Accessibility Statement
Ceredigion Network is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including those with disabilities. We continually improve the user experience for everyone and apply relevant accessibility standards.
Last updated:
Accessibility Target and Current Scope
Our current accessibility target is WCAG 2.2 Level AA for defined core journeys. We use automated checks, manual keyboard checks, and targeted remediation to support that target. We do not currently claim full WCAG 2.2 AAA conformance across all pages.
Quick summary
- Core public journeys are reviewed against the WCAG 2.2 AA target.
- AAA improvements are ongoing where practical.
- Known issues are prioritised by user impact and remediation sequence.
- Users can report barriers and request alternative formats via our contact routes.
How We Assess the Accessibility Target
Target: WCAG 2.2 Level AA for our in-scope public journeys. This is not a full-site AAA claim.
- • Scope reviewed: navigation, search, contact, policy pages, and key service pages.
- • How assessed: automated audits (Lighthouse, axe, Pa11y) plus manual keyboard and screen reader checks.
- • Why this target is stated: AA-critical defects from the April 2026 closure cycle were remediated and revalidated.
- • Why AAA is not claimed: some AAA criteria remain a targeted uplift stream rather than a completed global baseline.
Post-Audit Findings and Current Progress (April 2026)
Our April 2026 AA closure review confirmed key improvements, and the latest scanner-led remediation cycle has addressed high-impact issues across navigation, forms, search and footer interactions.
- • Contrast tokens were uplifted on error and form pathways to maintain AA readability.
- • Focus styles and focus visibility consistency were strengthened on key content cards and links.
- • Pointer target sizes were corrected where controls were below WCAG 2.2 AA minimum expectations.
- • Error-page recovery paths now include consistent search and navigation support across explicit and live status routes.
- • Action-oriented link labels and clearer keyboard behavior were rolled out on key menus, sharing actions and chat launcher controls.
Remediation Sequencing
Remediation is delivered in sequenced phases: first AA-critical journeys (navigation, forms, search, and error handling), then editorial cleanup and content lifecycle checks, followed by selective AAA uplift where practical.
We prioritise issues by user impact and frequency, and we track completion through versioned release tasks before closing each phase.
Accessibility Features
Our website includes comprehensive accessibility features to ensure all users can access and interact with content effectively. These features can be accessed through the Accessibility Menu icon in the top-right corner of every page.
Visual Adjustments
- High Contrast Mode: Increases contrast between text and background for improved readability
- Text Size Adjustment: Adjust text size from 75% to 150% to suit your reading preferences
- Font Choice: Choose from Default, Dyslexia-Friendly (OpenDyslexic), Sans Serif, or Serif fonts
- Line Spacing: Adjust line spacing from 1x to 2.5x for comfortable reading
- Color Themes: Switch between Light and Dark themes to reduce eye strain
Navigation & Motion Controls
- Keyboard Navigation Aids: Enhanced visual focus indicators and skip navigation links
- Reduce Motion: Disable animations and automatic movement for users sensitive to motion
- Focus Mode: Dim peripheral elements to improve concentration on main content
- Hide Background Images: Remove background images for clearer text visibility
- Text to Speech: Hear page content read aloud using browser text-to-speech capabilities
Accessibility Status and Standards
Scope: this statement covers public pages under ceredigion.net and our core user journeys (navigation, search, contact, policy pages, and key service pages). We have implemented accessibility features that meet or exceed the following WCAG 2.2 Level AA success criteria:
| Standard | Current status | Passing areas | Known failing or not-yet-conformant areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| WCAG 2.2 AA | Pass target for core journeys | Core public journeys (navigation, search, contact, policy pages, and key service pages) are currently tracked as meeting the AA baseline. | Some legacy blog images may still have generic alt text and some older linked PDFs may not be fully accessible; these areas remain in remediation and can affect full-site AA conformance. |
| WCAG 2.2 AAA | Partially passing, not claimed site-wide | Selected AAA-oriented improvements are in place on key journeys, including contrast, focus behaviour, and semantic/control fixes from recent remediation cycles. | We do not yet claim full-site AAA conformance. Remaining AAA criteria are tracked as ongoing uplift work and are not currently a release-blocking baseline. |
Perceivable
- ✓ SC 1.1.1: Non-text Content
- ✓ SC 1.3.1: Info and Relationships
- ✓ SC 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum)
Operable
- ✓ SC 2.1.1: Keyboard Access
- ✓ SC 2.1.2: No Keyboard Trap
- ✓ SC 2.4.1: Bypass Blocks
- ✓ SC 2.4.3: Focus Order
- ✓ SC 2.4.6: Headings and Labels
- ✓ SC 2.4.7: Focus Visible
Understandable
- ✓ SC 3.3.2: Labels or Instructions
Robust
- ✓ SC 4.1.2: Name, Role, Value
- ✓ SC 4.1.3: Status Messages
Our implementation includes semantic HTML5, ARIA landmarks and labels, proper heading structure, keyboard navigation support, sufficient color contrast, and comprehensive focus indicators.
Compatible Assistive Technologies
This website has been designed and tested to work with the following assistive technologies:
- JAWS (Windows screen reader)
- NVDA (Windows screen reader)
- VoiceOver (macOS/iOS screen reader)
- TalkBack (Android screen reader)
- ChromeVox (Chrome extension screen reader)
- Keyboard-only navigation
- Speech recognition software
- Browser zoom and text scaling
Testing & Quality Assurance
We regularly test our website using both automated tools and manual testing procedures:
- Google Lighthouse accessibility audits
- axe DevTools for automated WCAG validation
- Pa11y automated WCAG 2.2 A/AA/AAA scans
- Manual testing with NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver screen readers
- Keyboard-only navigation testing
- Contrast ratio validation using WebAIM Contrast Checker
- Continuous integration testing with Playwright and axe-core
Latest automated WCAG 2.2 A/AA/AAA checks (Pa11y) were completed on April 17, 2026. Manual checks for keyboard and screen reader journeys were also re-run in this review cycle.
Known Limitations
We are committed to continuous improvement. While we strive for full accessibility, we acknowledge the following areas for ongoing work:
- Some older blog posts may have images with generic alt text - we are working to update these retrospectively
- PDF documents linked from the site may not be fully accessible - we are working to provide accessible alternatives
Remediation timeline: legacy image alt-text updates are scheduled for completion by June 30, 2026. Priority document replacements or accessible HTML alternatives are scheduled by July 31, 2026.
Feedback & Support
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of this website. If you encounter any accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us:
- Email: accessibility@ceredigion.net
- Contact Form: Submit a message
We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days and to resolve issues within 30 days where feasible.
Technical Specifications
Accessibility of this website relies on the following technologies:
- • HTML5
- • WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative – Accessible Rich Internet Applications)
- • CSS3 (including Tailwind CSS utility framework)
- • JavaScript (progressive enhancement - core content accessible without JS)
- • ASP.NET Core 8.0 (Razor Pages)
Assessment & Approval
This accessibility statement was prepared and reviewed by the Ceredigion Network development team using:
- • Self-assessment methodology
- • Automated testing tools (Lighthouse, axe DevTools)
- • Manual testing with assistive technologies
- • WCAG 2.2 Level AA target checklist, with AAA opportunities tracked
This statement was last reviewed on: