Freedom Leisure has designed this website with accessibility as a key focus and wish to ensure that their online products and services are accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability. Providing an accessible website has a positive effect on general usability and we believe that websites that are accessible and usable benefit everyone.

The Law

As a public sector organisation we have to comply with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, this is enforced by The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

The 2018 regulations build on the existing obligations to people who have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 (or the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland).

W3C Compliance

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) provides Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for people who create and maintain websites.

As a public sector organisation we adhere to these guidelines and target "AA" compliance through the following tenants;

Perceivable
  • Text Alternatives: Provide text alternatives for any non-text content
  • Time-based Media: Provide alternatives for time-based media e.g. video or audio
  • Adaptable: Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.
  • Distinguishable: Make it easier for users to see content, including separating foreground from background.
Operable
  • Device Accessible: Make functionality operable via keyboard/mouse/screen reader
  • Enough Time: Provide users enough time to read and use content
  • Seizures: Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures
  • Navigable: Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are
Understandable
  • Readable: Make text content readable and understandable
  • Predictable: Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways
  • Input Assistance: Help users avoid and correct mistakes
Robust
  • Compatible: Maximise compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies

How we tested this website

This website was last tested in August 2022. The test was carried out externally by a third party.

They checked a broad sample of pages on the website, including the homepage and a selection of other pages utilising the various different templates. They used a free-to-use developer tool (https://www.deque.com/axe/) which checks each page against standard accessibility issues. A manual audit was also conducted. Each of the issues were logged, and an action plan formed and implemented for the website. 

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

  • most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • the accessibility of embedded video content is dependent on the standards reached by the third-party provider. Where possible we will make use of features such as subtitles to ensure our content is accessible

What to do if you cannot access parts of this website

If you need information on this website in a different format, please contact the Marketing Team at your local Freedom Leisure centre.We’ll consider your request and get back to you.

Reporting Accessibility Problems

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact the Marketing Team at your local Freedom Leisure centre.