Accessibility Statement.

Our Commitment

Briars Homecare Services is committed to making our website accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. We believe that good design is inclusive design, and we work continuously to improve the experience for all our users — particularly older adults, people with visual impairments, and those using assistive technology.

Standards We Follow

This website aims to conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, the internationally recognised standard for accessible web content. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, and learning disabilities.

What We've Done to Make This Site Accessible

• Readable text — we use clear, plain English and a legible font size that can be enlarged using your browser
• Strong colour contrast — text and background colours meet WCAG AA contrast ratios for readability
• Keyboard navigation — the site can be navigated using a keyboard alone, no mouse required
• Screen reader support — all images include descriptive alt text and the site uses semantic HTML so screen readers can interpret content correctly
• Resizable text — you can increase text size up to 200% without loss of functionality
• Clear focus indicators — interactive elements show a visible focus outline when navigated with a keyboard
• Mobile-friendly — the site is fully responsive and works on phones, tablets and screen readers on mobile devices
• Descriptive links — link text describes where the link goes, rather than using generic phrases like "click here"

Adjusting Your Browser for Better Accessibility

Your web browser has built-in accessibility features. You can:

• Increase text size by pressing Ctrl + (Windows) or Cmd + (Mac)
• Use your browser's Reader Mode to remove distractions
• Enable high contrast mode in your operating system settings
• Use voice control or a screen reader (most modern devices have these built in)

For more information on customising your browser or device, visit AbilityNet's My Computer My Way, a free guide that explains how to adapt your computer, smartphone or tablet to your needs.

Known Limitations

We're always working to improve accessibility, but there are some areas we're aware of:

• Some older blog post images may not yet have detailed alt text — we're adding these as we update each post
• Embedded third-party content such as Google Maps may not fully meet accessibility standards — we provide our address and contact details in text format as an alternative

Reporting Accessibility Issues

If you find any part of our website difficult to use, or you need information in a different format such as large print, easy read or audio, please let us know. We'll do our best to respond within 5 working days.

• Phone — (01253) 851600
• Email — admin@briarshomecare.co.uk
• Post — Briars Homecare Services, 23 Beechwood Drive, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 5EJ

Enforcement Procedure

If you contact us about an accessibility issue and you're not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS), which is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act 2010 in England, Scotland and Wales.

How We Test This Website

We test our website using a combination of automated tools such as Lighthouse and axe DevTools, manual keyboard navigation, and screen reader testing. We review accessibility whenever we add new content or features.

Get in Touch

For any questions about this accessibility statement, please contact us. We welcome feedback and suggestions on how we can make our website work better for everyone.