This website is run by the NHS Business Services Authority. 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
- zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
- listen to most of the website using NVDA screen reader
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
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, as:
- the language of the document is not identified on most pages
- some form labels are present, but do not contain any content
- some table headings contain no text
- some images do not have alternative text
- some form controls have more than one label associated with them
- some screen elements are not announced when they are in focus using a screen reader
- some screen elements cannot be navigated to using the tab key.
- error messages are not announced when using a screen reader
- some form labels are present, but do not contain any content
- some links contain no text
- some form controls do not have a label
- the NHSBSA logo does not have alternative text
- some pages have low contrast between foreground and background colours
- skip link functionality is not available
- timeout warnings are not presented to the users of screen readers
- you may not be able to navigate using speech recognition software
How to request content in an accessible format
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, you can contact us by:
Email: accessibility@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.
This inbox is only for accessibility queries. This inbox is not for technical queries or IT problems. If you have a query that is not about accessibility, go to the ‘Contact us’ section of this page.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, you can contact us by:
Email: accessibility@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
This inbox is only for accessibility queries. This inbox is not for technical queries or IT problems. If you have a query that is not about accessibility, go to the ‘Contact us’ section of this 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).
Contact us
For all queries not accessibility related, you can contact us by:
Email: nhsbsa.dentalservices@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
The NHS Business Services Authority 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-compliance listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
The problems listed below are related to a third-party component. The third-party will investigate and aim to fix these. We will aim to install the new version of the component 3 months after it is made available to us.
The language of the document is not identified on most pages. Identifying the language of the page allows screen readers to read the content in the appropriate language. It also facilitates automatic translation of content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page).
Some form labels are present, but do not contain any content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels) and 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions).
Some table headings contain no text. A table header that contains no text may result in cells with missing or incorrect header information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
Some images do not have alternative text. Without alternative text, the content of an image will not be available to screen reader users or when the image is unavailable. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).
Some form controls have more than one label associated with them. If more than one label element is associated to the control, assistive technology may not read the appropriate label. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels) and 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions).
Some screen elements are not announced when they are in focus when using a screen reader. This includes read-only fields, some buttons, Home buttons, items in drop-down selections, expanding filter symbols, search results, some images and links on the login page. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1 (Keyboard Accessible).
Some screen elements cannot be navigated to using the tab key. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1 (Keyboard Accessible).
Error messages are not announced when using a screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1 (Keyboard Accessible) and 3.3.1 (Error Identification).
The problems listed below are not related to third-party components.
Some form labels are present, but do not contain any content. This will not present any information about the form control to the user. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels) and 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions).
Some links contain no text. If a link contains no text, the function or purpose of the link will not be presented to the user. This can introduce confusion for keyboard and screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose (In Context)).
Some images do not have alternative text. Without alternative text, the content of an image will not be available to screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).
Some form controls do not have a label. Form labels provide visible descriptions and larger clickable targets for form controls. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels) and 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions).
The NHSBSA logo does not have alternative text. Without alternative text, the content of an image will not be available to screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content) and (1.4.5 Images of Text).
Some pages have low contrast between foreground and background colours. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast).
Skip link functionality is not available. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks).
Timeout warnings are not presented to the users of screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.2.6 (Timeouts).
When we publish new content we’ll make sure our content meets accessibility standards.
Disproportionate burden
Not applicable.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
PDFs and other documents
Some of our PDFs and Word documents are essential to providing our services. For example, we have PDFs with information on how users can access our services, and forms published as Word documents. We plan to either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.
Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We’re committed to making sure this website is compliant to WCAG 2.1 ‘AA’ standard.
Every new released website will be designed, built and tested to meet ‘AA’ standards by default.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 16 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 30 September 2021.
This website was last tested on 16 September 2020. The test was carried out by NHS Dental Services Operations Team.
We tested a sample of the website screens to meet ‘AA’ WCAG 2.1 standards, using manual and automated tests.
We run each webpage through automated Wave and Lighthouse accessibility tools then manually test with a screen reader (NVDA) and standards checklists.
These checklists contain standards that have been compiled using WCAG, NHS service manual and GDS guidance.