Accessibility Statement

UTC Portsmouth is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This accessibility statement applies to https://www.utcportsmouth.org/ and all pages under this domain.

This website is run by UTC Portsmouth. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website.

For example, that means you should be able to:

  • Change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings

  • Zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen

  • 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)

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.


How accessible this website is

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

  • Some gallery images may have missing alt text (e.g. carousels and Instagram embeds), which can make the content unclear for screen-reader users.

  • Most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software.

  • The Policies and Documents pages’ load content dynamically and can display a persistent “loading” message: some assistive technologies may not be notified when content finishes loading.

  • Third-party Instagram embeds and the YouTube homepage video may not be fully keyboard-operable, and may not have captions by default.

  • The contact page has an embedded map, which has limits on magnification and may not be fully accessible to screen readers.


Feedback and contact information

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

  • Email: enquiries@utcportsmouth.org

  • Phone: 02393 120 200

  • Post: UTC Portsmouth, London Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 9DU

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, contact us using the details above. We’ll consider your request and get back to you within 10 working days.


Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).


Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.


Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reason(s):

(a) Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

  • Images: Some decorative and partner-logo images lack appropriate alt text or use file-name-style text. This fails WCAG 2.2 SC 1.1.1 Non-text content.

    • Planned fix: We will review and update image alt text across the site, prioritising the home page and partner sections, by 31 January 2026.

  • Dynamic content announcements: Certain pages (e.g., Policies, Documents) render content after initial load without clearly announcing status updates to assistive tech. This may affect WCAG 2.2 SC 4.1.3 Status Messages.

    • Planned fix: We will add appropriate ARIA live regions or server-side rendering fallbacks during our website refresh by December 2026.

  • Embedded media: Third-party embeds (Instagram, YouTube) may not provide full keyboard support or captions when content is live. This can affect WCAG 2.2 SC 2.1.1 Keyboard, 1.2.4 Captions (Live).

    • Planned fix: We will review third-party embed settings and provide accessible alternatives or summaries by the website refresh in December 2026

(b) Disproportionate burden

  • Navigation and accessing information: There’s no way to skip the repeated content in the page header (for example, a ‘skip to main content’ option)

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will make another assessment when the supplier contract is up for renewal, likely to be in December 2026.

(c) the content is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

  • Historic PDFs and legacy documents: Some older PDFs may not meet WCAG 2.2 AA (for example, lacking tags or proper reading order).

    • What we’ll do instead: We will ensure all new PDFs meet accessibility standards and will replace or provide accessible alternatives for high-traffic or essential documents on request and during scheduled content updates

  • Live video: We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt under the regulations.

  • Third-party content: Elements provided by third-party platforms (e.g., embedded maps, social media feeds) may be outside our control. Where possible, we will provide accessible alternatives or contact details.


What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We maintain an accessibility improvement backlog and carry out regular checks of templates and new content. We also plan a website update within 2026 which will improve our accessibility.


Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 17/11/2025. It was last reviewed on 17/11/2025.

This website is due to be tested in March 2026 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.