At südtirolmobil, making public transport accessible to as many people as possible is a top priority. But not only buses and trains need to be barrier-free: We also aim to make all our information on public transport accessible.
That’s why, for the development of the new STA website and the accompanying smartphone app, we teamed up with independent L., a local non-profit cooperative. The aim: removing any potential barriers from the new STA mobility portal in order to make it as accessible as possible for users with visual or motor impairments. And in recent months, we’ve fine-tuned the website and app in close cooperation with the South Tyrol association of blind and partially sighted persons (Unione Ciechi e Ipovedenti/Verband für Blinde und Sehbehinderte) to ensure that the online journey planner, the timetable information system and any info texts are more accessible and inclusive.
Both the website and the app were designed to include text-to-speech output that allows them to be used by standard screen-reader technology such as VoiceOver and TalkBack. That way, visually impaired users can navigate the website and app and find out about departure times, timetables and any topics related to public transport. Almost all text elements can be read out aloud in German, Italian or English – from timetable searches to any information on the südtirolmobil fare system, tickets and fares all the way to image descriptions. A high-contrast map in a slightly reduced format offers orientation assistance for partially sighted persons, and users can navigate the website without the need for a mouse, using just the tab and arrow keys of their keyboard.
All further development of the südtirolmobil mobility portal, too, will put a key focus on barrier-free access.
For an overview of the most important information on public mobility and Südtirol Pass tickets in plain language (German and Italian), please visit the website of the South Tyrol government.