Current accessibility position
The website is designed and reviewed against WCAG 2.2 Level AA. We continue to test and improve it and do not present this statement as independent accessibility certification.
Section 01
Our commitment
We want people to be able to find information, understand our services and contact us regardless of disability, access need, device or assistive technology. We aim to remove barriers rather than expecting people to work around them.
As a service provider, we recognise our responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010, including the duty to consider reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Digital accessibility is one part of that responsibility.
Section 02
The standard we work towards
Our target is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 at Level AA. WCAG is organised around four principles: content should be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.
Meeting a technical checklist does not guarantee that every person will have an equally easy experience. We therefore combine technical checks with practical review and invite people to tell us about barriers.
Section 03
What you should be able to do
We have designed the site so that visitors should be able to:
- navigate the main content and interactive controls using a keyboard;
- see a visible focus indicator when moving through links, buttons and form controls;
- zoom and enlarge text without losing important content or functionality;
- use the pages on phones, tablets and desktop screens without horizontal scrolling at common widths;
- understand the page structure from descriptive headings and semantic landmarks;
- identify links and actions without relying on colour alone;
- read text against backgrounds with sufficient contrast;
- understand meaningful images through alternative text, while decorative images are ignored by assistive technology; and
- pause and understand any future moving or time-based content before it is introduced.
Section 04
Forms and sensitive enquiries
Our contact, consultation and careers forms use visible labels, identify required fields, group related choices and provide clear progression and submission controls. Instructions ask for only the information needed at the initial stage and warn against sending unnecessary sensitive information.
The longer consultation and recruitment forms are divided into shorter steps. They are intended to work by keyboard, but assistive technologies can announce multi-step interfaces differently. If the form is difficult to use, you do not have to complete it online: telephone us and we will offer a reasonable alternative.
A required data-protection acknowledgement is included on every website form. It explains the immediate purpose for which submitted information will be used and links should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.
Section 05
Known limitations and ongoing work
At the date of this statement, our review did not identify a known critical barrier that prevents access to the main published information or contact routes. This does not mean that every combination of browser and assistive technology has been independently tested.
The multi-step form component is an area we will continue to monitor because progress announcements and validation behaviour can vary between screen readers. A telephone and email alternative is available.
When we publish new pages, documents or functions, we will include accessibility in design, content and acceptance checks. Confirmed issues will be prioritised according to their effect on people's ability to obtain information or contact us.
Section 06
Tell us if you need help or an adjustment
If you cannot access information, complete a form, or need content explained or supplied in a different format, please contact us. Tell us the page or task, the barrier you encountered, the format or adjustment that would help, and how you would prefer us to reply.
Accessibility contact
Telephone: 01473 563033
Email: [email protected]
Address: 25 St Margarets Green, Ipswich, IP4 2BN
We will acknowledge an accessibility report as soon as reasonably practicable and aim to provide a helpful response or alternative route. Complex technical changes may take longer, but we will explain what we can do.
Section 07
How this statement was prepared
This statement was prepared following a review of the site's published pages and global header and footer. Checks included page structure, headings, link purpose, alternative text, keyboard access, focus visibility, text contrast, responsive layouts, zoom behaviour and form labelling.
We will review this statement when the website changes materially and at reasonable intervals. The reviewed date at the top will be updated when a substantive check or change is completed.