Accessibility statement for the GlobalScot website
This website is run by Scottish Enterprise. We want to make our services accessible to everyone who could benefit from them, irrespective of any disability they may have.
We are committed to making this website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non- compliances listed on this page.
This statement was last reviewed on 17 December 2020.
How we approach accessibility
We regularly test our websites with disabled users to identify and address any issues. We have an in-house accessibility lab and testing team, who test new features and changes to the site for accessibility issues.
As well as aiming to build our website in a way that’s easy for all users to use and navigate, we’re also working towards making the language we use as simple as possible to understand by using plain English principles.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
Changes we’ve made
The following defects were identified during earlier development and have been addressed:
Some pages were using an incorrect heading hierarchy. We’ve reviewed the content across our pages to make sure the correct headings are used
The focus order on our ‘Join the network’ page was wrong – this has been updated
Some input fields were labelled or coded incorrectly, making it difficult for screen readers to understand what they are. We’ve updated these to contain the correct labels
Assistive technology may previously have found it difficult to distinguish between members of a chat. We’ve made a number of updates to make this area more accessible
We’ve added a <nav> tag around our main navigation so assistive technology can understand its purpose
Notifications can now be accessed by keyboard
During registration, if a user selected ‘no’ to ‘Is this address correct?’, the ‘yes’ button became disabled. We’ve now fixed this so that users can change their answer
Accessibility problems we’ve found
Some accessibility defects have come to our attention during testing of this Beta site. The following defects will be resolved by 18 June 2021:
The three main cards on the user dashboard will not reflow in a single column when you change the size of the browser window. They give a three button carousel instead. This can be confusing and unexpected
Line height or spacing of text may not resize as expected as it is stated in pixels
Live video streams (such as webinars) do not have captions
You cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader
Not all links have a description that assistive technology can use
Some buttons aren’t coded as buttons and don’t have a label, making it difficult for assistive technology to understand what they are
Some content does not get announced when it appears, including new chat notifications, some error messages, some lookup functionality and some pop-up boxes
Some error messages appear before any information has been entered into the input field
Input focus is visually difficult to notice as the emphasis style is too subtle. The focus colour uses a mix of CSS and browser defaults. This may cause confusion to users who have set up their browsers to suit their individual need
The combo-box is hard to use for users with limited mobility and has poor usability using screen readers
The Beta Banner is outside of the “MAIN” landmark and may announce itself inconsistently on different browsers
The “Back” button will clear previous forms and searches. This is not announced
What to do if you cannot access parts of this website
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, you can contact us using these contact details:
If you're deaf or hearing impaired you can use your textphone to contact us through Relay UK, or you can search for Relay UK on the App Store for iPhone or iPad and at Google Play for Android
Or you can submit an enquiry using our enquiry form.
Reporting a problem
You can use the same contact details to report an accessibility problem on this website.
If you've contacted us regarding accessibility and are still dissatisfied with our decision or the way we dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to look at it.
The SPSO cannot normally look at:
A complaint that has not completed our complaints procedure (so please make sure it has done so, before contacting the SPSO)
Events that happened, or that you became aware of, more than a year ago
A matter that has been or is being considered in court
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).