Our Commitment
GrowSmart is committed to making garden planning accessible to everyone. We believe that all gardeners β regardless of ability β deserve tools that help them grow food and flowers with confidence.
We strive to meet or exceed the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standard.
Accessibility Features
GrowSmart currently includes the following accessibility features:
prefers-reduced-motion system setting. When enabled, transitions and animations are minimized or removed entirely.Standards We Follow
GrowSmart is designed and tested against:
- WCAG 2.1 Level AA β the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility
- AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) β Ontario's accessibility legislation, which requires organizations to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA
- IASR (Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation) β Ontario regulation under AODA covering information and communication standards
Known Limitations
We are transparent about areas where we're still working to improve:
- Companion planting matrix: The visual companion display may be challenging with some screen readers. We are working on a text-based alternative view.
- 12-month timeline: The horizontal scrollable timeline requires touch or mouse interaction. Keyboard navigation within the timeline is being improved.
- Some decorative colour indicators (activity-type bars in the timeline) rely on colour differentiation. We are adding pattern or icon alternatives.
We actively track these issues and prioritize accessibility improvements in every release.
Testing & Review Process
We conduct accessibility reviews at every stage of development:
- Automated testing: Colour contrast verification against WCAG AA ratios for every component
- Manual testing: Keyboard-only navigation, screen reader testing (VoiceOver on macOS/iOS)
- Design review: Touch target sizing (44Γ44px minimum), focus indicator visibility, and responsive layout checks at all breakpoints
- Ongoing monitoring: User feedback and accessibility complaints are reviewed promptly
Last full accessibility review: February 2026
Feedback & Support
We welcome your feedback on GrowSmart's accessibility. If you encounter a barrier, have difficulty using any feature, or have suggestions for improvement, please let us know.
Email: hello@getgrowsmart.com
Subject line: Accessibility Feedback
Website: getgrowsmart.com
We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days and to implement fixes for identified barriers as quickly as possible.
Commitment to Improvement
Accessibility is not a one-time effort β it's an ongoing commitment. We will continue to:
- Test every new feature against WCAG 2.1 AA before release
- Address reported accessibility issues as high-priority items
- Conduct at minimum annual full accessibility reviews
- Stay informed about evolving accessibility standards and best practices
- Update this statement when significant changes are made