Small print

Accessibility statement

What we've done, what we know is still imperfect, and how to tell us when something doesn't work.

Accessibility statement

Draft — accurate as of the last audit, not yet approved. The claims below are based on testing the built pages at desktop and phone widths, in both colour modes, with animation on and off, and with keyboard navigation. It has not been tested by disabled users or with a screen reader by a real user — see "What we haven't done" before publishing this.

Last updated date on publication

How accessible this site is

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 at level AA. We believe the site is close to that, with the known exceptions listed further down. We are not claiming full conformance, because we haven't had it independently audited.

What we've built in

  • Keyboard. Everything is reachable and operable by keyboard. A "skip to content" link comes first. The map's points can be tabbed to, and the arrow keys move between the visible ones. The mobile menu holds keyboard focus while it's open and closes on Escape.
  • A visible focus indicator on every control, in a colour that changes with the background so it stays visible on both the dark and the light sections.
  • An alternative to the map. The interactive map is a picture, so everything on it is also available as a plain list — same places, same times, same detail — using the Map / List buttons above it. The list is not a lesser version; it carries the same information.
  • Motion can be turned off. The header has a pause button, and if your device is set to reduce motion, everything is still by default without you asking. When motion is off the animation genuinely stops rather than just becoming invisible.
  • A light and a dark mode, following your device's setting unless you choose otherwise.
  • Text contrast meets the 4.5:1 minimum for body text, and the smallest text on the site is 11px rather than the 9px it started at.
  • Touch targets are at least 24×24px, including the points on the map.
  • Headings run in order with no skipped levels, so navigating by heading works.
  • Form errors are announced, attached to the field they refer to, and move focus there.
  • Text resizing. The layout is built in relative units and holds together when text is enlarged or the window is narrow, down to 320px wide.

Known problems

  • The map's own labels. Place names drawn onto the map graphic — bays, ranges, contour heights — are part of the picture and are small. The List view carries all the same content as real text, and that is the intended route for anyone who finds the map hard to read.
  • Photography is not final. The site currently uses labelled placeholder panels rather than photographs. Proper alternative text will be written for each image when the real photography is taken, and this statement updated.
  • The "My day" planner announces changes to the tray, but a long generated plan is presented as a list rather than a table, which may be more to listen through than necessary.
  • Add anything found in testing before publication.

What we haven't done

This statement is based on our own testing using automated checks and manual keyboard testing. We have not commissioned an independent audit, and we have not yet had the site tested by disabled people using their own assistive technology. That is the gap we would most like to close, and until it is closed this statement should be read as a good-faith account rather than a guarantee.

Telling us about a problem

If something on this site stops you doing what you came to do, please tell us — it is useful even if you think it's minor, and we would rather hear it than not. Email [email protected] or ring +44 (0)28 4372 2133 and we will reply within confirm a realistic response time.

If you need any of the information on this site in a different format, ask and we will find a way to get it to you.

The building

This section needs the hostel's own words. A statement about the website should not make claims about step-free access, accessible bathrooms, ground-floor beds or hearing loops unless someone has checked them. Describe the building honestly, including what is not accessible, and invite people to ring and ask.

Tell us about a problem Privacy notice