ADA

Data Accessibility for All

For nearly 30 years, Stellar MLS continues to provide real estate professionals with reliable data to support their business operations. Stellar MLS is committed to assuring that the real estate industry has equal access to data. Our web properties are tested periodically with assistive technology such as screen readers and screen magnifiers and with users with disabilities who use these technologies.

If you are sight-impaired, hearing impaired, mobility impaired, or have other disabilities and have suggestions on improving your access to this site; please let us know at ceo@stellarmls.com. We take your input seriously, and our mission is to make information accessible to the real estate community.

Our Approach to Accessibility

Stellar MLS is committed to raising the bar for accessibility across the organization’s family of web properties. We consistently address existing accessibility barriers to static content, as well as audio and visual content across all of our web properties. As a result, Stellar MLS web properties meet AA Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). By achieving this level of accessibility, our organization exceeds what’s required by the American Disabilities Act (ADA).  Our approach to WCAG AA compliance spans across the top five categories that address disability compliance and accessibility:

1. Document structure
2. Visibility
3. Navigation and headings
4. Element-level semantics
5. Forms and form behavior

Stellar MLS Accessibility Policies

Stellar MLS strives to make our website user-friendly for those with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Though the ADA and Department of Justice have not published official guidelines for real estate compliance, we have implemented the technical requirements from WCAG 2.0 to achieve AA compliance standards. Stellar MLS web properties adhere to the following:

• Code that could obstruct a page’s rendering is not used
• Page titles are useful, clear, and specify the property (website) being visited at the end
• All menus, including the site’s main navigation, are accessible by screen readers and without the use of a cursor (keyboard only)
• There are multiple ways to get to the same content, which is achieved by maintaining an information architecture that supports cross-linking
• Semantic HTML5 elements and landmarks are used. Wherever possible, elements that convey meaning are used to specify where the page’s header, footer, main content area and sections are located
• Where possible, elements on the page are shown in accordance with the flow of the Document Object Model (DOM)
• An outline of the tabbable element that is focus are visible
• Elements follow a reasonable focus order. This means that is a user is moving from element to element using a keyboard, it will generally follow a left-to-right and top-to-bottom format
• Headings are used to add context to areas with content, and H1 page headings describe which page the user is visiting. These headings follow a hierarchy
• Patterns that might trap keyboard-only or screen reader navigation are not used
• Presentation that relies solely on color is not used. If a color indicates any type of status or state, it is accompanied by more information describing the state, or a unique symbol or glyph whose meaning can be inferred independent of color
• Contrast levels between text and its background are above 3:1, and above 4.5:1 for small text
• When using text over top of an image, sufficient contrast is maintained either by image selection, or by adding in a translucent (sufficiently reduced opacity) background layer between the image and the text
• All pages have a language defined.
• Pages do not contain a strobe effect or repeatedly flashing images
• Form controls have accompanying label elements, to describe what they do
• All images have an alt attribute. If we’ve accidentally missed an alt attribute on an image, please let us know.
• Decorative graphics with no other function have empty alt attributes because they are not germane to the content.
• Javascript links are avoided altogether, and where they are necessary, a title attribute is provided to give the link clear meaning.
• Alt attributes describe the purpose of an image and are concise, but descriptive
• Image mapping is not used on the site.
• HTML tables have the headers appropriately identified, using the appropriate HTML tags
• Videos or audio clips never autoplay.
• Modals, dialog boxes and other types of popups can be closed easily.
• Any Captchas or human verification components have an audio alternative.
• Input areas do not change significantly when focused or otherwise experience a state change.
• Validation messages and errors offer suggestions on what the user should do to fix them
• Errors, notifications and tooltips are user controlled: they don’t disappear automatically within a set time.

Contact

Accessibility efforts are ongoing at Stellar MLS and our efforts remain a priority for our organization. If you find an accessibility error on any of our digital properties, please report the error by contacting us at: communications@stellarmls.com, or via mail at the address below.  In your correspondence, please specify the web page so we can work diligently to enhance the accessibility experience.

Stellar Multiple Listing Service, Inc.

247 Maitland Avenue, Suite 2000

Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

Tel: (407) 960-5300

Fax: (407) 960-5450