This accessibility statement applies to users who browse and apply for jobs on the NHS Jobs website.
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
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
- navigate the website using speech recognition software (including the most recent version of Dragon and Voice Control)
- 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:
- primary navigation bar menu options are inconsistent on most of the pages when zoomed in 250% or more
- redundant links are present on some pages which will result in extra navigation and repetition for keyboard and screen reader users
- on some pages, the input field does not contain visible labels. Users of assistive technology may find it difficult to identify the purpose and type of the input element
- users of assistive technologies may face difficulties while changing the password as the error message displayed after 3 incorrect attempts is unclear - it does not contain a link to shift the user focus to the corresponding input field causing the error
- screen reader users will have difficulties in identifying the correct change link as some of the links have incorrect text
- in a focused state, some links have insufficient colour contrast which can make the text not visible to the users
- on some pages, the change link will not take the user to the intended input fields
- lists are not structured properly on the ‘frequently asked question’ screen
- screen reader users may experience difficulties with identifying heading, list, tables and reading order as it is not tagged properly in the PDF documents downloaded from the NHS Jobs website
- screen reader users will have difficulties switching to the appropriate language as the primary text language of the document is not specified
- users will have difficulties identifying titles in the downloadable PDF
- PDF documents that are downloaded do not follow a logical order when using the Tab or Shift-Tab keys to navigate, which will cause difficulties for users navigating with a keyboard
- PDF documents that are downloaded contains images with no alternate text which will cause difficulties for screen reader users
- many features on the website need to be accessibility-reviewed to make sure they’re implemented correctly for users with accessibility needs
- the structure of the pages need to be reviewed to make sure they meet accessibility guidelines
- the use of ARIA labels on the website need to be reviewed to make sure they meet accessibility guidelines
How to request content in an accessible format
If you need information on this website in a different format like an 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: nhsjobsenquiries@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
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-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
Primary navigation bar menu options are inconsistent on most of the pages when zoomed in 250% or more. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.10 (Zoom and Reflow).
Redundant links are present on some pages which will result in extra navigation and repetition for keyboard and screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose).
On some pages, the input field does not contain visible labels. Users of assistive technology may find it difficult to identify the purpose and type of the input element. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions).
Users of assistive technologies may face difficulties while changing the password as the error message displayed after 3 incorrect attempts is unclear and it does not contain a link to shift the user focus to the corresponding input field causing the error. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 3.3.1 (Error Identification) and 3.3.3 (Error Suggestion).
Screen reader users will have difficulties in identifying the correct change link as some of the links have incorrect text. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions) and 2.4.4 (Link Purpose).
In focused state, some links have insufficient colour contrast which can make the text not visible to the users. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.13 (Focus Appearance), 2.4.7 (Focus Visible) and 1.4.3 (Contrast).
On some pages, the change link will not take the user to the intended input fields. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.7 (Tab Indexes).
Lists are not structured properly on the ‘frequently asked question’ screen. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
Screen reader users may experience difficulties with identifying heading, list, tables and reading order as it is not tagged properly in the PDF documents downloaded from the NHS Jobs website. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 1.3.2 (Meaningful Sequence).
Screen reader users will have difficulties to switch to appropriate language as the primary text language of the document is not specified. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page).
Users will have difficulties identifying titles in the downloadable PDF documents. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled).
The PDF documents that are downloaded do not follow a logical order when using the Tab or Shift-Tab keys to navigate, which will cause difficulties for users navigating with a keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.3 (Focus Order).
The PDF documents that are downloaded contain images with no alternate text which will cause difficulties for screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 4.1.2 (Name, role, value).
Many features on the website need to be accessibility-reviewed to make sure they’re implemented correctly for users with accessibility needs.
The structure of the pages needs to be reviewed to make sure they meet accessibility guidelines.
The use of ARIA labels on the website needs to be reviewed to make sure they meet accessibility guidelines.
We plan to fix these accessibility issues by April 2024. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure it meets accessibility standards.
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. By April 2024, 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.
Our accessibility compliance statement will be reviewed every 6 months. 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 17 September 2019. It was last reviewed on 16 October 2023.
This website was last tested on 2 October 2023. The test was carried out by NHSBSA test and front-end development teams.
We tested all of the website screens to meet ‘AA’ WCAG 2.1 standards, using manual and automated tests.
We run each webpage through automated Wave, Lighthouse and Axe accessibility tools and then manually test with screen readers (VoiceOver) and standards checklists.
We run representative user journey tests through speech recognition software (Dragon or VoiceControl).
The checklists contain standards that have been compiled using WCAG, NHS service manual and Government Digital Service (GDS) guidance.