Accessibility at Shifting Lives

Accessibility target: WCAG 2.2 Level AA

Accessibility should be built in, not added later.

Shifting Lives is committed to making this website usable by as many people as reasonably possible, including people who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, browser magnification and other assistive technologies.

Accessibility is personally important to Shifting Lives. Founder and counsellor David Chittenden is blind and uses assistive technology himself, and he is directly involved in testing the website during its development.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines provide an internationally recognised framework for making digital information more perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.

Shifting Lives uses WCAG 2.2 Level AA as the accessibility baseline for the public website while recognising that accessibility requires ongoing real-world testing and improvement.

Report an Accessibility Issue

How We Test Accessibility

Our commitment in plain language

We want you to be able to use this website regardless of whether you navigate with a mouse, keyboard, screen reader, magnification software or another assistive technology.

If something gets in your way, we want to know about it — and if you cannot access information in its current format, we will make reasonable efforts to provide another way for you to access it.

Accessibility is part of how Shifting Lives operates

Accessibility is not treated as a feature added at the end of website development.

David uses screen-reader technology in his own daily life, which means accessibility affects his own ability to independently use the Shifting Lives website and digital systems.

During development, David participates directly in real-world accessibility testing rather than accessibility being assessed only through automated software.

The goal is to create an experience that works in practice, not simply one that receives a good automated accessibility score.

Real people using real assistive technology are an important part of our accessibility testing.

How we build and test for accessibility

Accessibility is considered throughout the design and development of the Shifting Lives website, then checked through practical testing.

David Chittenden uses screen-reader technology himself and has directly participated in testing the site with Microsoft Narrator, so accessibility is assessed through real-world use as well as technical review.

Screen readers & structure

Semantic headings, logical reading order, meaningful links and clear landmarks support screen-reader navigation.

Keyboard navigation

Important links, buttons and controls are designed to work without a mouse and include visible focus states.

Zoom & responsive reflow

Content is designed to remain readable and usable at increased browser zoom and across desktop, tablet and mobile.

Images & visual information

Meaningful images use appropriate alternative text, decorative images avoid unnecessary screen-reader noise, and information does not rely on colour alone.

Accessible media

Important video and educational content should include captions, transcripts or equivalent written alternatives where appropriate.

Real-world testing

Testing includes screen-reader use, keyboard navigation, heading and reading order, focus states, zoom/reflow and responsive behaviour.

Accessibility is not judged only by an automated score. Real-world usability matters.

We continue to review accessibility as new pages, content and functionality are introduced.

Accessibility is an ongoing process

The Shifting Lives website continues to evolve as new content, resources and functionality are introduced.

Although we aim to maintain a highly accessible experience, accessibility issues can occasionally arise through:

new content;
website updates;
embedded media;
third-party services;
browser or assistive-technology differences; or
new interactive functionality.

If we become aware of a significant accessibility limitation, we will work to address it and, where appropriate, document the issue while a solution is being implemented.

If something is not working for you, please tell us.

Real-world feedback is one of the most useful ways we can improve accessibility.

Third-party content and services

Some parts of the Shifting Lives website may rely on services provided by other organisations.

For example, video content may be embedded from external platforms such as YouTube.

Shifting Lives aims to select and implement third-party services in ways that support accessibility, but we cannot control every aspect of an external platform.

As additional systems are introduced in future phases — such as appointment booking or other interactive services — accessibility will be an important part of product selection and implementation.

A third-party service will not be considered suitable for Shifting Lives solely because it looks good visually. Real usability, including screen-reader and keyboard accessibility, is an important selection criterion.

Accessibility support

Having difficulty accessing something?

If something on the Shifting Lives website is difficult to access, use or understand, please let us know.

Whether you have encountered an accessibility problem or simply need information provided in another way, we will make reasonable efforts to help you access the information you need.

What you can contact us about

You can contact Shifting Lives if:

part of the website is difficult to navigate
a link, button or other control is not working with your assistive technology
content is difficult to read or understand
a video, image or other resource is not accessible to you
you need information in another accessible format
you have feedback that could help us improve the accessibility of the website

Something is not working

You do not need to provide technical information to ask for help.

However, if you are comfortable doing so, the following details may help us understand and resolve the problem:

the page you were using
what you were trying to do
what happened
the device or browser you were using
the assistive technology you were using, if applicable

You do not need to provide all of this information in order to contact us or request accessibility assistance.

I need information another way

If information on the website is not accessible to you in its current format, tell us what you were trying to access.

Where reasonably possible, Shifting Lives will try to provide an accessible alternative.

Depending on the information involved, this may include:

accessible plain text
information provided directly by email
another appropriate digital format
a transcript or written alternative
assistance locating or understanding the relevant information

We will make reasonable efforts to provide an accessible alternative.

Real-world feedback helps us improve

Accessibility can vary between devices, browsers and assistive technologies.

If something is not working for you, that feedback is valuable and helps us improve the experience for other visitors as well.

Contact Shifting Lives

You can contact us for accessibility assistance, alternative-format requests or accessibility feedback.

Our accessibility standard

Shifting Lives targets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA as the baseline for the public website.

WCAG is developed through the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Accessibility Initiative and provides internationally recognised guidance for accessible digital experiences.

Learn about WCAG and web accessibility

Accessibility statement information

Accessibility target: WCAG 2.2 Level AA

Current website platform: Framer

Accessibility testing includes: Real-world screen-reader testing with David Chittenden, keyboard navigation, responsive layouts, zoom/reflow and structural review.

Last updated: 26 August 2026

This accessibility statement will be reviewed as major website functionality changes.

Accessibility support

Need help accessing something?

If you are having difficulty using the Shifting Lives website or need information in another format, please contact us. We will do our best to find an accessible way for you to get the information you need.

Contact Shifting Lives

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