Transit and universal accessibility

With over 180 agency partners, Transit has been audited for WCAG compliance many times. We maintain rigorous testing to prevent accessibility regressions and can provide WCAG reports on request.

Currently, Transit conforms to WCAG 2.0 A/AA and meets WCAG 2.1 A/AA guidelines. We are undergoing an Accessibility Conformance Review for WCAG 2.2 AA and EN 301 549 standards.

Beyond compliance, Transit ensures real-time departures and trip planning are accessible to all, with intuitive, inclusive design at its core. 

This page includes:

• In-app accessibility information
• Accessibility features
• Trip planner accessibility
• GO Mode
• Screen reader support

Mobility accessibility 

Transit displays wheelchair accessibility information for stops and vehicles when provided by the agency. From the main screen, users can see whether an approaching vehicle or nearby stop is accessible. The route details screen highlights accessible stops along a route, and the schedule screen shows which upcoming departures at a rider’s closest stop are accessible vehicles.

Accessibility features  

Alongside WCAG compliance and support for TalkBack and VoiceOver, Transit offers two key features that enhance usability for riders with accessibility needs: the accessible trip planner and GO.

Accessible trip planner 

Transit offers a complete step-free-trip option in our trip planner. Users can turn on accessibility information in two places in the User Profile, in the "On the sidewalk" section, and further down in "Preferences," in the "Settings and accessibility" section.

"On the sidewalk"

Transit lets riders set their walking or rolling speed (1.25–3.75 MPH). This setting affects the “prioritize walking” option, allowing users to choose walking-priority preferences: minimal walking, maximum 10- or 20-minute walks, or showing walking for all origin/destination pairs.

The walking-priority parameter options include “as little walking as possible” as a first option, 10- and 20-minute walk-time maximums, and finally, surfacing walking as an option for all O/D pairs. 

"Settings and accessibility" 

• Show accessibility info: Displays whether vehicles and stops are wheelchair accessible.
• Show accessible trips first: Surfaces only accessible trip options in the planner.
• Lines with color in their name (e.g., STM Orange Line) can have the color written out to assist users with visual impairments. 

GO mode: step-by-step navigation 

Users can tap GO to receive step-by-step audio instructions throughout their journey, including alerts when their stop is approaching. Visually impaired riders have found GO especially helpful, as it provides contextual audio guidance at each stage of their trip.

Screen readers 

Transit works with both major mobile screen readers—VoiceOver (iOS) and TalkBack (Android). Users navigate by selecting an element, listening as it is read aloud, and double-tapping to activate it. Route names, stops, and trip durations are presented in concise, easy-to-understand sentences. A dedicated group of visually impaired beta testers helps identify screen reader issues and provides feedback on features.