Accessibility statement for oavo.co.uk

This accessibility statement applies to oavo.co.uk.

Our commitment to accessibility

Karl M Loftus (oavo) is committed to making oavo.co.uk accessible and usable for as many people as possible. The site is designed to be read and enjoyed by the Wirral community (and anyone visiting from further afield), and we want that experience to work well for users who rely on assistive technology or alternative ways of browsing.

We aim to make the website conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA where reasonably possible.

How accessible this website is

Many parts of oavo.co.uk should be usable if you:

• zoom your browser in (for example to 200% or more) and still read the content
• navigate around pages using a keyboard
• use a screen reader to read story text and headings

Some parts of the site may not be fully accessible yet (see “Non-accessible content” below).

“Bigger writing” / text size

Some story pages include a “Bigger Writing” control intended to make text easier to read. If this control does not work for your device or assistive technology, you can also use your browser’s built-in zoom and text settings.

Feedback and contact information

If you find any accessibility problems not listed on this page, or you think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact:

(Please include the page link and a short description of what you were trying to do.)

We aim to respond within 10 working days.

If you need content in a different format

If you need any content from oavo.co.uk in a different format (for example, plain text, large text, or a simplified version of a story page), email:

karloavopp@gmail.com

Tell us:

• the web address (URL) of the page
• what format you need
• what assistive technology you use (if relevant)

We’ll consider reasonable requests and do what we can to help.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with WCAG 2.2 Level AA, due to the issues listed below. (This wording follows the UK model accessibility statement pattern.)

Non-accessible content

1) Images may not always have helpful alternative text

Many pages contain numerous images (including repeated site images and story images). Some images may have non-descriptive alt text (for example a filename/brand name), or decorative images may be announced when they should be ignored by screen readers.

What we’re doing: we are gradually improving image alt text so that:

• important images have meaningful descriptions
• decorative images are marked so screen readers can skip them

2) Headings and structure may be inconsistent on some pages

Some pages may have heading structures that are not perfectly consistent, which can make navigation harder for screen reader users who jump by headings.

What we’re doing: we are reviewing templates and updating headings so they follow a logical order.

3) Link and button text may not always be clear out of context

Some navigation text and call-to-action phrases (for example “Press here…”) can be less clear for users of screen readers or voice control if the control label does not describe the destination/action well enough.

What we’re doing: we are improving link/button labels so they are clearer when read on their own.

4) Keyboard focus visibility may not be strong everywhere

Depending on your browser/device, the visible outline (focus indicator) for keyboard navigation may not always be as clear as it should be.

What we’re doing: we are reviewing CSS so keyboard focus is always easy to see.

5) Third-party content may not be fully accessible

Some pages may link to, embed, or reference third-party content. We cannot guarantee the accessibility of third-party websites or platforms, but we will provide alternatives where we reasonably can (for example, a short summary and a direct link).

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are working through improvements in this order:

• Images: improve alt text and mark decorative images properly
• Structure: ensure consistent headings and reading order
• Navigation: improve link/button labels and keyboard focus
• Testing: repeat checks across common devices and assistive technologies

How we tested this website

We last checked oavo.co.uk on 6 February 2026 using a self-assessment approach, including:

• basic keyboard-only checks (Tab/Shift+Tab/Enter)
• browser zoom checks
• automated checker spot-checks on representative pages (homepage + a selection of story pages)

We will repeat and expand this testing over time. (UK guidance encourages statements to be based on recent testing.)

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

oavo.co.uk is built using standard web technologies (HTML/CSS/JavaScript). The site is intended to work on modern browsers.

We aim to meet WCAG 2.2 AA.

Enforcement / escalation

oavo.co.uk is an independent community website (not a public authority). If you contact us about an accessibility issue and you are not satisfied with our response, you can seek independent advice about your rights under UK law (including the Equality Act 2010 duty to make reasonable adjustments where applicable). (Equality Act reference: reasonable adjustments duty.)

Preparation of this statement

This statement was prepared on 6 February 2026.
It will be reviewed at least once every 12 months, and also whenever we make major design or template changes.