Accessibility

Section 1What we are aiming for

We build to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2, level AA, and to Apple’s and Google’s platform accessibility guidance for our applications.

We have not been independently audited. This page says what we have actually done and what we know is not finished, because a statement that claims full conformance without evidence is worth nothing to the person who cannot use the page.

Section 2What this website does

• Every page works with the keyboard alone, and the focus outline is always visible. It is never removed for looking untidy.
• A skip link is the first thing in the tab order on every page.
• Headings are in order and describe the structure, so a screen reader can navigate by them. The jump list on every legal document is real navigation, not decoration.
• Text and background meet or exceed the 4.5 to 1 contrast ratio, in both light and dark, including the blue used for links and status.
• Color is never the only way information is given. Anything marked in blue is also marked by position, label or underline.
• Text resizes to 200 per cent without losing content, and the layout reflows down to a 320 pixel viewport without a horizontal scrollbar.
• The animated background on the home page is decorative, hidden from assistive technology, and stops entirely when the operating system asks for reduced motion.
• Form fields have real labels, not placeholder text pretending to be one, and errors are announced and explain how to fix the problem.
• The page follows your system light or dark preference rather than forcing one.
• Nothing on this site requires JavaScript. Every form works with it switched off.

Section 3What our applications do

• Screen reader support using the platform’s own tools, VoiceOver on iOS and TalkBack on Android.
• Support for the system text size, including the larger accessibility sizes.
• Touch targets sized to the platform minimum.
• Reduced motion honoured where the system asks for it.
• No essential information conveyed by color alone.

Section 4Where we currently fall short

An honest list is more useful than a claim of perfection.

• No independent audit. Our testing is our own, using keyboard navigation, VoiceOver, and automated checks. That catches a lot, and it does not catch everything a person who relies on assistive technology would find in five minutes.
• Dense tables. Several legal pages use wide tables that scroll sideways on a narrow screen. They are marked up correctly and readable by a screen reader, but the scrolling is awkward on a phone.
• Cognitive load. Legal documents are hard to read by nature. We write them as plainly as we can and we know that is not the same as easy.
• No captioned media yet. There is no audio or video on this site today. If we add any, it will ship with captions and a transcript, not have them added later.

Section 5Reporting a barrier

If something here does not work for you, please tell us through the contact form. Tell us the page, what you were trying to do, and what happened. If you use assistive technology, telling us which one helps us reproduce it.

We answer within one business day. If it is something we can fix quickly, we fix it and tell you when it is live. If it will take longer, we will say so and give you an honest timeframe, and we will offer another way to get what you needed in the meantime.

We treat an accessibility report as a bug report, not as a complaint. Nobody has to make a legal argument to have a broken page fixed.

Section 6Accessibility in work we build for you

When we build software for a client, accessibility is part of the work rather than a line item you can decline. Keyboard access, contrast, labeling and text scaling are included by default in everything we hand over.

If you need formal conformance, such as an accessibility conformance report for a procurement process, say so before the scope is agreed. That needs an independent audit, which is real cost and real time, and it belongs in the plan rather than in a surprise at the end.