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Accessibility Statement

This accessibility statement applies to the website for Nature Towns and Cities (naturetownsandcities.org.uk).

The website is run by the National Trust on behalf of the Nature Towns and Cities partnership, which includes Natural England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

We are committed to making our website accessible to everyone. This means you should be able to:

  • 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)
  • Understand the content easily, as we aim to write in simple, clear language

For advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability, visit AbilityNet.

How Accessible This Website Is

We know that some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

  • Date pickers are not fully accessible with a keyboard only
  • Some PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software – please email [email protected] if you need an alternative version

Feedback and Contact Information

If you experience any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact us:
 [email protected]

If you need information on this website in an alternative format (e.g., accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording, or braille), email us at [email protected].

We’ll consider your request and respond within five working days.

Technical Information About This Website’s Accessibility

Compliance Status
This website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard.

The website is partially compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA due to the issues listed below.

Current Accessibility Issues
The following issues are being addressed:

1. Links and Navigation

  • Not all links (including logos) have descriptive text – Fails WCAG 2.4.4 – Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A)
  • The search page isn’t fully keyboard accessible – Fails WCAG 2.4.7 – Focus Visible (Level AA) and WCAG 2.4.3 – Focus Order (Level A)

2. Headings and Labels

  • Some headings are not coded semantically – Fails WCAG 1.3.1 – Info and Relationships (Level A)
  • Labels are not correctly linked to combo boxes – Fails WCAG 1.3.1 – Info and Relationships (Level A)

3. Focus and Contrast

  • Carousel focus indicators do not meet the minimum contrast ratio of 3:1 – Fails WCAG 1.4.11 – Non-Text Contrast (Level AA)

4. Interactive Elements

  • Some dropdowns change state or trigger an action when receiving focus without user confirmation – Fails WCAG 1.3.1 – Info and Relationships (Level A) and WCAG 3.2.1 – On Focus (Level A)
  • The date picker isn’t fully keyboard or screen reader accessible – Fails WCAG 4.1.2 – Name, Role, Value (Level A) and WCAG 2.1.1 – Keyboard (Level A)

5. Carousels

  • The screen reader is not informed about the current position within the carousel – Fails WCAG 4.1.2 – Name, Role, Value (Level A) and WCAG 1.3.1 – Info and Relationships (Level A)

6. Text and Images

  • Some images of text are used instead of real text – Fails WCAG 1.4.5 – Images of Text (Level AA)

7. Radio Buttons

  • Screen readers are reading out the total number of radio buttons on the page instead of those within a specific section – Fails WCAG 1.3.1 – Info and Relationships (Level A) and WCAG 4.1.2 – Name, Role, Value (Level A)
  • The question and radio buttons are not properly connected, which may confuse users – Fails WCAG 1.3.1 – Info and Relationships (Level A) and WCAG 4.1.2 – Name, Role, Value (Level A)

8. Screen Reader

  • The assessment tool causes the screen reader to start reading halfway down the page instead of from the top or the intended starting point – Fails WCAG 2.4.3 – Focus Order (Level A), WCAG 1.3.2 – Meaningful Sequence (Level A), and WCAG 4.1.2 – Name, Role, Value (Level A)

Third-Party Tools and Accessibility Limitations

Some accessibility issues on this website are caused by third-party plugins and tools that we do not have direct control over. These include:

  • Self-Evaluation Tool
  • Search Page
  • Share Buttons
  • Forms
  • Date Pickers

Since these are external tools, we may not be able to resolve all issues directly. However, we are actively working with the providers of these plugins to encourage improvements to their accessibility.

If you experience difficulty using any part of the website due to these issues, please contact us at [email protected], and we will do our best to assist you.

What We’re Doing to Improve Accessibility

Enhancing Screen Reader Compatibility

  • Adding aria-label, aria-labelledby, and aria-describedby to provide meaningful context
  • Ensuring that form inputs and controls have proper labels and roles
  • Announcing dynamic changes using aria-live regions

Improving Keyboard Navigation

Ensuring all interactive elements (buttons, links, forms) are focusable using Tab

  • Providing a logical and predictable focus order using semantic HTML and tabindex
  • Adding visible focus indicators using outline and :focus styles

Better Handling of Dynamic Content

  • Using aria-live to notify users of changes without moving focus unexpectedly
  • Returning focus to the logical position after closing a popup
  • Announcing success or failure messages in a non-intrusive way

Optimizing Interactive Elements

  • Ensuring that buttons and links have descriptive text using aria-label
  • Fixing carousels so they are navigable via keyboard and screen reader
  • Using aria-role descriptions to clarify the purpose of custom elements

Our Accessibility Commitment
We are committed to making our website usable and accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
Our goal is to meet and exceed WCAG 2.2 AA standards to provide an inclusive digital experience.
We value user feedback and are continuously improving based on direct input from our users.

About This Statement
This statement was prepared on 14 March 2025.
The website was last tested on 14 March 2025 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard by the National Trust’s in-house testing team. The most visited pages were tested using automated tools and manual review.