Accessibility Statement — MedicalPracticeUK.org — WCAG 2.1 AA & the Equality Act

1. Our Commitment

medicalpracticeuk.org/ is committed to being usable by everyone, including disabled people, older users, people using assistive technology, and people on low-bandwidth or older devices. People looking for healthcare information often have access needs of their own, so accessibility is a priority. We treat accessibility barriers reported by readers as priority corrections.

2. UK Legal Framework

3. Target Standard — WCAG 2.1 AA

We target conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA. The four guiding principles are:

• Perceivable — alt text on images; readable colour contrast; structured headings; resizable text
• Operable — full keyboard access; sufficient timing; no content that triggers seizures
• Understandable — plain language; predictable navigation; input assistance
• Robust — clean markup that works with current and future assistive technology

4. Built-In Features

• Mobile-first responsive design — works from 320px width and up
• 17px minimum body text, scalable using browser zoom
• System fonts — no custom font dependency that could degrade readability
• High-contrast colour palette meeting WCAG 2.1 AA contrast ratios
• Semantic HTML with a proper heading hierarchy
• Descriptive link text — no “click here”
• Alt text on informational images
• Skip-to-content links for keyboard users
• No autoplay video or audio
• No content that flashes more than three times per second
• Visible focus indicators on all interactive elements
• Respects prefers-reduced-motion OS-level preference

5. Assistive Technology Compatibility

We test against assistive technology widely used in the UK:

• Screen readers: NVDA and JAWS (Windows), VoiceOver (macOS, iOS), TalkBack (Android), Narrator (Windows)
• Voice control: Dragon, Voice Control (Apple), Voice Access (Android)
• Magnification: ZoomText and system zoom
• Browser reading modes and OS high-contrast modes

6. The NHS Accessible Information Standard — What We Publish

The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) requires NHS providers, including GP practices, to identify and meet patients’ communication needs — for example, providing information in large print, braille, easy read, or via a British Sign Language interpreter. Where a practice publishes how it meets the AIS, we capture it in the practice guide (interpreters, accessible-format options, accessible appointment booking). We are reporting what the practice publishes; the duty to meet the AIS rests with the practice and the NHS, not with us.

7. Known Limitations

We work to a strict standard but we are an editorial publisher, not a specialist accessibility consultancy. Areas of ongoing work:

• Older guides may not yet have full ARIA landmark coverage; we are retrofitting
• Some embedded maps come from a third-party provider; we also publish the practice’s full address as a text alternative
• Some comparison tables may lack a full textual alternative; we add textual summaries on report

If you encounter any barrier, please tell us — specific reports drive specific fixes.

8. Practice Premises and Websites

The physical accessibility of a GP surgery (step-free access, accessible parking, hearing loops, accessible toilets) is governed by the Equality Act 2010 and informed by BS 8300, and is a matter for the practice. The accessibility of a practice’s own website is the practice’s responsibility. We capture the access information a practice publishes, but we do not certify any practice’s compliance. For a premises or practice-website access issue, contact the practice and, if unresolved, your local Healthwatch or the EHRC.

9. How to Report an Accessibility Barrier

If you cannot use a feature of the site with your assistive technology, please email info@medicalpracticeuk.org with the subject “Accessibility issue” and include:

• The page URL where the problem appears
• The assistive technology you are using (e.g., “NVDA with Firefox on Windows 11”)
• What you tried to do and what happened
• What you expected
• Whether the barrier blocks you completely or makes the task harder

10. Escalation — EASS and the EHRC

11. Review and Continuous Improvement

We review this statement quarterly and carry out a fuller accessibility audit annually. Reader-reported barriers are logged and tracked, and the lessons feed into future template work and new practice guides.

12. Contact

For any accessibility question or report, email info@medicalpracticeuk.org with the subject “Accessibility issue”.