Does your practice website meet WCAG 2.2? A 15-minute self-test

Why it matters

The 2018 accessibility regulations apply to GP practice websites, and GOV.UK sets the standard as WCAG 2.2 level AA. NHS England’s GP IT operating model asks for the same. The Government Digital Service tests a random sample of public sector websites, including .nhs.uk addresses, and passes unfixed problems to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

More importantly, many of your patients are older, have a disability, or are reading on a cracked phone screen in a waiting room. An accessible site is one they can use.

The 10 checks

Do each one on your homepage and one task page, such as appointments or prescriptions.

1. Use it without a mouse. On your homepage, press Tab repeatedly. Then try to book an appointment using only Tab, Shift+Tab and Enter. Pass if: You can reach every link, menu and button, in a sensible order, and you can always see where you are. (2.1.1 Keyboard, 2.4.7 Focus visible)
2. Make sure nothing hides where you are. Keep tabbing down a long page. Pass if: The highlighted link is never hidden behind a sticky header, a cookie banner or a chat button. (2.4.11 Focus not obscured, new in WCAG 2.2)
3. Zoom to 400%. On a computer, zoom the browser to 400% (Ctrl or Cmd and +). Pass if: Everything fits the width of the screen, so you only scroll up and down, and nothing overlaps or disappears. (1.4.10 Reflow)
4. Tap everything on a phone. Open the site on your phone and tap the menu, footer links and any small icons. Pass if: You can tap each one without hitting its neighbour. Targets should be at least 24 by 24 pixels, or well spaced. (2.5.8 Target size (minimum), new in WCAG 2.2)
5. Look for pictures of words. Look for posters, leaflets or opening times shown as images. Pass if: Important information is written as text. Images that matter have a description; decorative ones don't need one. (1.1.1 Non-text content, 1.4.5 Images of text)
6. Read your links on their own. Scan the page for links like 'click here', 'more' or 'read more'. Pass if: Every link says where it goes: 'Order a repeat prescription', not 'click here'. (2.4.4 Link purpose)
7. Check text against its background. Paste your text and background colours into a free contrast checker, especially for pale grey text, text on photos and buttons. Pass if: Normal text has a contrast of at least 4.5 to 1. (1.4.3 Contrast (minimum))
8. Fill in a form badly. Submit your contact or registration form with a field missed out. Pass if: Every field has a visible label, the error says what's wrong and how to fix it, and you aren't asked for the same thing twice. (3.3.1 Error identification, 3.3.2 Labels, 3.3.7 Redundant entry, new in WCAG 2.2)
9. Find help on three different pages. Open three different pages and look for your phone number or contact link. Pass if: It's in the same place on every page. (3.2.6 Consistent help, new in WCAG 2.2)
10. Count your PDFs. Look for important information, like registration forms or opening times, that's only in a PDF or Word document. Pass if: Anything patients need is on a web page. PDFs are hard to read on phones and with screen readers. (NHS England guidance)

You can also run a free automated checker, such as WAVE, and check colours with WebAIM’s contrast checker. Automated tools only find some problems, so do the manual checks too.

What to do with the results

• Problems with your own content, like vague links, PDFs or images of posters, are yours to fix. Most take minutes.
• Problems with the template, like keyboard access, focus, zoom or small tap targets, are your supplier’s. Send them your results and ask when they’ll be fixed.
• Anything you can’t fix yet must be listed in your accessibility statement, with a date for fixing it.