Accessibility

Our aim

We aim to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. We want the site to work with screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, browser zoom, and text resizing.

To be clear about status: this is a target we build towards, not a certification. The site has not yet had a formal third-party accessibility audit, so we can’t claim full conformance. We would rather say that plainly than imply a level of assurance we haven’t earned.

Standards we follow

Our reference is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) — the standard most widely used to measure web accessibility and the one referenced by US accessibility expectations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508. We design and build against its four principles: content should be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.

We treat WCAG 2.1 AA as the working target for every new page, and we review against it as the site grows rather than treating accessibility as a one-time task.

What's built in

• Semantic HTML headings and landmarks, so screen readers can navigate by structure
• Every interactive control reachable and operable by keyboard, with a visible focus outline
• Descriptive alternative text on meaningful images; decorative images marked as such so they aren’t announced twice
• Text that reflows on zoom and on small screens, without a horizontal scrollbar
• Body text and interface colours chosen for contrast against their backgrounds
• No auto-playing audio or video, and no content that flashes
• Animation respects the prefers-reduced-motion setting — if your device asks for reduced motion, the background animations stop
• Wide tables scroll within their own container instead of forcing the whole page sideways
• Accordions and menus use native, accessible HTML controls rather than custom widgets that trip up assistive technology

How we test

We check accessibility as part of building each page, not as an afterthought. Our routine checks include:

• Keyboard-only walkthroughs — navigating and operating every control without a mouse
• Screen-reader spot checks on key pages
• Automated checks for contrast, heading order, alt text, and landmark structure
• Zoom and mobile-reflow testing up to 200% and on small screens

Automated tools catch only part of what matters, so human checks sit alongside them. We are honest below about where that testing is not yet complete.

Known limitations

We’d rather list these than let you discover them:

• No formal third-party audit yet. The site has not been independently certified, so we describe WCAG 2.1 AA as a target, not a guarantee of full conformance.
• The breathing tool is paced visually. It has no audio or haptic cue, which limits it for blind and low-vision users.
• Colour contrast has been checked on core templates but not verified against every possible combination on every page.
• We have not yet run structured sessions with people who rely on assistive technology day to day — the most valuable test of all, and the one we most want to add.

These are on the list to fix rather than accepted as permanent.

Tell us about a barrier

If something on this site blocked you, we want to hear about it — it’s the fastest way these get fixed. Get in touch via the contact page and, if you can, include the page, what you were trying to do, and the browser or assistive technology you were using.

We aim to acknowledge accessibility reports within a few working days and to fix clear barriers as quickly as we reasonably can.

Requesting content in another format

If any content here is not accessible to you, we will provide the information in another reasonable format on request — for example, plain text, or a version that works with your assistive technology. Tell us what you need through the contact page and we will do our best to accommodate it.

Our ongoing commitment

Accessibility is treated as continuous work, not a box to tick. As we add pages and tools, we test them against the same standard, and we revisit this statement as the site changes so that what it claims stays true. If we ever fall short of what is written here, that is a bug — please report it, and we will treat it as one.