Accessibility statement

Contents of this statement

  1. Using this website
  2. Increasing access on different devices
  3. Identified accessibility issues
  4. Feedback and contacting us
  5. Technical information about this website's accessibility
  6. What we’re doing to improve accessibility

This accessibility statement applies to the Church of England website.

Using the Church of England website

This website is managed by the Church of England digital communications team. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website and accessibility was considered from the start of the website design, with reference to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. The website is maintained by Big Blue Door.

On this website you should be able to:

  • Change the size of the browser window and zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • Navigate the majority of the website using just a keyboard
  • Navigation the majority of the website using speech recognition software
  • Navigate the majority of the website using a screen reader.

Increasing access on different devices

There are changes you can make to different devices to increase access to our website, depending on how you prefer to access the web, including:

  • Speech output
  • Magnifying the screen
  • Making the mouse pointer bigger
  • Slowing down the mouse speed
  • Using the keyboard to move around the website.

The AbilityNet website has a lot of advice on how to make your device easier to use if you have a disability. 

Identified accessibility issues

The website includes the following features and content to increase accessibility:

  • Text content is written in plain English, where possible. We try to avoid using jargon and will define any church-specific language
  • A conventional layout and easy to find contact details
  • The use of headings to split up the content visually and to improve navigation by screen-reader users
  • The use of alternative text to describe photos and images
  • An Accessibility page with information on different ways to access the website
  • Videos with captions (when we are the video creator) to increase access for all, including D/deaf and hard of hearing users
  • Transcripts of audio and video, where possible to increase access for many, including visually impaired users
  • A ‘skip to content’ option to go straight to the main page content, skipping the navigation links.

We have carried out a detailed access audit of the website and know some parts of the website are not fully accessible:

  • The text will not reflow in a single column when you change the size of the browser window
  • You can’t modify the line height or spacing of text
  • Most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • Some of the online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
  • You can’t skip to the main content when using a screen reader
  • Some images are missing alternative text to describe them 
  • Missing or skipped heading levels
  • Some examples of low text and background colour contrast.

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format like large print, Easy Read, audio recording or Braille, please contact us: 

We’ll consider your request and aim to get back to you within 1 month.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking for ways to improve accessibility and welcome your feedback. If you find any problems with the website that aren’t listed in this statement or think we’re not meeting the requirements of the accessibility regulations, please get in touch using the Contact Form.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the accessibility regulations. If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The Church of England is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

In this section, you will find out more about the accessibility of our website and how far it conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 level AA. The known issues are not an exhaustive list, but we have summarised the main problems we found on the website when testing representative pages.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below: 

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons:

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Outstanding issues:

  1. Some pre-recorded audio and video lack transcripts, making them inaccessible to many users. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.1 (Pre-recorded Audio-only and Video-only).
    • We plan to add transcripts for all pre-recorded audio and video content (published after 23 September 2020) by July 2022. All new content will meet accessibility standards.
  2. Some of the non-live/pre-recorded video on the website doesn’t include a descriptive text transcript or audio description track. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.3 (Audio Description or Media Alternative, Pre-recorded).
    • We plan to add transcripts with audio descriptions for all pre-recorded video content (published after 23 September 2020) where the video conveys content visually that isn’t presented by the audio track, by July 2022. All new content will meet accessibility standards.
  3. Semantic markup is used across the website, but some of the older pages need checking, to make sure that everything is marked up correctly (such as headings). This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
    • Date to review: within 12 months of publication of this statement.
  4. In some areas the reading and navigation order is not logical, e.g. screen reader users have to get past the footer information before they reach the main page content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.2 (Meaningful Sequence).
    • We will adjust this to make the navigation order more logical, and review it with a screen reader user, within 12 months of publication of this statement.
  5. There are some examples of the text/background colour contrast failing the WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (contrast minimum) – including links in the side and top bar navigation.
    • We will adjust the colours in the style sheet to provide sufficient contrast.
  6. There are a few examples of thin/small illegible fonts on the website. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.4 (Resize text).
    • We will ensure there is a larger default font size used, and choose types that are easier to read – and review within 12 months on the publication date.
  7. There are some examples of images of text, e.g. the list of prayer events. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.5 (Images of text).
    • Replace any images of text with real text elements, and if used ensure they have alternative text. Review within 12 months of publication of this statement.
  8. Not all content is accessible by keyboard only, e.g. the cookies alert and ‘light a candle’ elements are not operable by the keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.1 (Keyboard).
    • Address this and check keyboard use by screen reader users – within 12 months of publication of this statement.
  9. Need to provide a ‘skip navigation’ link on every page, so users can get to the content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks).
    • Apply this throughout and check the order for screen reader users - within 12 months of publication of this statement.
  10. Navigation is potentially made confusing by the order of elements in HTML, and the use of tabindex. The inconsistent focus order fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.3 (Focus order).
    • Restructure or use different elements in the navigation to provide a more predictable experience. Review: within 12 months of publication of this statement
  11. In some sections there are not multiple ways of getting to the content on a page, e.g. the Diocesan Safeguarding Team’s map has no text alternative to the visual map. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.5 (Multiple Ways).
    • Date to review: within 12 months of publication of this statement.
  12. Headers aren’t used consistently across the pages. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).
    • Date to review: within 12 months of publication of this statement.
  13. FAQ elements don’t have a visible focus state for the toggle buttons. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.7 (Focus visible).
    • Style the focus state and review within 12 months of publication.
  14. When some page elements receive focus they can confuse or disorient the user, e.g. screen reader users aren’t aware when the Cookies popup receives focus. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.2.1 (On Focus).
    • Date to review: within 12 months of publication of this statement.
  15. In some areas, when a user interacts with a link it takes them to a new website, without warning, this is a substantial change that could confuse users. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.2.2 (On Input).
    • Warn users when a link opens a new window – date to review within 12 months of publication of this statement.
  16. The left-hand menu sometimes changes into a sub-menu depending on the subject, changing the options as users navigate through the website. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.2.3 (Consistent navigation).
    • Rethink how to present this navigation. Date to review: within 12 months of publication of this statement.

Completed issues:

  1. Some links, labels and images do not have a text alternative, so people using a screen reader can’t access this information, e.g. social media links and search. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).
    • We plan to add text alternatives for all by July 2022. When we publish new content and functions, we’ll make sure they meet accessibility standards. - Completed 1st September 2021.
Disproportionate burden

Not applicable at this time.

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

Some access problems fall outside the scope of the accessibility regulations:

PDFs and historic documents

Some of our older PDFs, Word documents and scanned manuscripts do not meet accessibility standards - for example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2. Name, role, value.

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018, however, please get in touch with us if there is some content that you can’t access so we can find an alternative. Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

Some external websites that we link to might not be fully accessible

Some of the content and information that we link to might not meet accessibility standards - the Church of England is not responsible for the accessibility of external content and websites such as Google Maps. However, where there is a choice, we will always choose the most accessible options.

Some pre-recorded audio and video published before September 2020

We aim to make all our pre-recorded audio and video accessible by using captions, but some older content created by external creators might not be as accessible. 

Live audio and video might not always be accessible

We aim to make all our live audio and video accessible by using live captions, but these are not always effective which might affect the accessibility of the content.

Maps

Not all our maps will be accessible to users, as they rely on visual display. However, we aim to provide essential information within each map in an alternative accessible format, for example, providing addresses in text format.

Third-party content

We use some third-party content that we haven’t developed ourselves on the website, and as this is under someone else’s control we can’t guarantee how accessible it is for example:

From now on, we’ll always try to use third content that is as accessible as possible.

Content on intranets or extranets

We sometimes link to extranets, and those which were published before 23 September 2019 might not be accessible.

Archived websites

Occasionally we link to archived websites, and we can’t guarantee that these will be accessible.

We haven’t made the above content accessible as it is exempt from the regulations, and we are focussing on ensuring the rest of the website and content are accessible. Please contact us if you have a specific query about something that is not accessible to you.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are committed to providing a website that is accessible to all and will review this access statement on a regular basis, at least every 12 months from the date of publication. At that stage, we will review all the issues listed under ‘Technical information about this website’s accessibility and check whether the accessibility problems have been resolved within the time specified. We will also check the accessibility of any new content that has been added since the publication of the statement.

Other ways that we are working to make sure that our website and content is accessible to all include: 

  • Raising general awareness of accessibility across the National Church Institutions 
  • Undertaking staff training and raising awareness within the organisation 
  • Doing more research into how to increase the accessibility of content including videos, audio and PDFs
  • Updating our guidelines for staff, external developers and contributors.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 15 July 2021. It was last reviewed on 23 September 2021.

This website was last tested on 28 June 2021. The test was carried out by an independent access advisor Shelley Boden and members of the Church of England digital communications team. We carried out an access audit of the website against WCAG 2.1 standard.

We agreed on a common sample of pages to test, including 12 common templates and the 16 most commonly visited pages, and used a combination of test methods to assess the website for accessibility, including:

  • Expert access audit - expert auditor reviewed the website for common (visual) access barriers 
  • Automated validator test - we ran the sample pages through a validator and interpreted and analysed any errors and alerts highlighted, using WAVE
  • Access user testing with 7 participants (with different access needs and using a range of assistive technologies).

We plan to review and update the accessibility statement every 3 months from the date of publication, removing the ‘known access issues’ as they are addressed by the site developers, and will carry out a full technical access audit every 18 months.