Accessibility statement

What standard does this site aim for?

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1, level AA.

We are not legally required to meet it. The European Accessibility Act exempts microenterprises providing services, which is what Replican is, and the public sector accessibility rules do not apply to a private business. We target the standard anyway, because a site that argues for keeping a person in the loop should not be difficult to use.

What has actually been tested?

Every page on this site is checked automatically before each release, not sampled by hand once. The current results, across all sixty pages:

• Colour contrast. Every element that carries visible text is measured against its real computed background colour, at the size and weight it is actually rendered at. More than eleven thousand text elements are measured on each run, with zero failures against the AA thresholds of 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text.
• Reflow and zoom. No horizontal scrolling at any width from 320px to 1920px, which covers the 400 percent zoom reflow requirement on a standard desktop viewport.
• Headings. One first level heading per page, and no skipped heading levels anywhere on the site.
• Forms. Every form field on the site has a real associated label. None rely on placeholder text alone.
• Language. Every page declares its language as Irish English.
• Images. There are none. Every icon on the site is inline vector artwork drawn on an eight by eight grid and marked as decorative, so nothing depends on an image loading or on alternative text being right.
• Third party embeds. None. No iframes, no video or audio players, no widgets whose accessibility we cannot control.

What else is built in?

• Keyboard. Everything interactive can be reached and operated from the keyboard. The focus indicator is a solid three pixel outline in a colour chosen for each background, never removed and never reduced to a faint glow.
• Skip link. Every page starts with a skip link to the main content, so a keyboard or screen reader user does not have to walk the navigation on every page.
• Motion. Animation is limited to short entrance and hover transitions, none of it flashing or parallax. If your system is set to reduce motion, transitions are cut to effectively zero and nothing animates.
• Structure. Real landmarks, real heading levels, real lists and real tables, in the page source. The site is server rendered, so all of the content is present in the HTML whether or not scripts run.
• Expandable sections. The frequently asked questions use native buttons with the correct expanded state announced, and every answer is present in the page source whether the section is open or closed.
• Text. Body copy is set at a size and line height chosen for reading rather than for density, and the layout is fluid, so text can be resized or zoomed without content being cut off or overlapping.

What is not covered?

We would rather name the gaps than imply there are none.

• No screen reader testing by disabled users. The checks above are automated and manual keyboard testing. Nobody who relies on assistive technology day to day has audited this site, and automated testing catches perhaps half of what matters.
• No third party audit. We have not commissioned an independent accessibility audit and do not claim a certification.
• Long reading lines on very wide screens. On a large desktop display the guides and articles run to a longer line length than is ideal for reading. Type size and line spacing are increased at those widths to compensate, but a reader who finds it hard going can narrow the browser window, which shortens the line immediately.
• Contrast is measured, not judged. Everything passes the AA thresholds, and some acid on black combinations are bright. If the brightness is a problem for you, your operating system's reduced motion, increased contrast or dark mode preferences will not currently change this site's colours.
• Email as the contact route. The main way to reach us is email, plus a phone number. There is no live chat and no accessible alternative format request process beyond asking us, which we will do gladly.
• PDFs and documents. We do not currently publish any. If we do, they may not meet the same standard, and we will say so at the point of publication.

What if something does not work for you?

Tell us and we will fix it. This is not a formality: the checks above run on every build, so a reported problem becomes a permanent test rather than a one off patch.

Email hello@replican.ie or ring +353 87 0555124. It helps if you can tell us the page, what you were trying to do, and what happened, along with the browser and any assistive technology you were using. You do not need to know the technical term for the problem.

We will acknowledge within five working days and tell you what we intend to do and roughly when. If something cannot be fixed quickly we will offer you the same information another way, whether that is by email, on the phone or in a plain text version.

If you are not satisfied with our response, tell us that too, at the same address, and Jason will look at it personally.

Do you need this in a different format?

Ask. We will provide any page on this site as plain text, as a large print document, or read out over the phone, at no charge and without needing a reason.

When was this last checked?

The automated checks run on every build of the site, and the date at the top of this page reflects the last time this statement was reviewed against them. The figures quoted above are from the most recent run.

This statement sits alongside our privacy policy, terms of use and cookie policy. To get in touch about anything else, see contact Replican.