Accessibility Statement

1. Our Commitment to Accessibility

AroundManchester.com™ is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards.

We believe that all users, regardless of ability, should have equal access to information and functionality on our website. This commitment extends to all aspects of our online presence.

Note: AroundManchester.com™ is currently under active development (work-in-progress). We are building accessibility into the foundation of the site from day one, and we will continue to enhance and test accessibility features as the directory grows.

2. Conformance Status

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

AroundManchester.com™ aims to conform to WCAG 2.2 Level AA. This means we aim to meet the success criteria outlined at this level to ensure our content is:

• Perceivable – Information and interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive
• Operable – Interface components and navigation must be operable by all users
• Understandable – Information and operation of the interface must be understandable
• Robust – Content must be robust enough to be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies

3. Accessibility Features

We have implemented the following accessibility features across our website:

3.1 Navigation and Structure

• Skip links – Skip to main content links on every page to bypass repetitive navigation
• Logical heading structure – Proper heading hierarchy (h1 through h4) for easy navigation with screen readers
• Breadcrumb navigation – Clear page location indicators with ARIA labels
• Landmark regions – ARIA landmarks to identify page regions (banner, main, contentinfo)
• Consistent navigation – Navigation appears in the same location across all pages

3.2 Visual Design

• High contrast mode – Toggle available via floating accessibility panel for improved text visibility
• E-ink device detection – Automatic high contrast mode activation for Kindle and e-ink readers
• Colour contrast – Text and interactive elements meet WCAG 2.2 AA contrast requirements (minimum 4.5:1)
• Resizable text – Text size controls available in accessibility panel (increase, decrease, reset)
• Enhanced spacing mode – Toggle for improved line spacing and readability
• No colour-only information – Information is not conveyed by colour alone

3.3 Interactive Elements

• Visible focus indicators – Clear 3px focus outlines with box-shadow on all interactive elements
• Keyboard accessibility – All interactive elements are accessible via keyboard
• ARIA attributes – Appropriate ARIA labels, controls, and live regions
• Button and link distinction – Clear visual and semantic distinction between buttons and links

3.4 Motion and Animation

• Reduced motion support – Respects user's prefers-reduced-motion system setting
• No automatic animation – No content that flashes more than three times per second

3.5 Content

• Plain language – Clear, straightforward language throughout the site
• Descriptive link text – Links describe their destination rather than using generic text
• Alternative text – Images include appropriate alt text or are marked as decorative
• Semantic HTML – Proper use of HTML elements for their intended purpose

3.6 Unified Accessibility Panel

We provide a floating accessibility panel (visible on the right side of every page) that gives users quick access to all accessibility features in one place:

• High Contrast Toggle – Switch to high contrast mode for improved visibility
• Text Size Controls – Three buttons (A-, A, A+) to decrease, reset, or increase text size
• Enhanced Spacing Toggle – Increase line height and spacing for improved readability
• Panel Persistence – Settings are remembered within your browsing session using sessionStorage (privacy-friendly, no cookies or persistent tracking)
• Hide/Restore – Option to hide the panel temporarily and restore it when needed

The accessibility panel is keyboard accessible and includes proper ARIA attributes for screen reader users.

3.7 Keyboard Shortcuts

All accessibility features can be activated using standardized keyboard shortcuts, allowing for quick access without needing to use the mouse or navigate to the accessibility panel:

Mac Users: Use Cmd instead of Ctrl. For example, Cmd + + to increase text size.

Note: Keyboard shortcuts do not work when typing in form fields (inputs, textareas) to avoid conflicts with normal typing. Screen reader announcements are provided when shortcuts are activated.

4. Compatible Assistive Technologies

Our website is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies:

• Screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack)
• Screen magnification software
• Speech recognition software
• Keyboard-only navigation
• Switch devices
• Browser extensions for accessibility
• E-ink readers (Kindle and other e-ink devices with automatic contrast adjustment)

We recommend using the latest versions of browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) for the best experience with assistive technologies.

Note: Compatibility testing with assistive technologies is ongoing as the site develops. We welcome feedback from users of assistive technologies to help us improve.

5. Known Limitations

While we strive for full accessibility, some areas of our website may have limitations:

• Work-in-progress content – AroundManchester.com™ is under active development. Some features and pages are not yet complete, and accessibility testing is ongoing.
• Third-party content – Some business listings may link to external websites that we do not control. We cannot guarantee the accessibility of these external sites.
• PDF documents – Some older PDF documents may not be fully accessible. We are working to remediate these where possible.
• Maps and virtual tours – Interactive maps and 360 degree tours may have limited accessibility. We provide text alternatives where available and are working to improve this area.
• User-generated content – Content provided by businesses may not always meet accessibility standards. We work with businesses to improve this.

We are actively working to address these limitations and welcome feedback on any accessibility barriers you encounter.

6. Testing and Review

Our accessibility approach includes:

• Manual testing with keyboard navigation
• Screen reader testing (NVDA, VoiceOver) - ongoing
• Colour contrast analysis
• Automated accessibility scanning tools
• Code review for semantic HTML and ARIA implementation
• Periodic reviews as content is updated

We review and update this accessibility statement as our website evolves and as we receive feedback from users.

Testing Status: Accessibility testing is an ongoing process as the site develops. We are committed to addressing accessibility issues as they are discovered.

7. Feedback and Contact

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of AroundManchester.com™. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement.

8. Legal Framework

This statement was prepared in accordance with the following standards and regulations:

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2
• UK Equality Act 2010
• Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (where applicable)

While AroundManchester.com™ is a private sector website, we voluntarily commit to meeting the accessibility standards that promote digital inclusion for all users.