Accessibility Statement for SGS College

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College believes that all individuals, regardless of restriction or ability, should be able to have equal access to digital information. It is our goal to continuously innovate and we are committed to making our website available to everyone.

3 min read

Introduction

South Gloucestershire and Stroud (SGS) College is committed to ensuring that our website is accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. We believe that the web should be available to everyone and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience.

To fulfil this commitment, we have recently enhanced our site with an AI-driven accessibility widget (accessiBe), which allows for real-time adjustments and a more inclusive browsing experience.

Technical Information about this Website’s Accessibility

SGS College 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 (WCAG) version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Enhanced Accessibility Features

By clicking the accessibility icon on our website, users can access a suite of specialised tools designed to tailor the browsing experience:

Screen-reader Optimisation: An AI background process provides screen-reader users (JAWS, NVDA, Voiceover) with meaningful data using ARIA attributes.
Keyboard Navigation: Users can navigate the entire site using the keyboard, including dropdown menus and pop-ups.
Accessibility Profiles: Preset profiles include:
- Seizure Safe: Reduces colours and animations.
- Vision Impaired: High contrast visual presentation.
- Cognitive Disability: Reduces distractions and simplifies layout.
- Blind Users: Optimises compatibility with screen readers.

Non-accessible Content

Despite our best efforts, some parts of this website are not yet fully accessible:

PDFs and Documents: Some older PDFs and Microsoft Office documents may not be fully accessible to screen reader software.
Video Content: Some legacy videos may lack accurate closed captions or audio descriptions.
Third-party Content: Some content or embedded features (such as maps or social media feeds) may not be fully accessible as they are outside our direct control.

Road Map and Ongoing Improvements

The installation of our accessibility widget represents a key milestone in our 2024–2025 road map. Ongoing work includes:

Continuous AI Remediation: Automated scans every 24 hours to maintain accessibility.
Legacy Document Review: Auditing older PDF documents against current standards.
Staff Training: Regular training for staff responsible for digital content.

Feedback and Contact Information

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

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0800 0567 253
Address: SGS College, Filton Campus, New Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8LP

We aim to respond to accessibility enquiries within three business 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, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).