The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
We are aware of the following issues on parts of the current website:
Some pages have heading levels that are not used in a logical order, which can make content structure less clear for screen reader users. This affects WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
“1.3.1 (Info and Relationships): Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text."
Some links are duplicated or provide repetitive information, which can make keyboard and screen reader navigation less efficient. This may affect WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose (In Context))
“The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context, except where the purpose of the link would be ambiguous to users in general."
Some links or components include redundant title text, which can result in repeated announcements for assistive technology users. This may affect WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.4 (Link Purpose (In Context)) and 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)
“The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context, except where the purpose of the link would be ambiguous to users in general."
“For all user interface components (including but not limited to: form elements, links and components generated by scripts), the name and role can be programmatically determined; states, properties, and values that can be set by the user can be programmatically set; and notification of changes to these items is available to user agents, including assistive technologies."
Some legacy forms and components do not provide a fully accessible experience for keyboard and assistive technology users. Depending on the component, this may affect WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.1.1 (Keyboard), 2.4.3 (Focus Order), 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions) and 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)
“2.1.1 (Keyboard): All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes, except where the underlying function requires input that depends on the path of the user's movement and not just the endpoints.”
“2.4.3 (Focus Order): If a web page can be navigated sequentially and the navigation sequences affect meaning or operation, focusable components receive focus in an order that preserves meaning and operability."
“3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions): Labels or instructions are provided when content requires user input."
“4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value): Changing the setting of any user interface component does not automatically cause a change of context unless the user has been advised of the behavior before using the component."
“For all user interface components (including but not limited to: form elements, links and components generated by scripts), the name and role can be programmatically determined; states, properties, and values that can be set by the user can be programmatically set; and notification of changes to these items is available to user agents, including assistive technologies."
Some older documents and embedded content do not fully meet accessibility requirements. Depending on the content, this may affect WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)
“1.1.1 (Non-text Content): …non-text content that is presented to the user has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose…”
“1.3.1 (Info and Relationships): Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text."
“4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value): Changing the setting of any user interface component does not automatically cause a change of context unless the user has been advised of the behavior before using the component."
Some of these issues relate to older templates and legacy components used on the current site.
Disproportionate burden
Parts of the current website rely on a legacy front-end implementation and third-party software or services that are due to be replaced as part of a planned website rebuild.
We are prioritising accessibility improvements through that rebuild so that problems can be addressed properly at component, template and content-structure level, rather than through limited fixes to the existing platform.
For some issues on the current site, making extensive changes before the rebuild would be a disproportionate burden. Where this is the case, we will focus on practical interim fixes where reasonable and deliver broader remediation through the replacement website, and will be able to provide alternative access to the content on request.