NIHR is committed to making its websites and mobile applications accessible, in accordance with national legislation transposing Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council and in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This accessibility statement applies to the NIHR Maudsley BRC website.
We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
Compliance status
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.
Non-accessible content
The content listed in the below sections is non-accessible for the following reason(s):
- Hyperlinked text is repeated which may be confusing for those using screen readers, e.g. ‘Read more’ is present on many of the menu items; each menu item block contains three links to the same page. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context). We plan to simplify our menu items and to remove the ‘Read more’ button where possible by 30 June 2024. When we publish new content we now ensure that the purpose of each link can be determined easily.
- Some older images do not have alternative text, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add text alternatives for all images by 30 June 2024. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.
- It is not possible to skip to the main content when using a keyboard to navigate; this fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks. We plan to add this button if possible (depending on the capacity of the website CMS) by 30 June 2024..
- It is not possible to magnify the text on some pages, including the homepage; this fails the WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.4 Resize text. We plan to address this by 30 June 2024..
- Some top-level menu tabs are not highlighted visually when using a keyboard to navigate, nor are menu icons on the Stories of Research sub-site; this fails the WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.1 Keyboard. We plan to address this by 30 June 2024.
- The homepage carousel automatically scrolls through content, and this cannot currently be paused; this fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide. We plan to address this by 30 June 2024.
- The ‘search button’ on the header does not have text so is not identifiable with a screen reader; this fails to meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A) and 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A). We plan to amend this by 30 June 2024.
- Some of our older PDFs and Word documents are not fully accessible. By 30 June 2024, we plan to either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared and reviewed on 21 December 2023. The website was last tested in July 2023. This check was carried out by NIHR Maudsley BRC communications team.
We use third-party automatic accessibility tools called WAVE: Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool and SiteImprove to assess the website’s compliance with WCAG 2.0/2.1 AA. WAVE and SiteImprove can identify many accessibility and Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) errors, but also facilitates human evaluation of web content. A full explanation of how this tool works can be found on WAVE’s website here, and SiteImprove’s website here.
We also conducted a manual review of key pages across the website to identify key issues, in accordance with the ‘Basic Accessibility Check’ guidelines on the GOV.UK website.
We plan to address non-compliant content by 30 June 2024.
Feedback and contact information
If you wish to report any accessibility challenges in using this website, or if you require any information on this website in a different format, for example accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please contact:
NIHR Maudsley BRC, PO Box 005, De Crespigny Park
Denmark Hill, London
SE5 8AF
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 30 days. If you do not receive a response, please contact the NIHR Service Desk at 0207 333 5060 (internal or external) or visit https://www.support.nihr.ac.uk/sp (internal only) for assistance.
Enforcement procedure
If you do not receive a response to the above request, please contact the NIHR Service Desk (details above) for further escalation.
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).
