Accessibility Statement for Cotswold Manor Escapes

Introduction

Cotswold Manor Escapes is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for everyone. We are continually improving the user experience for all visitors and strive to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, level AA.

We believe that everyone should have barrier-free access to our website, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. This accessibility statement describes our ongoing efforts to make our website accessible.

Accessibility Features

We have implemented the following features to enhance the accessibility of our website:

Semantic HTML: We use semantic HTML elements to structure our content, making it easier for assistive technologies to understand the page layout and content hierarchy.
Alternative Text: All images include descriptive alternative text (alt text) to provide meaningful descriptions for users who cannot see them. For example, an image of a historic manor house would have alt text like "Exterior view of the grand Painswick Manor, a historic Cotswold manor house with extensive gardens."
Keyboard Navigation: Our website can be navigated entirely using a keyboard, ensuring that users who cannot use a mouse can still access all content and functionality.
Color Contrast: We have carefully chosen color combinations to ensure sufficient contrast between text and background, making it easier for users with low vision or color blindness to read the content.
Resizable Text: Users can easily increase or decrease the text size using their browser settings without losing content or functionality.
Clear and Consistent Navigation: Our website has a clear and consistent navigation structure, making it easy for users to find the information they need.
Form Accessibility: All forms are designed with accessibility in mind, including proper labels, instructions, and error messages.
ARIA Attributes: We use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes to provide additional information to assistive technologies, further enhancing the accessibility of interactive elements.
Captions and Transcripts: All video and audio content includes captions and transcripts to make it accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

We regularly review our website to ensure that it meets accessibility standards. We use automated testing tools and manual reviews to identify and address any accessibility issues.

Examples of Accessibility in Practice

To further illustrate our commitment, consider these specific scenarios:

A user with a visual impairment can use a screen reader to navigate the "Destinations" page. The screen reader will announce each destination with its name and a brief description from the alt text of the associated image, such as "The Lygon Arms, Broadway: A historic coaching inn with luxurious accommodations."
A user with motor impairments can use the keyboard to fill out the contact form, easily tabbing through the fields and receiving clear error messages if any required fields are missed.
A user with hearing impairments can watch a video showcasing curated experiences with synchronized captions, understanding the narrative and enjoying the visual elements.

We have also considered users who prefer to use assistive technologies with customizable settings. We have designed our website to be compatible with commonly used screen readers, magnification tools, and speech recognition software.

Conformance Status

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. Cotswold Manor Escapes is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard.

We are actively working to address any remaining accessibility issues and achieve full conformance with WCAG 2.1 level AA.

Limitations and Alternatives

Despite our best efforts to ensure accessibility of Cotswold Manor Escapes, there may be some limitations. Below is a description of known limitations and potential solutions. Please contact us if you observe an issue not listed below.

Known Accessibility Limitations
Issue	Impact	Proposed Solution	Timeline
Some older PDF documents may not be fully accessible.	Users with screen readers may have difficulty accessing the content in these documents.	We are working to replace these documents with accessible versions or provide HTML alternatives.	Ongoing, with priority given to frequently accessed documents.
Dynamic content updates may not always be immediately announced by screen readers.	Users may miss important updates or notifications.	We are implementing ARIA live regions to ensure that dynamic content updates are properly announced.	Target completion date: December 31, 2024.

Contact Information

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of Cotswold Manor Escapes. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers on our website.

Address:
Accessibility Team
Cotswold Manor Escapes
The Old Post Office, Market Square
Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire GL54 1AB
United Kingdom

Phone: +44 364 631 1384

Email: accessibility@cotswoldmanorescapes.co.uk

We try to respond to feedback within 5 business days.

If you are unable to access any content or functionality on our website, please contact us and we will do our best to provide you with an alternative way to access the information.

Reporting Accessibility Issues

To help us address any accessibility issues effectively, please provide the following information when reporting a problem:

The URL of the page where you encountered the issue.
A description of the problem you experienced.
The type of assistive technology you were using (e.g., screen reader, browser).
Your contact information so we can follow up with you.

Feedback

We are always striving to improve the accessibility of our website. Your feedback is important to us. Please contact us if you have any suggestions for how we can improve the accessibility of Cotswold Manor Escapes.

We appreciate your help in making our website accessible to everyone.

Assessment Approach

Cotswold Manor Escapes assessed the accessibility of this website using the following approach:

Self-evaluation: The website was self-tested and evaluated for conformance to accessibility standards.
Third-party evaluation: Periodically, we contract with accessibility consultants to conduct a more thorough audit of our website.

Formal Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility feedback, you may submit a formal complaint to:

Compliance Officer: Eleanor Ainsworth
Email: compliance@cotswoldmanorescapes.co.uk

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 business days and provide a full response within 10 business days.

Third-Party Content

Our website may include content from third-party providers, such as embedded videos or social media feeds. While we strive to ensure that all content is accessible, we cannot guarantee the accessibility of third-party content. We encourage third-party providers to adhere to accessibility guidelines and will work with them to address any accessibility issues that may arise.

Ongoing Commitment

Accessibility is an ongoing process, and we are committed to continuously improving the accessibility of Cotswold Manor Escapes. We will regularly review and update our website to ensure that it meets the needs of all users.

This accessibility statement was last updated on October 26, 2023.