Accessibility Report for the National Lobster Hatchery Website

Introduction

Accessibility on the National Lobster Hatchery website (https://nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk/) is crucial for ensuring that all users, including those with disabilities, can access and interact with the website’s content. This report reviews the accessibility features of the website, identifies areas that need improvement, and provides recommendations for enhancing overall accessibility.

Positive Accessibility Features

1. Clear Navigation Structure: The website features a clear and consistent navigation menu that helps users find information easily. The navigation labels are descriptive and intuitive, aiding users in understanding where they can find specific content.
2. Readable Text and Font Choices: The website uses legible font sizes and styles, making the text easy to read for users with visual impairments. The contrast between text and background is generally good, which enhances readability.
3. Responsive Design: The site is responsive and adjusts well to different screen sizes, including mobile devices and tablets. This responsiveness supports accessibility for users who access the site from various devices, including those who use assistive technologies like screen magnifiers.
4. Use of Headings: The site makes effective use of headings to structure content. This organisation helps screen reader users navigate the content more efficiently, providing a clear outline of each page’s structure.

Areas we are looking to improve

1. Insufficient Alt Text for Images: Many images on the site either lack alt text or have non-descriptive alt text. Alt text is crucial for screen reader users, as it provides a description of the image content, allowing them to understand the visual elements of the page.
2. Inconsistent Keyboard Navigation: The website has some interactive elements, such as dropdown menus and buttons, that are not fully accessible via keyboard navigation. Users who rely on keyboards due to motor disabilities may find it challenging to navigate these elements.
3. Lack of ARIA Landmarks and Roles: The website does not consistently use ARIA landmarks or roles, which are essential for defining the structure of the page in a way that assistive technologies can interpret. This can make it difficult for screen readers to navigate and interpret the content effectively.
4. Missing Skip to Content Link: The site lacks a “skip to content” link, a feature that allows users, particularly those using screen readers or navigating by keyboard, to bypass repetitive navigation and jump directly to the main content.
5. Form Accessibility: Some forms on the site do not have properly labeled fields, which can make it difficult for screen reader users to understand what information is required in each field. Proper labeling is necessary to ensure forms are accessible to all users.
6. Colour Contrast Issues: Certain elements, such as buttons and links, have colour contrast ratios that fall below the recommended levels by WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). This can make these elements hard to distinguish for users with visual impairments, particularly those with colour blindness.

Recommendations for Improving Accessibility

1. Ensure Alt Text for All Images: Conduct an audit of all images on the site to ensure they have descriptive and meaningful alt text. Avoid using generic phrases like “image” or “photo” and instead provide detailed descriptions that convey the image’s content or purpose.
2. Improve Keyboard Navigation: Enhance the site’s keyboard accessibility by ensuring that all interactive elements, such as menus, buttons, and links, are operable via keyboard. This includes adding visible focus indicators and ensuring that all functionality is accessible without a mouse.
3. Implement ARIA Landmarks and Roles: Use ARIA landmarks, roles, and properties to provide semantic meaning to different parts of the page. This will improve the navigation experience for screen reader users, making it easier for them to understand the structure of the site.
4. Add a Skip to Content Link: Introduce a “skip to content” link at the top of the pages to help users bypass repetitive navigation. This feature will greatly enhance the experience for screen reader and keyboard users by allowing them to jump directly to the main content.
5. Enhance Form Accessibility: Ensure that all form fields are properly labeled with HTML label elements or ARIA attributes. This will help screen reader users understand the purpose of each field and improve the overall accessibility of forms on the site.
6. Improve Colour Contrast Ratios: Review and adjust the color contrast of text, buttons, and other interactive elements to meet the WCAG minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. This will make these elements easier to see and interact with for users with visual impairments.
7. Conduct Regular Accessibility Audits and User Testing: Regularly perform accessibility audits using both automated tools and manual testing with assistive technologies, such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and keyboard-only navigation. Additionally, consider involving users with disabilities in testing to identify real-world accessibility issues.

Conclusion

While the National Lobster Hatchery website includes several positive accessibility features, such as clear navigation and responsive design, there are key areas that need improvement to ensure full accessibility for all users. By implementing the recommended changes, the website can provide a more inclusive experience, allowing all visitors, regardless of ability, to engage with the content and support the organization’s mission.