Accessibility Statement
Effective Date:
Last Updated: 24/7/25
Virtually Hebden is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including those with disabilities. We believe everyone should be able to access and enjoy our online marketplace — regardless of age, ability, or technology.
We are actively working to improve the user experience for everyone and apply the relevant accessibility standards.
1. Our Commitment
Our goal is to make the Virtually Hebden website as accessible as possible by:
- Following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA
- Designing with readability, simplicity, and clarity in mind
- Ensuring our colour choices meet contrast standards
- Using alt text for all meaningful images
- Making the site fully usable by keyboard and screen reader
- Avoiding content that may trigger seizures or physical reactions (e.g. flashing elements)
2. How Accessible Is This Website?
We’ve designed www.virtuallyhebdenbridge.com to be accessible, and most areas of the site should meet or exceed current guidelines. However, we know some parts of the website may not be fully accessible yet — such as:
- Some third-party embedded content (e.g. Instagram, video players)
- Occasional image content missing descriptive alternative text
- Certain colour or contrast inconsistencies in vendor-uploaded graphics
We are working to improve these areas.
3. What We’re Doing to Improve Accessibility
We are:
- Running regular accessibility checks with industry tools like WAVE and Axe
- Training our team and partners in inclusive design
- Requesting vendors follow simple accessibility practices for their listings (e.g. clear product names, high-quality images, readable font sizes)
- Making improvements based on user feedback
4. If You Experience Problems
If you need assistance or find any part of the website difficult to access, please contact us and we’ll do everything we can to help:
Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
We aim to respond to all accessibility requests within 3 working days.
5. Enforcement Procedure
If you’re not happy with how we respond, you can contact the UK Equality Advisory and Support Service https://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com
6. Technical Information About This Site’s Accessibility
This site is partially compliant with the WCAG 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exceptions listed in Section 2 above.
We continue to test and improve compatibility with:
- Screen readers (VoiceOver, NVDA)
- Text resizing
- Keyboard-only navigation
- Mobile and tablet responsiveness
Virtually Hebden is more than a website — it’s a community lifeline. We are working hard to ensure that everyone in our town and beyond can take part, equally and easily.