This accessibility statement applies to the NHSBSA Knowledge base website and associated Contact us webpage.
This website is run by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). 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 using browser or device settings
- zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard or speech recognition software (Voice Control and Dragon)
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent version of NVDA and VoiceOver)
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 skip to main content and footer content links on some pages cause difficulties in navigation for keyboard and screen-reader users
- heading levels on some pages are not ordered which may cause difficulty for users
- users may find difficulties navigating from the error message to the corresponding input field on some pages.
- when styles are disabled, additional fields are displayed on some pages, which may affect keyboard and screen-reader users.
- various additional fields appear and some content is hidden on some pages when JavaScript is disabled
- users will not be able to submit or update the forms and profile when JavaScript is disabled
- some users may find it difficult to read the content due to low colour contrast
- screen-reader and keyboard users may find it difficult to navigate through some of the drop-downs present
- some layout is hidden on the Contact Us form page, which may cause difficulties for screen-reader users
- on the Articles page, some of the non-link text is underlined which may confuse users
- Dragon users might find it difficult to select some links
- there is no label name in the Date of Birth field on the Contact Us form
- the content language is displayed as English US
- some of the fields are accessible either using keyboard or mouse only
How to request content in an accessible format
If you need information on this website in a different format such as 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 email address is only for accessibility queries. It 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 email address is only for accessibility queries. It 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.
Contact us
For all queries not accessibility related, you can find the contact details for the service you want to contact.
Or you can contact our switchboard by:
Phone: 0191 283 8924
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
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 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
The skip to main content and footer content links on some pages cause difficulties in navigation for keyboard and screen-reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation and 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks.
Heading levels on some pages are not ordered which may cause difficulty for users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.6 - Headings and Labels.
Users may find difficulties navigating from the error message to the corresponding input field on some pages. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.3.1 Error Identification.
When styles are disabled, additional fields are displayed on some pages, which may affect keyboard and screen-reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence.
Various additional fields appear and some content is hidden on some pages when JavaScript is disabled. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1 Compatible.
Users will not be able to submit or update the forms and profile when JavaScript is disabled. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1 Compatible.
Some users may find it difficult to read the content due to low colour contrast. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum).
Screen-reader and keyboard users may find it difficult to navigate through some of the drop-downs present, on some pages. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.1.1 Keyboard and 3.2.2 On Input.
Some layout is hidden on the Contact Us form page, which may cause difficulties for screen-reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 Info and Relationships and 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence.
Dragon users might find it difficult to select some links. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.5.3 Label in Name and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value.
There is no label name in the Date of Birth field on the Contact Us form. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 Info and Relationships and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value.
The content language is displayed as English US. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.1.1 Language of Page.
Some of the fields are accessible either using keyboard or mouse only. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.1.1 Keyboard.
We plan to fix these issues. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure it meets accessibility standards.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
On the Articles page, some of the non-link text is underlined which may confuse users.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We’re committed to making sure this website is compliant to WCAG 2.2 ‘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 4 June 2020. It was last reviewed on 25 September 2024.
This website was last tested on 20 September 2024 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.
The test was carried out by the NHSBSA test and development teams. The most viewed pages were tested using automated testing tools by our website team. A further audit of the website was carried out to the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.
We tested all the website screens to meet ‘AA’ WCAG 2.2 standards, using manual and automated tests.
We run each webpage through automated Wave, Lighthouse and Axe accessibility tools then manually test with screen readers (NVDA or VoiceOver) and standards checklists.
We run representative user journey tests through speech recognition software (Dragon or Voice Control).
These checklists contain standards that have been compiled using WCAG, the NHS service manual and the Government Digital Service (GDS) guidance.