Released Enhancements
AI Editing Assistant (Enhancement)
We’re introducing the AI Editing Assistant, which embeds generative AI directly into the Editor Widget across Municipal Websites Central. When the AI Editing Assistant option is enabled, editors can access real-time AI writing support while drafting content. This can help improve clarity, tone, and efficiency.
When the AI Editing Assistant is enabled, you’ll see the AI Editing Assistant button in common editor locations, including:
Pages
News Flash
NotifyMe
FAQs
The AI Editing Assistant streamlines content creation and ensures contributors have intelligent assistance exactly where they need it. This feature is optional and user-controlled, and it can be added to Municipal Websites Central customer sites at no additional cost. For more information or to get access, please contact your Account Manager.
Enhanced Accessibility for Graphic Button Clusters
We’ve updated the structure of graphic button clusters to create a more intuitive, navigation-friendly experience for users of assistive technologies.
What’s New
Graphic button clusters containing more than one button are now wrapped in semantic <nav> tags. This improvement enables screen readers to correctly interpret these groups as navigation elements. It also allows them to announce the clusters as navigation sections. As a result, users gain clearer context and improved usability when moving through grouped buttons with assistive technology.
List Label Attribute for Graphic Buttons
We've improved the accessibility of graphic button groups to provide clearer structure and navigation support for users of assistive technologies.
Key Enhancements
Graphic button clusters now include ARIA list roles (role=“list” and role=”listitem”), so screen readers can accurately announce grouped buttons as lists. This enhancement gives users better context when navigating link groups. It also improves both usability and alignment with WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards.
Improved Hover State Accessibility for Search Dropdowns
We’ve enhanced the accessibility of the search dropdown component to ensure it meets WCAG 2.1 contrast requirements. This makes interactive elements clearer and more usable for individuals with visual impairments.
What’s Different
The hover state for dropdown options has been updated to meet WCAG 2.1 contrast ratios: 3:1 for non-text elements and 4.5:1 for text. A consistent color scheme is now applied, using Color 6 for the background and Color 9 for text.
Improved Keyboard Accessibility for Main Navigation Dropdowns
We’ve enhanced keyboard navigation within the main navigation dropdown menus by adding ESC key functionality. This makes it easier for users to control submenu behavior without a mouse.
Key Improvements
Pressing ESC while focused on a submenu item now closes the submenu and returns focus to the parent menu item that opened it. If the submenu is already closed, pressing ESC simply does nothing. This ensures no unexpected focus changes or menu activations occur.
Enhanced Keyboard Navigation for Mega Menu
We’ve improved keyboard accessibility within the mega menu, ensuring users can fully navigate menu items without a mouse. These updates enhance overall usability and support WCAG 2.1 compliance.
What’s Changed
Users can now tab into the mega menu and move through submenu items smoothly. Submenus remain closed by default when first focused. Pressing Enter opens or closes them without requiring navigation through all items. Focus reliably returns to the parent menu item when submenus close. This prevents users from becoming trapped within the menu.