Visit East Lothian > Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement For Visit East Lothian

This accessibility statement applies to the Visit East Lothian website - www.visiteastlothian.org - which is run by the Visit East Lothian team at East Lothian Council.

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

We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website and are committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including people with disabilities. We are actively working to improve the user experience and apply relevant accessibility standards.

Preparation Of This Accessibility Statement

In addition to Scottish Government testing, our web developer has undertaken extensive testing using Axe WebTools to ensure the website is accessible which has informed the preparation of this statement. This statement was prepared on 10th November 2025 and is based on the Government sample accessibility statement.

Compliance Status

This website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard by the Scottish Government.

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

How Accessible This website Is

We have taken several steps to improve accessibility and inclusivity:-

Mobile-Responsive Design

  • The website automatically adjusts to different screen sizes and device types (mobile, tablet, desktop) to maintain ease of navigation and readability.

Colour Contrast And Readability (WCAG 1.4.3)

  • Colour contrast has been improved for buttons, links and placeholder text.
  • Hover test and form warnings now meet accessibility standards.
  • Content remains clear and readable at increased zoom levels.

Keyboard Navigation (WCAG 2.1.1)

  • All menus, tabs, and interactive elements can now be accessed and operated using the keyboard.
  • Visible focus indicators have been added throughout the site.
  • Navigation and content reflow correctly at high zoom levels (200% and 400%).

Pause, Stop, Hide (WCAG 2.2.2)

  • The video at the top of the webpage can now be paused.

Focus Order (WCAG 2.4.3)

  • An issue affecting keyboard navigation within the main menu has been fixed. Previously, when a dropdown menu was expanded, keyboard focus skipped the submenu items. Focus now correctly moves through all expanded links in sequence, meeting WCAG 2.4.3 requirements.

Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) (WCAG 2.4.11)

  • Issues were identified where keyboard focus could become hidden by expanded menus, the search banner, or the cookie banner, particularly at high zoom levels. These have now been resolved. Dropdown menus behave correctly during keyboard navigation, focus is contained within active components, and focused elements remain visible at all times. All links, including those within the cookie banner, are now fully accessible using the keyboard.

Clear Site Structure (WCAG 4.1.2)

  • Page layout and navigation menus and links maintain clarify and usability at high zoom levels.

Non-Accessible Content

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

While we have made significant progress, we know some parts of this website are not fully accessible and the below content does not meet current accessibility standards.

Content on Hover or Focus: Dismissable, Hoverable, Persistent (Manual) (WCAG 1.4.13)

  • When hovering over the navigation bar dropdown menus, there is no mechanism to dismiss the additional content triggered without moving pointer hover or keyboard focus.

Content is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

Focus Visible (WCAG 2.4.7)

  • In some cases, we may not be able to ensure instant accessibility of user-generated content. Part of this website is a Business Directory and users enter their own details and manage their own page(s). because We cannot ensure the quality of contributions. We do our best to monitor the submissions as they come in and will make amendments where we can. Please use the ‘report issue’ button if you encounter an issue.
  • The Home page has a map with 'popover' images. There is no discernable label on these markers, however, there is a hidden label added for screen readers. This will cause a 'critical' error on automatic accessibility testers.
  • Some pages have an iframe where language is defined in this manner: en_gb. This is a minor issue that is caused by the Google Recaptcha anti-spam checker for the contact form. We cannot influence this.

Technical Standards

This site aims to conform with the following:-

  • WCAG 2.2 Level AA guidelines (published October 2023).
  • UK Government accessibility regulations under the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Browser Compatibility

This website is designed to work on all platforms and devices and is tested on a range of web browsers, including:-

  • Google Chrome on Windows PC
  • Safari on Apple Mac
  • Default Browser on Android mobile phone

Accessibility of Visit East Lothian relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer:

  • HTML
  • WAI-ARIA
  • CSS
  • JavaScript
  • PHP

These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards used.

Measures To Support Accessibility

Visit East Lothian takes the following measures to ensure accessibility of Visit East Lothian:

  • Include accessibility throughout our internal policies.
  • Assign clear accessibility goals and responsibilities.
  • Make continued efforts to ensure the website remains accessible as far as possible in our routine maintenance.

Feedback and Contact

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of the Visit East Lothian website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact the Visit East Lothian team. If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:-

Email: [email protected]

We'll consider your request and get back to you within 10 working 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, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).