Accessibility · Published statement

Built for everyone who wants to visit.

This site is designed, coded, and tested to WCAG 2.2 level AA. Most of our commitments exceed the baseline — we use system fonts gracefully, keep colour contrast well above 7:1 for body text, and run every release through automated + manual screen-reader QA. Below: exactly where we stand, what doesn't quite reach the bar yet, and how to ask us for content in any format you need.

Standard

WCAG 2.2 · AA

Status

Substantially compliant

Last audit

3 April 2026

Auditor

Independent · Turkish a11y firm

WCAG 2.2 · conformance summary

We meet level AA on all four principles.

Three out of four at full AA. Understandable sits at 98% — two language-tag inconsistencies noted in our last audit, currently in remediation.

Principle 1 Perceivable Text alternatives, captions, contrast ratios, resizability, distinguishable content. AA — passes

Principle 2 Operable Keyboard-accessible, no timing traps, skip links, 2.5.8 target size minimum. AA — passes

Principle 3 Understandable Language identification, error prevention, input assistance. Two sub-items in progress. AA — partial (98%)

Principle 4 Robust Valid HTML5, ARIA where needed, compatible with current and near-future assistive tech. AA — passes

Our commitment.

This site — hagia-sophia.istanbul-tourist-information.com — conforms to WCAG 2.2 level AA as of 3 April 2026. We review every major release against the full success criteria list. Screen-reader compatibility is tested manually before each deploy on NVDA 2024.3, VoiceOver (macOS 15 + iOS 18), and TalkBack (Android 14).

Where a design decision forced a tradeoff, we erred toward accessibility. The italic em heading accent, for example, is a style choice — it is not used as a semantic marker, and reads as plain text to screen readers. Colour is never the sole channel for information; every status, error, or highlight has a non-colour indicator.

Assistive tech we tested against.

Testing is manual (someone actually navigating each page with the tech, not just a scanner) and happens before every release. Automated scans — axe, Lighthouse, Pa11y — run in CI, but they only catch about 35% of real issues.

Screen reader / tool	Browser	Last tested	Status
NVDA 2024.3	Firefox 134 / Chrome 132	1 April 2026	Full pass
VoiceOver · macOS 15	Safari 18	2 April 2026	Full pass
VoiceOver · iOS 18	Safari mobile	2 April 2026	Full pass
TalkBack · Android 14	Chrome mobile	3 April 2026	Partial · gesture hints
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 16	Edge 131	3 April 2026	Full pass
JAWS 2025	Chrome 132	4 April 2026	Full pass
Keyboard-only · no AT	All browsers	Continuous	Full pass
200% zoom · no horizontal scroll	All browsers	Continuous	Full pass

What's already in place.

Skip to content link on every page, focusable with the first Tab. Heading outline is correct (one h1, h2-h4 nested) — tested with the NVDA element list (Ins+F7).

Contrast: body text at 12.4:1 against base background, display text at 10.8:1, accent-ink links at 7.9:1. All exceed WCAG 2.2's AAA threshold (7:1 large, 4.5:1 normal), not just AA.

Keyboard: every interactive element is reachable in a sensible order without a mouse. Focus rings are visible (2px accent outline with 2px offset) on every control.

Forms: every input has an associated <label>, inline validation with clear error text, autocomplete attributes on the booking flow, and a visible required-field indicator.

Motion: every animation respects prefers-reduced-motion. Subtle fades and scroll-reveals collapse to instant on first page load when the preference is set.

Language: lang attribute on <html> matches the content locale. Mid-page foreign terms (Turkish architectural vocabulary like Hünkar Mahfili) are tagged with lang="tr" for correct pronunciation in screen readers.

Known issues & their status.

We list the two items flagged in our last audit, and the single item our own internal testing has raised since. If you encounter anything not listed here, tell us — the list below reflects what we know, not what exists.

Fix in flight

Tickets page · qty stepper buttons missing an accessible name

The +/− buttons were announced as just "button". They now have aria-label="Decrease adults" / "Increase adults". Shipping in the next deploy (Wed 23 April).

ETA · this week

Fix in flight

FAQ accordion · animation conflict with reduced-motion on older Safari

Safari 16 on iPhone 8 respects the prefers-reduced-motion preference but there's a 40ms easing curve leaking through. Fixed in stylesheet, pending QA.

ETA · this week

Investigating

Mobile date picker · 14-day grid TalkBack gesture hints

TalkBack's swipe-forward reads dates in the correct order, but the "closed Fridays" visual cue is conveyed only by styling. Working on a prefixed announcement.

ETA · 30 April

Content in an alternative format.

If you need any page content in an alternative format — large-print PDF, plain-text, audio recording, braille-ready file, or Easy Read — email accessibility@istanbul-tourist-information.com. We respond within 5 business days and deliver the format within 15 business days at no cost.

If you need the venue itself in an accessible format — guided narration, companion-ticket, wheelchair route — our visitor-services team arranges that. See section 06.

Venue accessibility at Hagia Sophia.

Hagia Sophia is a 6th-century building converted to a mosque. The venue is managed by the Turkish Ministry of Culture; we are the online booking operator. Physical access is constrained by the building's age and religious purpose.

Step-free entry is available via the north ramp (visible on the facade, left of the Imperial Gate). It accommodates standard-width wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Companion tickets are free for essential carers — email us the booking reference and we'll add the companion without charge.

Sensory: the interior is approximately 56m tall with highly reverberant acoustics. The call to prayer is broadcast through speakers during the day. Quiet hours are not formally scheduled, but the 08:30–10:00 window is consistently the calmest.

For detailed venue access advice, email accessibility@istanbul-tourist-information.com with your booking reference and any specific needs. We liaise with the Ministry's visitor services on your behalf.

Found a problem? Tell us.

Accessibility is a live commitment, not a certification we can frame on the wall. If something fails for you — a screen reader announcement that's wrong, a keyboard trap, a contrast ratio that reads fine but feels low, a cognitive load you wouldn't wish on anyone — please email us.

We target a 48-hour first response on accessibility issues (faster than our standard 8-hour support SLA, because these are the ones that block people entirely). Every issue gets a ticket number, a named engineer or writer responsible, and an ETA.

If we haven't resolved it within 20 business days or if our response doesn't satisfy you, you may escalate to Türkiye's Union for Disability Rights or, if you're in the EU, file a complaint with your country's national accessibility authority.

Accessibility contact

One inbox, read by a human, replied to by a human.

Aylin handles all accessibility inquiries. Target first response 48 hours. If your issue is urgent (something is blocking you from booking right now), put URGENT in the subject and we'll triage it to the top.

Accessibility team accessibility@istanbul-tourist-information.com