Accessibility Statement
trialconnect.co.uk — Statement prepared 26 September 2026. Next review: December 2026.
Our commitment
TrialConnect helps patients, carers and healthy volunteers find and join UK clinical trials. Trial populations skew older and include people with visual, motor and cognitive impairments at higher rates than the general public, so accessibility is core to our service — not an afterthought.
We target WCAG 2.2 Level AA in line with the anticipatory duty under the Equality Act 2010 (UK).
Compliance status
This website is partially conformant with WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
14 criteria pass · 2 partial · 2 not applicable · last automated audit: axe-core 4.13.0, 18 September 2026 (score 100/100, 0 failures).
| Criterion | Level | Status | Evidence / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 Non-text Content | A | Pass | axe-core 4.13.0 audit 18 Sep 2026 — 0 failures; alt text present on all images |
| 1.3.1 Info and Relationships | A | Pass | Heading order fixed (h1→h2→h3) in M2 commit eaff064; form labels wired |
| 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) | AA | Pass | Role-card teal btn #00806F (4.86:1), select placeholder #475569 (7.58:1), footer small rgba .65 (~5.48:1) — all ≥4.5:1 |
| 1.4.4 Resize Text | AA | Pass | user-scalable=no removed in M2 commit eaff064; browser zoom to 200% tested manually 26 Sep 2026 |
| 1.4.10 Reflow | AA | Pass | Responsive layout tested at 320px width 26 Sep 2026; no horizontal scroll |
| 2.1.1 Keyboard | A | Partial | Homepage keyboard-navigable; /trials and /tools/eligibility-quiz not yet fully tested — remediation target Dec 2026 |
| 2.4.3 Focus Order | A | Pass | DOM order matches visual order; no focus-order violations found by axe 18 Sep 2026 |
| 2.4.6 Headings and Labels | AA | Pass | Sequential heading structure enforced (h1→h2→h3); axe 0 failures 18 Sep 2026 |
| 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) | AA | Pass | No sticky headers or overlays obscure focused elements on homepage; manual check 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2.5.3 Label in Name | A | Pass | Role cards: mismatched aria-label removed in M2; accessible name derives from visible text |
| 2.5.7 Dragging Movements | AA | N/A | No drag interactions exist in current UI |
| 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) | AA | Pass | Primary CTA buttons ≥44×44px; footer links ≥24px height; manual check 26 Sep 2026 |
| 3.1.1 Language of Page | A | Pass | lang="en" set on <html> in layout.tsx |
| 3.2.6 Consistent Help | A | Pass | Contact link present in footer on every page; consistent position across all routes |
| 3.3.1 Error Identification | A | Partial | Form validation messages present on contact form; eligibility quiz validation not yet audited — remediation target Dec 2026 |
| 3.3.7 Redundant Entry | A | N/A | No multi-step forms requiring repeated data entry in current UI |
| 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) | AA | Pass | No cognitive-function test required for authentication flows in current UI |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value | A | Pass | Select label added in M2; role cards use native <a> semantics; axe 0 failures 18 Sep 2026 |
Recent improvements (September 2026)
- Zoom restored (WCAG 1.4.4): removed user-scalable=no and maximum-scale=1 — mobile users can now pinch-zoom freely.
- Colour contrast (WCAG 1.4.3): teal button, select placeholder, and footer small text all now meet 4.5:1 minimum.
- Heading structure (WCAG 1.3.1): homepage headings descend h1→h2→h3 so screen reader users can navigate by heading.
- Form labelling (WCAG 4.1.2): the trial-alerts condition selector now has a proper visible label.
- Accessible names (WCAG 2.5.3): role cards no longer override visible text with a mismatched aria-label.
Known limitations
- Keyboard-only navigation — /trials and /tools/eligibility-quiz: not yet fully tested. Target: December 2026.
- Screen reader testing: homepage spot-checked; /trials, /trials/[id] and /contact not yet formally tested with NVDA or VoiceOver. Target: December 2026.
- Error messaging — eligibility quiz: validation message behaviour not yet audited. Target: December 2026.
- Third-party content: eligibility text sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov may not be plain language or correctly structured — outside our control.
- Learn articles and older pages: not yet audited page-by-page. In scope for Q4 2026 audit programme.
Feedback and contact
If you find a problem not listed here, or need content in a different format (large print, easy read, audio), please tell us:
- Email: support@trialconnect.co.uk
- Web: trialconnect.co.uk/contact
We aim to respond within 5 working days.
Technical information
TrialConnect is committed to making its website accessible in accordance with WCAG 2.2 at conformance level AA.
How we tested
- Automated audit: axe-core 4.13.0 / Lighthouse 13.4.1 on homepage build, 18 September 2026.
- Manual keyboard check: homepage navigation, 26 September 2026.
- Manual zoom check: 200% zoom on Chrome/Windows, 26 September 2026.
- Mobile target-size check: primary CTAs ≥44×44px verified in DevTools, 26 September 2026.
- Screen reader testing: homepage spot-check with NVDA pending (scheduled December 2026).
- Audit artefact:
docs/accessibility/wcag22-aa-audit-202609.mdin source repository.
Assessment approach
Self-assessment by TrialConnect team. No independent third-party audit has been conducted to date. Third-party audit is planned for Q1 2027.
Enforcement procedure
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act 2010. If you are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
TrialConnect is not affiliated with the NHS or NIHR. TrialConnect is a trading name of Clinical Vendor Compare Limited (Co. No. 17135935).