Our commitment
This site has been designed and built to be usable by as wide an audience as possible, including people who use assistive technologies. We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at AA level as a minimum.
What this site does well
- Semantic HTML structure with proper headings, landmarks, and document outline.
- Logical reading order that matches the visual order, including on mobile.
- High contrast between text and background, exceeding WCAG AA contrast ratios.
- Resizable text via browser zoom up to 200% without loss of content or functionality.
- Keyboard navigable: every interactive element can be reached and operated without a mouse.
- Visible focus states on all interactive elements.
- Alt text on all meaningful images.
- Reduced motion: animations are disabled when your operating system is set to reduce motion.
- Scalable layout from 380px (small phones) up to widescreen monitors.
- No autoplay audio or video.
Known limitations
We are honest about what is not yet perfect. As of the date below:
- Some decorative-only background imagery does not have text alternatives. This is appropriate where the image carries no information not already conveyed in surrounding text, but we are reviewing each instance.
- The site uses variable web fonts (Fraunces, Manrope) which may take a moment to load on slower connections. Fallback fonts are specified, but the visual appearance during the brief loading period may differ slightly.
- The Agora publication mark is loaded from Substack's CDN; we have no control over its image optimisation or alt-text translation in screen readers using machine description.
Compatible browsers and assistive technology
The site is tested with current versions of:
- Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Firefox on desktop
- Safari and Chrome on iOS, Chrome on Android
- VoiceOver (macOS, iOS) and NVDA (Windows) screen readers
If you encounter difficulty with another setup, we want to know.
Reporting an accessibility problem
If you find something on this site you cannot access or use, please tell us. Email steve@theessentialexpert.com with:
- The page or feature concerned
- The assistive technology or browser you were using
- What happened, and what you expected to happen
We will acknowledge within 48 hours and aim to resolve significant accessibility issues within 14 days where reasonably practicable.
Enforcement
If you are not satisfied with how we have addressed an accessibility concern, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) at equalityadvisoryservice.com.