Accessibility statement for The Charity Commission Online Forms

This accessibility statement applies to: https://forms.charitycommission.gov.uk/

This website is run by The Charity Commission.

We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • Change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • Read and use most of the website while zoomed in up to 200%
  • Navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • Navigate most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
  • Navigate most of the website using speech recognition software.

There are many options for you to customise your web browser and device that could help you to navigate this and other websites more easily. If you have a disability, AbilityNet has helpful advice on how to make your device easier to use.

How accessible this website is

Parts of this website are known to have barriers. For example:

  • People using a keyboard may struggle to use some key elements: such as predictive search dropdowns
  • Content becomes hidden or cut off when viewing the site at increased zoom levels
  • Some focus indicators have low contrast meaning people with low vision could struggle to identify items in focus
  • Pages, components and elements have not been structured with recommended HTML meaning people using assistive technology may struggle to complete tasks
  • Form errors, labels and hint text are not associated with the correct inputs meaning people using assistive technology such as screen readers may have difficulty identifying elements are connected
  • Multiple elements have generic or complicated labels added that could be removed or simplified
  • Colour was used in one instance as the only method to indicate a state of change
  • Required form fields were not identifiable with a visible label
  • A page title did not accurately describe the content found on the page
  • Status messages were not added to let people know when dynamic content had updated, changed or returned results.

3rd-party content

Some content is 3rd-party and not under our control this includes:

  • Microsoft Power Portals form capabilities.

Feedback and contact information

To get information from this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please contact us

  • call our Contact Centre on 0300 066 9197. We're open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

We'll consider your request and get back to you in 2 days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

If you find any problems which aren't listed on this page, or think that we're not meeting the requirements of the accessibility regulations then email UserResearchTeam@charitycommission.gov.uk to let us know.

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).

Contacting us

Find out how to contact us

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The Charity Commission is committed to making its website 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 2.1 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 WCAG 2.1 AA.

Structure

  • Some pages have non descriptive titles. This may make it difficult for people to orient themselves and find the right content. This fails WCAG 2.4.2 success criterion (Page Titled).
  • Some content uses table HTML elements for structural purposes to create the layout. This would cause confusion to people using assistive technologies as the content is not tabular in format. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
  • Some content looks like a list but is not marked up as such. This makes harder for screen reader users to understand the page structure. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
  • Radio inputs, select inputs and grouped input were grouped into fieldsets but are missing legend elements. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
  • Labels were either missing or inaccurate on form inputs throughout the site. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
  • Errors or additional hint text were not associated with the inputs which makes it difficult for screen reader users to identify the connection between the two. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
  • Some form fields were missing instructions or descriptive labels. This fails WCAG 2.1 criterion 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (A).
  • Some controls, inputs or components had labels that did not reflect or describe the content or their purpose. Other inputs had additional hidden text resulting in confusing label announcements to people using screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).

Components

  • Some controls are inaccessible via keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.1 (Keyboard).
  • Some buttons and controls have missing or inappropriate accessible name or roles. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).
  • Dialog modals were not announced to users or had missing aria attributes which made it difficult for people to know if they were open. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).
  • Status messages for either dynamic validation or for notifications were not announced to users and had missing aria attributes. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages).
  • Form journeys were all set within a fixed time limit with no method provided to extend the time. Some people need more time to read, understand and dismiss content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.2.1 (Timing Adjustable).
  • Controls were found that when interacted with caused an additional submission resulting in a page change which could cause confusion. This fails success criterion 3.2.2 On Input.
  • Controls were also found to have a different hidden label applied that did not match the visible label text which means the elements would not be able to be operated by people using speech dictation software. This fails success criterion 2.5.3 Label in Name.

Contrast and colour

  • Some focus indicators failed colour contrast and appearance requirements. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast.
  • When zoomed in, some content becomes hidden or obscured. This fails WCAG 2.1 criterion 1.4.10 Reflow.
  • Colour was used as the only method to indicate a state change without any additional means meaning people with low vision or no vision would not be able to identify the change. This fails criterion 1.4.1 Use of Colour.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 7th August 2023.

It was last reviewed on 20th April 2023.

We regularly commission an independent accessibility audit on a sample of pages to highlight areas requiring improvement.

The website was last tested in August 2023 by Nomensa who performed an expert evaluation of 7 pages against all level A and AA success criteria of WCAG 2.1. Content was selected to make sure a good representation of different pages, templates and components were tested as well as key content.