format or fixing the barrier on the live site.
We value your input. Every report helps us improve the experience for all readers. For context on how editorial decisions and corrections relate to accessibility, please refer to our editorial policy.
In short
BuzzLayer is dedicated to providing an accessible news experience for everyone in Canada and beyond. We follow WCAG 2.2 Level AA under the Accessible Canada Act and invite your feedback to continuously improve. Use accessibility@buzzlayer.org to reach our team with any questions or requests.