Accessibility

A publication about access has to be accessible itself. The target is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 at level AA. This is a goal and a working standard, not a certificate: no independent audit has been carried out, and the site is not described as fully conformant.

• Every page has a skip link that moves focus to the main content.
• Every link, button and control can be reached and used by keyboard, with a visible focus outline that switches colour on light and pink panels to stay visible.
• The mobile menu traps focus while open, closes with Escape or a visible Close button, and returns focus to where it came from.
• Links in body text are underlined, not shown by colour alone.
• Buttons, menu controls and section links aim for at least 44 by 44 pixels. Links inside running text follow the line height of the text, as WCAG allows.
• Each page has one main heading and a logical heading order, with labelled navigation regions and the current page announced.
• Images carry alternative text, and decorative graphics are hidden from screen readers.
• Animation is minimal and switched off when the device requests reduced motion. No content is hidden until an animation runs.
• Nothing plays automatically and nothing relies on sound.

No video is published yet. Native video cannot appear without synchronised captions checked by a person, a transcript and a dated human accessibility review. That review must assess meaningful visual content and whether integrated description or audio description is needed. A written visual description alone does not satisfy every WCAG AA case. Captions are requested on by default.

YouTube and Vimeo films are outbound watch links only, labelled as leaving this site. No player or remote thumbnail is loaded here. External services have their own accessibility and privacy arrangements.

The publication is written in English, in plain English wherever the subject allows. British Sign Language content is not currently provided, and the site does not suggest otherwise.

Contact is in writing first, and no telephone call is needed. Anyone who prefers British Sign Language can ask for BSL arrangements by email, and a method is then agreed. There is no interpreter booking service and no set response time. Please agree a method before recording or sending video.

The share an experience page has a one-click BSL request and short written prompts.

During development on 22 October 2026, the following checks were carried out:

• automated scanning with axe-core against WCAG 2.2 A and AA rules on every public page;
• keyboard testing of the skip link, menu, focus order and page contents links;
• layout checks at 1920, 1440, 390 and 320 pixels wide, checking for sideways scrolling;
• reduced motion rendering;
• colour contrast measurement of key text and focus outlines.

Automated tools find only part of the picture. Manual testing with screen readers such as VoiceOver, NVDA and TalkBack has not yet been completed, and testing with disabled users is still to come.

• Display headings are often set in capitals, which some readers find harder to read.
• The site uses a dark background, with long reading pages set on a light panel. There is no switch between themes.
• The masthead and wordmark are images of lettering, with the publication name as their text alternative.
• Screen reader behaviour has not been fully reviewed by hand.

Barriers can be reported to hello@deafmetrix.com. These details make a report easier to act on:

• the address of the page;
• the device, browser and any assistive technology in use;
• what happened, and what was expected;
• how a written reply is preferred.

Please avoid sending screenshots that show health information or other sensitive personal details. A written description is enough.

Reports are considered with the aim of fixing barriers as their nature allows. No response time or service availability is guaranteed. Content can also be requested in another format, such as plain text, and every request will be considered.