Accessibility Statement for Great Gardeners

Great Gardeners is committed to making our site and services accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. This statement outlines how we strive to meet accessibility standards across the Great Gardeners area and the practical steps we take to support inclusive access. We follow industry best practices and maintain a focus on continuous improvement.

Our accessibility program emphasizes the use of semantic HTML, clear headings, and consistent navigation so that assistive technologies can interpret content reliably. We use ARIA landmarks where appropriate, ensure logical tab order, and provide text alternatives for non-text content. These measures help people who rely on screen readers and other assistive tools.

We aim for compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria as our baseline. Achieving WCAG 2.1 AA helps ensure sufficient contrast, adaptable layouts, keyboard operability, and predictable content presentation. While no site can be perfect, our design, development, and content teams work together to address barriers and prioritize fixes that most affect accessibility.

Keyboard navigation is a core priority across the Great Gardeners resources. Users can navigate menus, forms, and interactive elements using the keyboard alone. Focus states are clearly visible, and interactive controls are reachable via the tab key. If you encounter an element that is not keyboard accessible, please let us know and we will investigate.

Screen-reader support is provided through meaningful text structure, proper labels, and descriptive link text. Images used for identification include text alternatives, and complex visuals include summaries or data tables where appropriate. We also maintain accessible form fields with label associations, error identification, and helpful instructions so forms are usable by assistive technologies.

To support readable content, we apply responsive typography, allow browser text zooming up to 200% without loss of content or functionality, and follow contrast ratios that meet WCAG recommendations. Where color conveys information, we ensure a secondary visual indicator is present. Our content editors receive training on plain language and accessible authoring practices.

We run a program of testing that includes automated scanners, manual checks, and testing with people who use assistive technology. Results inform our backlog and remediation timeline. While we prioritize issues that most affect users, some third-party content or embedded tools may have limitations; in such cases we work with providers to improve accessibility or provide alternatives.

Below are practical accessibility features you can expect across the accessible Great Gardeners area:

• Clear heading hierarchy and semantic markup for reliable navigation
• Alternative text for images and descriptive captions for complex visuals
• Keyboard operability, visible focus indicators, and skip links
• High contrast color options and resizable text
• Labels and instructions for form controls and error recovery

We document known limitations and address them as part of ongoing maintenance. If you discover an accessibility barrier, please contact our accessibility team using the available contact options on the Great Gardeners website so we can respond and provide reasonable adjustments.

Our commitment includes training staff on inclusion, integrating accessibility into procurement and design, and reviewing policies to ensure accessibility is considered in all updates. We monitor changes to WCAG and related guidance, and we update our practices to reflect new recommendations and technologies.

How we will respond

We aim to acknowledge accessibility requests promptly and to provide a timeline for resolution. When a reported issue requires more time, we will share interim solutions to reduce the impact. Our goal is to remove barriers and offer accessible alternatives when necessary.

Review and updates: This statement and our accessibility processes are reviewed regularly. We take continuous improvement seriously and welcome information that helps us create a better, more inclusive experience across the Great Gardeners area. Thank you for helping us make our services more accessible to everyone.