We aim to audit the accessibility every two years in line with our website accessibility policy. The aim of the audit is to give us an overview of the accessibility of our website and highlight any accessibility issues that we may have, so we can do our best to resolve them. The audit helps us update our accessibility statement with issues found as a result of the audit. 

Alongside these external audits, we also use automated software by Monsido to monitor our website quality. This highlights issues such as accessibility, complicated sentences, broken links and spelling mistakes.    

Our most recent audit was carried out by the Shaw Trust in January 2020.

Shaw Trust accessibility audit

Methodology and scope

To conduct a thorough accessibility audit, the use of both automated evaluation tools and manual user testing with assistive technologies as been used.

In order to perform a comprehensive accessibility audit, the entire website must be tested. Although this can be achieved using automated evaluation tools, in many cases it is unfeasible to test an entire website manually

The scope of manual testing involves establishing a representative sample of pages by employing various methods including using a list of pages common to many websites, inspecting the site for variations in layout and functionality and selecting pages at random.

Technical testing

Technical testing involves testing the entire website for underlying technical errors or issues that could cause accessibility barriers. A Technical Consultant who possesses knowledge and experience of accessibility and web technologies conducts technical testing using one or more automated tools. These tools are used to scan pages for technical accessibility issues such as HTML/CSS parsing errors. The Technical Consultant then analyses and interprets the results.

Manual testing

The website is manually tested by an in-house team of experienced pan-disabled testers, many of which use assistive technologies. The team is made up of individuals with different disabilities to cover the widest range of accessibility barriers as possible. Each testing team consists of the following:

• Keyboard Only User The user has a motor impairment that limits he or she to using only a keyboard to operate a computer or device. To make operation easier, the user may utilise an adaptive keyboard.
• Voice Activation User The user has a motor impairment that limits him or her to using only voice commands to operate a computer or device via assistive technology such as microphone and dictation software.
• Screen Reader User The user has a visual impairment that limits him or her to using assistive technology such as a screen reader to operate a computer or device via keyboard control and feedback via synthesised audible descriptions of visual elements.
• Low Vision User The user has a visual impairment that limits his or her access to content presented at 100% magnification. The user utilises system/browser controls or assistive technology to increase screen magnification.
• Colour Blind User The user has a visual impairment that limits his or her access to content within a certain colour spectrum. The user utilises system/browser controls or assistive technology to change the content’s colour spectrum.
• Deaf or Hard of Hearing User The user has a hearing impairment that limits his or her access to audio content.
• Learning Difficulties User The user has a learning disability that limits his or her access to content that is presented in a way that requires a high level of literacy.

Manual auditing consists of each member of the team performing tests and/or completing user journeys based on criteria relevant to their individual disability and accessibility guidelines. The testers use multiple browsers, browser tools and assistive technologies in an aim to locate issues. They then report their findings and provide constructive feedback to help pinpoint and provide solutions to accessibility barriers.

Results

The audit highlighted a number of accessibility issues with our site, the majority of which we have resolved since the audit was carried out. Ongoing issues have been added to our accessibility statement.