Accessibility statement for eOPS

This accessibility statement is for eOPS.

This website is run by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). 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 and contrast levels using browser or device settings
navigate most of the website using just a keyboard or speech recognition software, such as Dragon
listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent version of NVDA)

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, as:

most pages do not contain a heading structure, making it difficult to navigate
some pages do not have meaningful page titles or do not have page titles at all, which makes understanding the page purpose harder
pages use a layout that can make it difficult when using a screen reader
pages contain missing or inappropriate form labels
the contrast between foreground and background makes the website difficult to read
some pages have images that have issues with alternative text which make them difficult to identify with a screen reader
logos do not have the correct alternative text
some of our pages are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
you cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader
some text is too small or badly formatted and you cannot modify the type, size or spacing of text
the size of some objects is too small to target with a pointer device
error messages are complex and difficult to understand
screen readers do not always announce time out warnings and pop-up boxes
moving text is sometimes used which makes it difficult to use a screen reader
all pages contain Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) attributes that have not been applied correctly, which makes using assistive technology difficult
there are some instances where the pages and forms are difficult to navigate using only a keyboard or speech recognition software
some pages have elements which are difficult to interact with a speech recognition software.
the text of some pages will not reflow in a single column when the size of the browser window is changed
some pages contain redundant title text for users with a screen reader
some pages contain links and link text that are not clear to their purpose and role when using a screen reader
if CSS styling is disabled, users will not be able to understand the content of some of the pages
if JavaScript is disabled, users will not be able to access the content of the pages

How to request content in an accessible format

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, you can contact us by:

Email: accessibility@nhsbsa.nhs.uk

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.

This email address is only for accessibility queries. It is not for technical queries or IT problems. If you have a query that is not about accessibility, go to the ‘Contact us’ section of this page.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, you can contact us by:

Email: accessibility@nhsbsa.nhs.uk

Contact us

For all queries not accessibility related, you can contact us by:

Email: dataservicessupport@nhsbsa.nhs.uk

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).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

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

Compliance status

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

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Most pages do not contain a heading structure, making it difficult to navigate. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels) and 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions).

Some pages have missing or uninformative page titles, which makes understanding the page purpose harder. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.2 (Page Titled), 2.4.5 (Multiple Ways) and 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).

Most pages contain layout tables to position content visually, which can cause reading and navigation issues especially for people using screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 1.3.2 (Meaningful Sequence), 3.2.3 (Consistent Navigation) and 1.4.10 (Reflow).

Some pages have missing and empty form labels. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels), 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions).

Some pages contain elements that have very low contrast between foreground and background making the content difficult to read. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum)) and 1.4.11 (Non-text Contrast).

Some pages have images which have missing, redundant, and suspicious alternative text. This means people using a screen reader cannot access the information properly. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content) and 1.4.5 (Images of Text).

Logos and images do not have the correct alternative text. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.5 (Images of Text).

Some pages contain technical features that make navigation with a keyboard difficult. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.1.1 (Keyboard) and 3.2.2 (On Input).

Some pages do not have the option to skip to the main content. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks), 3.2.3 (Consistent Navigation), and 3.2.4 (Consistent Identification).

Some text is too small or badly formatted and the size or spacing between text cannot be modify. This fails WCAG 2.2 criteria 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum)), 1.4.4 (Resize Text), and 1.4.12 (Text Spacing).

The size of some objects is too small to target with a pointer device. This fails WCAG 2.2 criteria 1.4.11 (Non-text Contrast), 2.5.5 (Target Size (Enhanced)), and 2.5.8 (Target Size (Minimum)).

Error messages are complex and difficult to understand. This fails WCAG 2.2 criteria 3.3.1 (Error Identification), 3.3.3 (Error Suggestion), 3.3.5 (Help) and 4.1.3 (Status Messages).

Screen readers do not always announce time out warnings and pop-up boxes. This will mean that the user will not be able to extend or cancel the timeout. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.2.1 (Timing Adjustable), 2.2.4 (Interruptions), 2.2.5 (Re-authenticating) and 2.2.6 (Timeouts).

Moving text is sometimes used which makes it difficult to use a screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.2.2 (Pause, Stop, Hide).

All pages contain Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) attributes that have not been applied correctly, which makes using assistive technology difficult. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels) and 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).

There are some instances where the pages and forms are difficult to navigate using only a keyboard or speech recognition software. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.5 (Identify Input Purpose), 2.1.1 (Keyboard), 2.1.2 (No Keyboard Trap), 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks), 2.4.3 (Focus Order), 2.4.4 (Link Purpose (In Context)), 2.4.7 (Focus Visible), and 2.4.11 (Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)).

Some pages have elements which are difficult to interact with a speech recognition software. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).

The text of some pages will not reflow in a single column when the size of the browser window is changed. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.4 (Orientation) and 1.4.10 (Reflow).

Some pages contain redundant title text for users with a screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled).

Some pages contain links and link text that are not clear to their purpose and role when using a screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.4 (Link Purpose in Context) and 2.4.9 (Link Purpose (Link Only)).

If CSS styling is disabled, users will not be able to understand the content of some of the pages. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum)),1.4.6 (Contrast (Enhanced)), 2.4.11 (Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)), 2.4.12 (Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced)), and 2.4.13 (Focus Appearance).

If JavaScript is disabled, users will not be able to access the content of the pages. This fails WCAG 2.2 criteria 1.3 (Adaptable), 2.0 (Operable), and 4.1 (Compatible).

We plan to fix these issues. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure it meets accessibility standards.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We’re committed to making sure this website is compliant to WCAG 2.2 ‘AA’ standard.

Our accessibility compliance statement will be reviewed regularly. Every newly released website will be designed, built, and tested to meet ‘AA’ standards by default.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was originally prepared on 15 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 3 October 2024.

This website was last tested on 27 September 2024 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

The test was carried out by the NHSBSA test and development teams. The most viewed pages were tested using automated testing tools by our website team. A further audit of the website was carried out to the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

We tested all the website screens to meet ‘AA’ WCAG 2.2 standards, using manual and automated tests.

We run each webpage through automated Wave, Lighthouse and Axe accessibility tools then manually test with screen readers (NVDA or VoiceOver) and standards checklists.

We run representative user journey tests through speech recognition software (Dragon or Voice Control).

These checklists contain standards that have been compiled using WCAG, the NHS service manual and the Government Digital Service (GDS) guidance.