ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

Everyone should be able to engage with our Strategy in ways that work for them. Here’s what we’ve done to make our website accessible, and what we’re committed to improving.

Introduction

This accessibility statement applies to the website of the Manchester Digital Strategy campaign.

This website is run by the Manchester City Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to do the following:

  • Change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings

  • Zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen

  • Navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software

  • Listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

  • Access the website on smaller devices

We’ve also made the website text as simple to understand as we can.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

  • Some meaningful images have missing or inadequate alternative text, or they do not have a programmatic image description.

  • Some links and controls do not have a unique, accessible name describing their purpose. In some places, multiple links on a single page use the same name but have different purposes, and some link names do not convey where they lead.

  • Some of the content is not organised in a way that communicates the information structure. Some groups of items with a list-type relationship are not defined and presented as lists, some parts of the site have multiple top-level headings, and some parts skip heading levels.

  • Some elements do not inform assistive technology what they are or what they do.

  • Text does not always behave as expected — text size cannot be changed via browser controls, text does not reflow or show horizontal scrollbars when the browser is zoomed in to 400%, or the page does not respect user adjustments to text spacing.

  • Some error messages do not describe the problem or give suggestions for correcting it.

  • Some parts of the keyboard navigation proceed in a sequence that does not make sense, and some functions cannot be operated by keyboard at all.

  • The site does not provide multiple ways of reaching pages that are outside a standard workflow sequence.

  • Some headings, form control labels, and interactive elements do not provide adequate information about what they are, what they do, or when they have focus; and some interactive elements are not used for their intended purpose. These issues may prevent assistive technologies from identifying what the elements are or what they do.

  • Some parts of the site have inadequate contrast between foreground and background colours, making the text or other elements difficult to discern.

  • Some interactive elements open links in new tabs or new pages without indicating in advance that they will do so.

More information on the accessibility issues appears in the section on non-accessible content, below.

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format, such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or Braille, feel free to contact us:

  • E-mail: manchesterdigitalstrategy@manchester.gov.uk

  • Write: Manchester’s Digital Strategy Team, Floor 1, Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester M2 5DB

We’ll consider your request and get back to you within 7 days.

See also our Contact Us page.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (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

Manchester City Council is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations:

This section lists the key ways in which this website fails to meet the WCAG 2.1 success criteria. It includes all violations of A and AA success criteria and all issues that the testing found to be serious or critical. It included minor issues only if they relate to a Level A criterion. The issues appear in numerical order of the applicable success criteria.

Some meaningful images have missing or inadequate alternative text, or do not have a programmatic image description. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 1.1.1 (Non-text Content, Level A). We plan to ensure that all non-decorative images have meaningful alt text and/or programmatic descriptions, as appropriate, by [31.05.2025].

Some controls do not have an accessible name describing their purpose; or multiple links on a single page use the same name but have different purposes. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criteria: 1.1.1 (Non-text Content, Level A); 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships, Level A). We plan to ensure that all controls have accessible, descriptive, unique names by [31.05.2025].

Some groups of items that have a list-type relationship are not defined and presented as lists. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships, Level A). We plan to ensure that all list-type groups of items are coded as lists by [31.05.2025].

Some parts of the website have multiple top-level headings, and some skip heading levels. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criteria: 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships, Level A); 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks, Level A); 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels, Level AA). We plan to ensure that all headings in the website follow the WCAG guidelines by [31.05.2025].

Some controls provide only visual indications of their meaning and purpose, or they use colour alone to indicate their meaning. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criteria: 1.3.3 (Sensory Characteristics, Level A); 1.4.1 (Use of Color, Level A). We plan to ensure that all indications of meaning are provided in more than one sensory modality by [31.05.2025].

Some form controls do not indicate what type of field they are. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 1.3.5 (Identify Input Purpose (Level AA). We will ensure that all form fields will identify their purpose by [31.05.2025].

Some parts of the site have inadequate contrast between foreground and background. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criteria: 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum), Level A), 1.4.11 (Non-text Contrast, Level AA). We plan to correct text and image colours so that all meaningful content provides adequate contrast by [31.05.2025].

Text size cannot be changed via browser controls. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 1.4.4 (Resize Text, Level AA). We plan to ensure that text can be resized via browser controls by [31.12.2025].

The text does not reflow or show horizontal scrollbars when the browser is zoomed in to 400%. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 1.4.10 (Reflow, Level AA). We plan to have the text reflow with browser zoom by [31.12.2025].

Some parts of the site do not respect user adjustments to text spacing. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 1.4.12 (Text Spacing, Level AA). We will ensure that all parts of the site respect user adjustments to text spacing by [31.12.2025].

Some website functions cannot be accessed or operated by keyboard. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 2.1.1 (Keyboard, Level A). We plan to ensure that all functionality is available from the keyboard by [31.12.2025].

The home page title is not adequately descriptive. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: Page Titled (2.4.2, Level A). We plan to rename the home page so that it has a meaningful title by [31.05.2025].

The order in which the keyboard navigation proceeds does not always make sense. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 2.4.3 (Focus Order, Level A). We plan to ensure that the focus order will be logical by [31.12.2025].

Some links are not understandable from their names alone. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 2.4.4 (Link Purpose (In Context), Level A). We plan to ensure that all links have self-evident names by [31.05.2025].

The site does not provide multiple ways of reaching pages that are outside a standard workflow sequence. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 2.4.5 (Multiple Ways, Level AA). We plan to provide at least two of the following routes for non-workflow pages by [31.05.2025]: related pages, table of contents, site map, site search, and list of pages.

Some headings, labels of form controls, and other interactive elements are inadequately informative. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels, Level AA). We will ensure that all form controls and other interactive elements have meaningful labels by [31.05.2025] /

Some interactive elements provide no visual indication of when they have focus. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criterion: 2.4.7 (Focus Visible, Level AA). We plan to ensure that every interactive element provides a visible indication of its focus by [31.12.2025].

Some interactive elements open links in new tabs or new pages without indicating that they will do so. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criteria: 3.2.2 (On Input, Level A). We plan to ensure that, by [31.05.2025], all elements that open links in new tabs/pages will inform the user in advance.

Some error messages do not describe the problem or give any suggestions for correcting it. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criteria: 3.3.1 (Error Identification, Level A); 3.3.3 (Error Suggestion, Level AA). We plan to update all error messages by [31.12.2025], so that they clearly describe the error, provide guidance for correcting it, and remain visible until the error has been corrected.

Some interactive elements are not used for their intended purpose, which may prevent assistive technologies such as screen readers from identifying what they are or how to interpret them. This fails the following WCAG 2.2 success criteria: 4.1.3 (Name, Role, Value, Level A). We plan to ensure that all elements are used for their intended purpose by [31.12.2025].

The map on the “Digital Inclusion x XMA” page is provided by a third party (Google Maps), and sometimes it has accessibility issues about which we can do nothing. We will therefore provide the equivalent content in text form below the map by [31.05.2025].

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

This website underwent a full third-party accessibility audit on [28.02.2025]. We are working to correct the issues it found.

We are continually working to improve the accessibility of this website. We conduct regular accessibility audits and act on their findings. We learn from these audits and other accessibility information, and we continually apply new knowledge to all updates we make.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on [10.03.2025]. It was last reviewed on [10.03.2025].

This website was last tested via audit on [25.02.2025]. The audit was carried out by Nexer Digital Ltd.

We chose the pages to audit based on a few key criteria. First, we included common page types that represent typical content needs, such as the home page, landing pages, content pages, news and events, project summaries, and contact details, as well as terms and conditions. Additionally, we identified pages that contain unique interactive elements, including videos, maps, bespoke navigation or content components, and forms. This approach ensured that our audit covers both the core user journey and any accessibility challenges posed by specialised functionality.

The audit assessed the following pages:

1. Home page

2. About > Strategy

3. About > Team

4. About > Working together

5. Projects

6. Projects > Digital Inclusion

7. Library > Events

8. Library> Blog index

9. Library > Blog post

10. Library > Bulletin

11. Get involved > Event

12. Get involved > Community

13. Contact

14. Inclusion Work

15. Partner

16. Projects > Let’s get digital

17. Let’s get digital

The audit used the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines V2.2, levels A and AA, to determine how accessible the selected pages are.