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Accessibility statement

We’re committed to making UK Parliament Online accessible so our websites can be used by as many people as possible.

Our sites are developed to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.2 Level A and AA, and we keep our sites under review to improve accessibility and usability.

This statement applies to content published on websites and domains owned and managed by UK Parliament, including: 

  • the corporate website (parliament.uk) 
  • microsites and subdomains, for example the House of Commons Library website 
  • other Parliamentary websites and domains, for example parliamentlive.tv 

We want as many people as possible to be able to use our websites. This means you should be able to: 

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser functionality or device settings 
  • zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen 
  • navigate most of our websites using a keyboard 
  • navigate most of our websites using speech recognition software 
  • listen to most of our websites using a screen reader 

We also try to make website content and information as simple as possible to understand. 

If you have a disability, search AbilityNet's “how to” guides to make your device easier to use.

Feedback and contact information 

Requesting alternative formats 

If you need information in an alternative format, like accessible PDF, easy read, audio recording, BSL, or Braille, please email us at webmaster@parliament.uk and tell us:  

  • the web address (URL) of the content that you need 
  • the details of what is required 
  • the format you need 
  • your contact name and email address

We’ll consider your request and aim to respond within 5 working days.

Reporting accessibility problems with our websites 

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of our websites. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page, please email webmaster@parliament.uk to report this.

Enforcement procedure

If you contact us with a complaint and you're not happy with our response, please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018).

Known accessibility issues

We know from several accessibility reports that parts of this website are not fully accessible. For example:

  • some pages and document attachments are not written in accessible language 
  • many documents are in PDF format and are not fully accessible 
  • some images do not include alternative text or an image description 
  • some header structures and page IDs are not optimised for screen reader use 
  • some online forms are not easy for screen readers to navigate
  • captions and/or transcripts may not be available for older videos 
  • audio description is not available for videos 
  • there are some links to websites or software that we do not own or manage and so cannot guarantee their accessibility 

We are working to address these issues as part of an ongoing programme to improve the accessibility of our websites.

Technical information about the accessibility of our websites 

Compliance status

Our websites are partially compliant with the WCAG 2.2 AA standards due to the non-compliances with certain WCAG success criteria and the exemptions listed below. 

The content listed below is non-accessible, for the following reasons:

  • form labels are missing or broken (Info and Relationships 1.3.1) 
  • placeholder text is low contrast (Contrast (minimum 1.4.3) 
  • inaccessible HTML such as empty Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) landmarks, incorrect or broken instances of the ARIA attributes (Info and Relationships 1.3.1) 
  • images on some pages do not always have appropriate image descriptions (Non-text Content 1.1.1) 
  • some tables are structured incorrectly and may not have table row or column headers (Info and Relationships 1.3.1) 
  • some headings do not display correctly and there is some inconsistent hierarchy of headings (Info and Relationships 1.3.1)  
  • there are some instances where colour alone is used to convey meaning (Use of Colour 1.4.1)  
  • some button and links do not have accessible names for assistive technology (Heading and Labels 2.4.6) 

Many documents are in non-HTML formats, for example PDF. These can present accessibility challenges including missing text alternatives and missing document structure.

Disproportionate burden

We recognise there are accessibility challenges across legacy websites with low traffic, certain PDF documents, and live video streams.  

We believe that conducting comprehensive audits and fixes for all legacy sites would impose a disproportionate burden on the organisation, as would fixing all PDFs and providing manual captions for live streams. We are investigating how to provide captions across video content as part of our digital accessibility improvement roadmap. 

The most recent disproportionate burden assessment, completed in 2020, is being reviewed and will be updated accordingly.

How we test our websites

We regularly test our websites for compliance with WCAG 2.2 level A and AA using automated tools and collaborating with third party suppliers.

What we're doing to improve accessibility

We've prioritised our work to improve the accessibility of our websites based on analytics. We aim for any new PDF, HTML or alternative file format documents to meet WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards.

To make our websites accessible, we:

  • integrate accessibility into our design system and procurement procedures 
  • involve individuals with accessibility needs in website user testing 
  • provide accessibility training for our staff 
  • include individuals with disabilities in our design personas 

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared in May 2025 and will be reviewed May 2026.