Accessibility
Accessibility statement for HS2.org.uk
This accessibility statement applies to HS2.org.uk
This website is run by High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd. 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 a keyboard or speech recognition software
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, 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 ‘360 Interchange Station Virtual Tour’ is the subject of a separate audit, then the embedded version of it found on the home page has not been considered and issues repeated here, except for how it interfaces with the home page and the issues that its embedding there has caused. Also, the Supply Chain map, which utilises Microsoft’s ‘Power BI’, has not been considered here, as it is a third party app.
Our cognitive user tester had minor issues with the visual appearance of links, styled as buttons, not providing sufficient visual cues to make it obvious to them that the link was actionable, as its appearance and phrasing were too close to that of looking like boxed inset text instead. Overall, though, they felt that the site was nice and accessible, with most elements working as they expected.
Our low vision user tester encountered some major issues, particularly related to screen magnification and page reflow, as some components became cluttered and difficult to use. Though they were, overall, able to see, read and interact with the website, and expressed that they would visit the site in the future, if needed.
Our voice activation user tester encountered major issues that meant that they were not able to access all elements independently and required some assistance to complete the journey. Our keyboard only user tester also encountered major issues that meant they were also unable to complete the journey independently as well. Much of this was related to the ‘In your area map’ graphical map component.
Our screen reader user tester did complete their journey independently. However, they encountered some major challenges in accessing content related to the ‘In your area’ map. Which resulted in them missing some of the available information, as the text only version of the graphical map is not informationally and functionally equivalent.
The initial page, due to its embedding of the ‘360 Interchange Station Virtual Tour’ in an iframe on the page, featured two main landmarks, two skip links, two cookie notices, which proved particularly perplexing for them to navigate.
Though, overall, they could access all components of this service excluding the graphical map, they felt the overall user experience was not a seamless one.
Feedback and contact information
If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact our Helpdesk using the details below.
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, contact our Helpdesk.
Email: [email protected]
Freephone: 08081 434 434
Minicom: 08081 456 472
Alternatively, you can write to us at:
HS2 Community Hub
High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd
Two Snowhill
Snow Hill Queensway
Birmingham
B4 6GA
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in [21] days
Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person
We provide a text relay service for people who are deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment:
Minicom: 08081 456 472
Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit, we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.
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
High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd 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
The website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard.
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
It is not possible for keyboard users to skip over the ‘Also in this section’ navigation. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks.
An image carousel presented issues with logical focus order. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.3 Focus Order.
Links were encountered that were not descriptive of their purpose / destination when browsing out of context. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context).
Image alternative text redundantly duplicates an accompanying caption. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 Non-text Content.
Non-text content presented did not have a text alternative and is also non-decorative content inserted through CSS. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 Non-text Content and 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.
Instructions provided for understanding and operating content were reliant solely on sensory characteristics of components such as shape, colour, size, visual location, orientation, or sound. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics.
A video was present that requires a media alternative. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Pre-recorded).
The visual presentation of interface components did not have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent colours. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast.
Fixes for the issues above were published on 18 March 2024.
Home page: 360 Interchange virtual tour iframe embed
Inclusion of another complete page in an iframe redundantly doubles up the skip link. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.
Skip link is invisible to keyboard users and focus order is not logical due to inappropriate use of tabindex. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.3 Focus Order and 2.4.7 Focus Visible.
Fixes for the issues above were published during February and March 2024.
In your area map
The ‘Text only version’ disappears on mobile. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.4.10 Reflow and 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions.
At mobile resolutions or when the page is magnified to 200% and above, the zoom out control for the map can become clipped off the bottom edge of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.4 Resize text.
Until a search is performed, the visually hidden heading has no content to introduce. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.
Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation could not be programmatically determined or was not available in text. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.
Fixes for the issues above were published on 18 March 2024.
Disproportionate burden
Home page: 360 Interchange virtual tour iframe embed
Inclusion of another complete page in an iframe redundantly doubles up the skip link, cookie notice and main region. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.
Text could not be resized to 200% without text being clipped, truncated or obscured. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.4 Resize text.
Content could not be presented without loss of information or functionality and without requiring scrolling in two dimensions when reflow settings were applied. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.10 Reflow.
The HS2 Interchange Virtual Tour website has been developed by a third party and ‘skinned’ to look like our website. We do not have direct control of the codebase.
We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues and believe that it would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We do not believe that the extra improvements that could be gained from paying for these issues to be fixed would justify the cost. We will make another assessment when the supplier contract is up for renewal.
Alternative audio tracks for videos
Our videos do not contain an alternative, descriptive audio track. For example, an audio track describing what’s happening in the video rather than captions of the script. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.2.5 Audio Description (Pre-recorded).
Our videos are hosted on YouTube which does not yet support more than one audio track.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
In your area map
There were issues with the logical order of the keyboard focus through the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.3 Focus Order.
Text which visually labelled a component did not correspond with the words associated with the component programmatically. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 Info and Relationships and 2.5.3 Label in Name.
Not all functionality is available from a keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.1 Keyboard.
Non-text content presented did not have a text alternative that served the equivalent purpose. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 Non-text Content and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value.
Our ‘In your area’ interactive map is exempt from the accessibility regulations. Any essential information is provided in an alternative, accessible format.
Interactive embedded maps
Our interactive embedded maps are difficult to navigate using a keyboard. For example, the Supply Chain Map and the Green Corridor Map which are built and hosted through third-party software and ‘skinned’ to look like our website. These maps do not fully meet accessibility standards but are exempt from the accessibility regulations.
PDFs and other documents
Many of our older PDFs and Word documents do not meet accessibility standards – for example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader.
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.
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services.
Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.
Live video
We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We test our website bi-annually with the Digital Accessibility Centre (DAC) to check for areas of improvement or non-compliance. They produce a detailed report for us.
Our website agency has a dedicated accessibility expert who then reviews this report and makes recommendations accordingly. Since receiving the report a number of improvements have been made to address the Level A and Level AA issues that were noted.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 20 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 2 April 2025.
This website was last tested on 2 January 2024. The test was carried out by Digital Accessibility Centre (DAC).