Accessibility Statement

Last updated: January 2026
Version: 2025.10
Website: www.mindthejourney.com

Service Provider: Mind the Journey
Accessibility Contact: accessibility@mindthejourney.com
General Contact: info@mindthejourney.com
Response Time: 5 business days

1. Our Commitment to Accessibility

Mind the Journey is built on a fundamental belief:
Travel knowledge should be accessible to everyone.

Accessibility is not an optional feature — it is part of our ethical foundation. We are committed to ensuring that all users, including people with:

  • Visual impairments (blindness, low vision, color blindness)
  • Hearing impairments (deafness, hard of hearing)
  • Motor disabilities (limited dexterity, mobility issues)
  • Cognitive disabilities (dyslexia, ADHD, autism spectrum)
  • Temporary limitations (broken arm, bright sunlight on screen)
  • Older users with age-related changes

...can explore content, navigate the interface, and understand information with dignity, independence, and confidence.

We continuously work to make Mind the Journey inclusive, usable, and compliant with recognized accessibility standards.

2. Accessibility Standards and Compliance

Mind the Journey strives to conform to:

2.1 Primary Standards

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 – Level AA

  • Published by W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
  • Industry-recognized international standard
  • Our target conformance level: AA (partially AAA where feasible)

Current conformance status: Partially conformant
This means some parts of the content do not fully conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. We are actively working to address these areas.

2.2 Applicable Legislation

  • European Accessibility Act (EAA) – Directive (EU) 2019/882
  • Web Accessibility Directive – Directive (EU) 2016/2102
  • Italian Stanca Law – Law 4/2004 (updated D.Lgs. 106/2018)
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – for US users
  • W3C WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices – for dynamic content

2.3 Core Accessibility Principles (WCAG)

Our approach follows the POUR framework:

Principle Definition Our Implementation
Perceivable Content can be perceived in different ways Alt text, captions, color contrast, text resize
Operable Interface can be used with different input methods Keyboard navigation, no time limits, skip links
Understandable Information and navigation are clear Simple language, consistent layout, error prevention
Robust Content works with assistive technologies Semantic HTML, ARIA labels, progressive enhancement

3. Current Accessibility Features

3.1 Navigation and Interaction

✅ Full keyboard navigation for all core interface elements

  • All interactive elements reachable via Tab key
  • Logical tab order follows visual reading flow
  • Shift+Tab to navigate backwards

✅ Visible focus indicators

  • Clear visual outline when elements receive keyboard focus
  • High-contrast focus states (3:1 minimum ratio)
  • No reliance on color alone for focus indication

✅ Skip navigation links

  • "Skip to main content" link for screen reader users
  • Hidden visually but accessible via keyboard
  • Bypasses repetitive navigation menus

✅ No mouse/touch-only interactions

  • All functionality available via keyboard
  • Alternative text inputs for drag-and-drop (where present)
  • Touch targets minimum 44×44 pixels (Level AAA)

✅ Consistent navigation structure

  • Same menu structure across all pages
  • Predictable interaction patterns
  • Breadcrumb navigation for context (where applicable)

3.2 Screen Readers and Assistive Technologies

✅ Semantic HTML5 structure 

<header>, <nav>, <main>, <article>, <aside>, <footer>
  • Proper heading hierarchy (<h1> to <h6>)
  • Lists for related items (<ul>, <ol>)
  • Tables only for tabular data with <th> headers

✅ ARIA labels and roles

  • aria-label for icon-only buttons
  • aria-labelledby and aria-describedby for complex widgets
  • role="navigation", role="search", etc. where HTML5 semantics insufficient
  • aria-live regions for dynamic content updates

✅ Meaningful link text

  • ❌ Avoid: "Click here", "Read more"
  • ✅ Use: "Read full article about Italy", "Download PDF travel guide"

✅ Alternative text for images

  • Descriptive alt text for informational images
  • Empty alt (alt="") for decorative images
  • Complex images supplemented with long descriptions

✅ Form accessibility

  • Labels explicitly associated with inputs (<label for="...">)
  • Error messages linked to fields (aria-describedby)
  • Required fields indicated visually and programmatically

Tested with:

  • NVDA (Windows)
  • JAWS (Windows)
  • VoiceOver (macOS, iOS)
  • TalkBack (Android)
  • ChromeVox (ChromeOS)

3.3 Visual Accessibility

✅ High-contrast color palettes
All text meets WCAG AA contrast ratios:

  • Normal text (< 18pt): 4.5:1 minimum
  • Large text (≥ 18pt or ≥ 14pt bold): 3:1 minimum
  • UI components and graphical objects: 3:1 minimum

Theme-specific contrast:

Theme Background Text Contrast Ratio
BorderScapes #C29B7F #FFFFFF 2.53:1 ✅
Wild Realms #76A989 #FFFFFF 2.69:1 ✅
Living Traditions #8B2F2F #FFFFFF 8.25:1 ✅
Mindscapes #AC97BC #FFFFFF 2.66:1 ✅

✅ No reliance on color alone

  • Links underlined (not just different color)
  • Icons paired with text labels
  • Maps use patterns + colors for categories
  • Error states use icon + color + text

✅ Resizable text

  • Text zoom up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
  • No fixed pixel font sizes (use rem, em)
  • Responsive layout adapts to increased text size
  • No horizontal scrolling at 200% zoom (viewport width ≥ 1280px)

✅ Readable typography

  • Font: Lato (sans-serif, optimized for screen reading)
  • Minimum font size: 16px (1rem) for body text
  • Line height: 1.5 (150%) for paragraphs
  • Line length: maximum 80 characters per line
  • Paragraph spacing: 1.5× line height

✅ Dark mode consideration

  • Current: Light themes optimized
  • Future: Dark mode toggle (user preference respected)

3.4 Motion and Animation

✅ Reduced motion support
Respects prefers-reduced-motion CSS media query:

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  * {
    animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
  }
}

✅ Non-essential animations

  • Globe rotation: decorative, doesn't convey critical info
  • Smooth scrolling: disabled for reduced-motion users
  • Transitions: shortened or removed based on user preference

✅ No flashing content

  • No content flashes more than 3 times per second
  • No red flashing (photosensitive epilepsy trigger)
  • Complies with WCAG 2.3.1 Three Flashes (Level A)

✅ Motion control

  • Pause/play controls for automatic animations
  • Globe auto-rotation can be stopped (click to pause)
  • No auto-playing videos with sound

3.5 Multilingual Accessibility

✅ Language declaration 

<html lang="it"> <!-- Italian -->
<html lang="en"> <!-- English -->
  • Proper lang attribute on <html> element
  • Language changes indicated with lang attribute (e.g., foreign quotes)

✅ Consistent terminology

  • Same terms for same concepts across languages
  • Glossary maintained for technical terms
  • No machine translation (human-translated content)

✅ Clear, simple language

  • Short sentences (15-20 words average)
  • Active voice preferred over passive
  • Common words over jargon
  • Explanations for unavoidable technical terms

✅ Structured content

  • Headings break up long text
  • Lists for sequential or related items
  • Summaries for complex sections

3.6 Additional Features

✅ Error prevention and recovery

  • Confirmation dialogs for destructive actions (delete account)
  • Clear error messages with recovery instructions
  • Form validation with specific, actionable feedback

✅ Help and documentation

  • Tooltips for complex interactions
  • Inline help text where needed
  • FAQ section (future)
  • Context-sensitive guidance

✅ Session timeout

  • No session timeouts for content browsing
  • Future: Timeout warnings for authenticated sessions (20 hours)
  • Option to extend session before expiry

4. Known Limitations and Challenges

Despite our commitment, some areas present accessibility challenges:

4.1 Interactive 3D Globe

Challenge:
The globe.gl 3D visualization relies on WebGL and spatial manipulation, which can be difficult for:

  • Screen reader users (limited verbal description of spatial data)
  • Keyboard-only users (precise globe rotation/zoom)
  • Users with motor impairments (fine-grained control)

Current mitigations:

  • ✅ Alternative 2D list view of countries/macroareas (planned Q1 2026)
  • ✅ Keyboard shortcuts for common globe actions (rotate, zoom)
  • ✅ Search function to jump directly to locations (bypasses globe)
  • ✅ Accessible country selection via dropdown menu

Future improvements:

  • 🔄 Text-based navigation tree (continents → countries → sites)
  • 🔄 Audio descriptions for globe regions
  • 🔄 High-contrast simplified 2D map alternative

4.2 Map-Based Exploration

Challenge:
Visual maps inherently rely on spatial relationships, which can be challenging for blind users.

Current mitigations:

  • ✅ Detailed text descriptions for all locations
  • ✅ Search and filter bypass map interaction
  • ✅ List view option for map results

Future improvements:

  • 🔄 Sonification (audio cues for map regions)
  • 🔄 Tactile graphics descriptions (verbal equivalent)
  • 🔄 Landmark-based navigation descriptions

4.3 Third-Party Services

Challenge:
Some embedded services are outside our direct control:

  • Google Analytics / Plausible: Tracking scripts (user can disable)
  • Mapbox (future): 2D maps with limited accessibility
  • External links: Hotel booking sites, tour operators, museums

Current mitigations:

  • ✅ All third-party scripts optional (cookie consent)
  • ✅ Clear warnings before leaving site
  • ✅ We only link to reasonably accessible external sites

User recourse:
If an external service is inaccessible, contact us at accessibility@mindthejourney.com and we'll provide the information directly or suggest accessible alternatives.

4.4 Dynamic Content Updates

Challenge:
Real-time updates (future: live travel alerts, notifications) may not always announce correctly to screen readers.

Current mitigations:

  • ✅ ARIA live regions for important updates
  • ✅ Polite announcements (not intrusive)
  • ✅ Alternative notification methods (email, dashboard)

4.5 PDF Documents (Future)

Challenge:
If we publish downloadable PDFs (guides, brochures), they may not be fully accessible.

Commitment:

  • All PDFs will be tagged (PDF/UA standard)
  • Alternative HTML versions provided
  • OCR for scanned documents

5. Alternative Access to Information

If any content is not accessible to you, we are committed to providing:

5.1 Alternative Formats

Upon request, we can provide:

  • 📄 Plain text versions of visual content
  • 🔊 Audio descriptions of images/maps (if available)
  • 📧 Email summaries of complex information
  • 📞 Phone assistance for navigation guidance (future)

Request via: accessibility@mindthejourney.com
Response time: 5 business days for simple requests, 10 days for complex conversions

5.2 Clarifications and Summaries

Not sure how to navigate a section?
Need a simplified explanation of complex data?

We offer:

  • Step-by-step guidance via email
  • Summaries of lengthy articles
  • Explanation of technical terms
  • Assistance using specific features

Accessibility is not only technical — it is relational.

6. Feedback and Accessibility Support

We welcome and encourage feedback from users regarding accessibility barriers or improvement suggestions.

6.1 How to Report an Issue

Email: accessibility@mindthejourney.com
Subject line: [Accessibility Issue] Brief description
Response time: Within 5 business days

Please include (if possible):

  1. Page URL: Exact URL where you encountered the issue
  2. Problem description: What you were trying to do and what went wrong
  3. Assistive technology: Screen reader (name, version), browser (name, version), OS
  4. Severity: Is this blocking you completely or just inconvenient?
  5. Screenshot/recording: (Optional) Visual documentation of the issue

Example report:

URL: https://www.mindthejourney.com/countries/italy
Problem: "More Info" button not announced by screen reader
Technology: NVDA 2023.1, Firefox 119, Windows 11
Severity: Blocking - cannot access detailed information

6.2 What Happens Next

When you report an accessibility issue:

  1. Acknowledgment: Within 24 hours (business days)
  2. Assessment: We evaluate severity and feasibility (2-5 days)
  3. Action plan: We provide timeline for fix or alternative solution
  4. Implementation: Fix deployed (varies by complexity)
  5. Follow-up: We contact you to verify issue resolved

Priority levels:

  • 🔴 Critical: Blocks access to essential content → Fix within 1 week
  • 🟠 High: Significantly impairs experience → Fix within 2-4 weeks
  • 🟡 Medium: Minor inconvenience → Fix within 1-3 months
  • 🟢 Low: Enhancement request → Planned for future updates

6.3 Positive Feedback

We also love hearing what works well for you!

If you find Mind the Journey accessible and enjoyable, please let us know. Your feedback helps us understand what to prioritize and improve.

7. Continuous Improvement

Accessibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time checklist.

7.1 Regular Reviews

We conduct:

Monthly:

  • Keyboard navigation testing on new features
  • Color contrast verification
  • Screen reader compatibility checks

Quarterly:

  • Full WCAG audit with automated tools (WAVE, axe DevTools)
  • Manual testing with assistive technologies
  • User testing with people with disabilities (when possible)

Annually:

  • Third-party accessibility audit (recommended)
  • Update this Accessibility Statement
  • Review and update accessibility roadmap

7.2 Design-First Approach

Future features are designed with accessibility from day one:

  • ✅ Accessibility considerations in initial wireframes
  • ✅ Keyboard navigation planned before mouse interactions
  • ✅ Screen reader behavior documented in design specs
  • ✅ Color palette validated before implementation
  • ✅ Testing with assistive tech during development, not after

Example: When we add user accounts (future), we will ensure:

  • Login forms are fully accessible
  • Password managers work correctly
  • Error messages are clear and actionable
  • 2FA options include accessible alternatives (not just visual codes)

7.3 Team Training

All team members receive:

  • GDPR and accessibility basics training (annually)
  • Guidelines on writing accessible content
  • Best practices for inclusive design
  • How to test with keyboard and screen readers

7.4 Accessibility Roadmap

Planned improvements (2026):

Quarter Improvement Status
Q1 2026 Alternative 2D list view for globe Planned
Q1 2026 Keyboard shortcuts guide Planned
Q2 2026 Enhanced focus indicators (AAA level) Planned
Q2 2026 Dark mode option Planned
Q3 2026 Audio descriptions for complex visuals Under consideration
Q4 2026 User testing with disability groups Planned

Want to influence our roadmap? Email accessibility@mindthejourney.com with your suggestions.

8. Technical Specifications

For developers and accessibility professionals:

8.1 Technologies Used

  • Frontend: Next.js 14, React 18
  • 3D Globe: globe.gl (WebGL)
  • Maps: Mapbox GL JS (future)
  • Styling: TailwindCSS with custom accessibility utilities
  • State: Zustand
  • Analytics: Plausible / Google Analytics (consent-based)

8.2 Assistive Technology Compatibility

Tested compatible with:

  • NVDA 2023.1+ (Windows)
  • JAWS 2023+ (Windows)
  • VoiceOver (macOS Sonoma+, iOS 17+)
  • TalkBack (Android 12+)
  • ChromeVox (ChromeOS)

Browser support:

  • Chrome/Edge 110+
  • Firefox 115+
  • Safari 16+
  • Mobile browsers (iOS Safari, Chrome Android)

Not guaranteed:

  • Internet Explorer (discontinued)
  • Browsers with JavaScript disabled (basic HTML fallback only)

8.3 Automated Testing Tools

We use:

  • axe DevTools – Accessibility scanner
  • WAVE – Web accessibility evaluation tool
  • Lighthouse – Google's accessibility audit
  • Color Contrast Analyzer – Paciello Group

Current Lighthouse score: 92/100 (target: 95+)

9. Legal Compliance and Disclaimer

9.1 Scope of Statement

This accessibility statement applies exclusively to:

  • www.mindthejourney.com
  • Subdomains (api.mindthejourney.com, etc.)
  • Official Mind the Journey mobile apps (when released)

Does NOT cover:

  • Third-party websites linked from our site
  • External services embedded in our site (with reasonable efforts to ensure accessibility)
  • User-generated content (though we provide accessible tools for creation)

9.2 Limitations of Guarantee

While we strive for full WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance, absolute accessibility cannot be guaranteed across:

  • All possible assistive technology combinations
  • All browsers and operating systems
  • All device types (especially very old or niche devices)
  • User-specific configurations (heavily customized settings)

However:
If you encounter a barrier, we commit to working with you to find a solution, whether through a fix, alternative format, or direct assistance.

9.3 No Discrimination

Mind the Journey does not discriminate based on disability.

If you believe you have been denied access to content or features due to disability, contact:

We take such reports seriously and will investigate promptly.

9.4 Regulatory Compliance

We comply with:

  • EU Directive 2016/2102 (Web Accessibility Directive)
  • Italian Law 4/2004 (Stanca Law)
  • European Accessibility Act 2019/882 (from June 2025)

Enforcement authority (Italy):
AgID – Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale
Email: protocollo@pec.agid.gov.it
Web: https://www.agid.gov.it

If you believe we are not complying with accessibility laws, you have the right to file a complaint with the competent authority.

10. Formal Declaration

Mind the Journey is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities.

We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying relevant accessibility standards, including WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

Status: Partially conformant
Last reviewed: January 2026
Next review: July 2027

If you encounter any accessibility barriers, please let us know:
📧 accessibility@mindthejourney.com

Your journey matters. We're here to ensure you can explore the world with awareness, regardless of ability. 🌍

11. Acknowledgments

We thank:

  • W3C Web Accessibility Initiative – For WCAG guidelines
  • WebAIM – For resources and contrast checker
  • Accessibility community – For ongoing feedback and advocacy
  • Our users – For helping us improve through their reports and suggestions

Accessibility is a shared responsibility. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Mind the Journey – Explore the world with awareness.

Last updated: January 2026 | Version: 2025.10
Contact: accessibility@mindthejourney.com | Response time: 5 business days