Accessibility Statement
Last updated: 7 August 2026
Vaishno Devi Yatra Guide (vaishnodevidevasthan.org.in) is a volunteer-run information portal for pilgrims travelling to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Many of our readers are elderly, are travelling with family, or are reading on a small phone over a slow connection in the hills. We want the yatra information on this site to be usable by all of them, including people who use screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, or larger text.
Conformance Status
We aim for WCAG 2.1 level AA. As of the date above this site is partially conformant — most of the standard is met, but some parts are not yet. The specific gaps we know about are listed below, with the measurements that identified them.
How We Tested
On 7 August 2026 we ran an automated accessibility audit against every one of the 47 published URLs on this site (19 pages and 28 articles) using axe-core, checking the WCAG 2.1 level A and level AA rules. Pages were tested in Chrome at a 1280×900 desktop window and a 390×844 mobile window.
What Passed
The audit found no failures in these areas:
- Images — every image carries alternative text for screen readers.
- Links and buttons — every link and button has a name a screen reader can announce.
- Page language — each page correctly declares its language.
- Skip to content — keyboard users can jump past the navigation menu.
- Zoom — pinch-zoom is not disabled; text can be enlarged.
- Forms — form fields are properly labelled.
- Titles — every page has a unique, descriptive title.
Known Problems
Three items did not meet the level AA contrast requirement. WCAG asks for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 between text and its background; the measured values were:
- The “I Understand” button on our independent-guide notice — measured 3.25:1. Appears on every page.
- The “Plan Your Yatra” button on the home page — measured 3.01:1.
- The WhatsApp channel button — measured 4.13:1. Appears on 27 pages.
All three are readable, but not by the margin the standard requires for readers with low vision. They are logged for correction. This statement will be updated when they are resolved.
One further item was found and fixed on 7 August 2026: the link to the official Shrine Board portal in our footer notice was distinguished from the text around it only by colour, at a ratio of 1.17:1. It is now underlined.
What We Have Not Yet Tested
We would rather tell you the limits of our testing than imply a completeness we have not earned:
- Automated tools catch only a portion of accessibility barriers. We have not yet completed a manual audit using a keyboard alone or with a screen reader such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver or TalkBack.
- On each page the automated check could not reach a verdict on the contrast of roughly 50 to 70 elements — typically text sitting over a photograph or gradient. These need a human eye and have not yet had one.
- We have not formally reviewed heading structure, page landmarks, or reading level.
Where we say something passed, it passed a test we actually ran. Where we have not tested, we have said so.
Third-Party Content
Some parts of this site rely on software we do not control, including our website theme and embedded maps. We cannot guarantee the accessibility of third-party content, but we will raise problems with the supplier where we find them.
Tell Us About a Problem
If any part of this site is difficult or impossible for you to use, please tell us — it is the fastest way for us to find what our testing missed. Email editor@vaishnodevidevasthan.org.in and, if you can, include the page address, what you were trying to do, and the device or assistive technology you were using. We aim to reply within five working days.
If you need information from this site in another format — larger print, plain text, or read aloud over the phone — ask us and we will do our best to provide it.
A Note on Bookings
This is an independent guide. It is not the official website of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, and we take no bookings, donations or payments. Yatra registration, helicopter tickets and pooja bookings are made only on the official portal at maavaishnodevi.org. We are not able to influence the accessibility of that site. If you have difficulty using it, the SMVDSB toll-free helpline is 1800-180-7198.
