Accessibility Policy

Accessibility Statement

We’d like our service to be usable by the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We strive to meet the level AA standards as outlined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 These are international guidelines that explain how to make web content easier to use for people with disabilities.

Accessibility Help

We have made sure users can:

  • Zoom in without text spilling off the screen
  • Navigate using just a keyboard
  • Navigate using speech recognition software
  • Listen to content using a screen reader (including most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and Voice Over)
  • Change colors, contrast levels and fonts
  • Use a ‘Skip to content’ feature at the top of each page (for screen readers and keyboard only users) to move around quickly and avoid repetitive header content
  • All content that is visually hidden (such as inactive tabbed content) can be found and read by screen readers

Our site is built with standards compliant HTML and CSS and is designed to work well on smart phones, tablets and desktop. Some people may get the most accessible experience by customizing their device to suit their individual needs – for example: to increase the font size. For further information on making your device easier to use if you have a disability, please visit the Web Accessibility initiative’s ‘Better Web Browsing’ or Ability Net’s  My computer, My way.

Known Issues

Right now, even though our services are reviewed and achieve standards to meet compliance with WCAG international guidelines, there may be some exceptions.  We cannot guarantee that all content linked to or embedded in our service are fully accessible. Some content, such as Jobs posted by employers, uploaded documents (e.g. Word and PDF) and some third-party technologies are not provided by us and, may not be fully accessible.

How this Product Has Been Tested for Accessibility

This product was tested in May 2020. The test was carried out by the Digital Accessibility Centre (DAC). DAC tested a sample of pages to cover the important journeys and different types of content contained in the product.

The approach included:

  • Automated testing using online testing software
  • Manual technical auditing by experts
  • User testing with DAC’s experienced team of testers who have a variety of disabilities and use different types of assistive technologies (such as NVDA and JAWS)

Let Us Know if You Have Difficulties

If you experience any difficulty using this service, please contact us.

This statement was last updated October 2020 and follows the advice on accessibility statements in ISO 30071-1 and the Public Sector Regulations (UK).