This accessibility statement applies to the Respond to your letter website.
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)
- navigate the website using speech recognition software (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 aren’t fully accessible, as:
- some images on card payment screens do not have a text alternative, so screen reader users cannot access the information
- users will not be directed to the main content of the page when they select the ‘skip to main content’ link if JavaScript is disabled
- screen reader users may face difficulties while navigating through error message screens
- screen reader users may face difficulties on card payment screens as the cancel link is being read as a button
- users may experience difficulties using assistive technologies such as VoiceOver and VoiceControl on Apple iOS devices
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 aren’t 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 contact us by:
Email: HESSDM@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
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
Some images on card payment screens do not have a text alternative, so screen reader users cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content) and 4.1 (Compatible).
Users will not be directed to the main content of the page when they select the 'skip to main content' link if JavaScript is disabled. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks).
Screen reader users may face difficulties while navigating through error message screens. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.3.1 (Error Identification).
Screen reader users may face difficulties on card payment screens as the cancel link is being read as a button. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.6 (Identify Purpose) and 4.1 (Compatible).
Users may experience difficulties using assistive technologies such as VoiceOver and Voice Control on Apple iOS devices. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1 (Compatible).
When we publish new content, we’ll make sure it meets accessibility standards.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We're committed to making sure this website is compliant to WCAG 2.2 ‘AA’ standard.
Our accessibility compliance statement will be reviewed regularly. Every newly released website will be designed, built, and tested to meet ‘AA’ standards by default.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 20 September 2019. It was last reviewed on 18 September 2024.
This website was last tested on 10 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 of 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 and VoiceOver) and standards checklists. We run representative user journey tests through speech recognition software (Dragon and Voice Control).
These checklists contain standards that have been compiled using WCAG, the NHS service manual and the Government Digital Service (GDS) guidance.