This statement was last reviewed on 23rd January 2025.
This accessibility statement applies to www.
This website is run by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust. It includes information about our organisation, our services and the care we provide for patients, healthcare professionals and others.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website.
For example, that means you should be able to:
- Change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings
- Zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
- Navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software
- Listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
- We’ve also made the text on this website as simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet has advice on making your phone, computer or tablet easier to use, depending on your needs.
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible and we are working to improve this:
- Some documents (e.g. PDF and Word documents) are not fully accessible. These documents are not essential to access our services. However, we are working to add webpage versions of these documents and/or accessible documents where we can.
- Some videos do not have transcripts / subtitles.
- Although the vast majority of images and tables include alternative text, there may be some with information that is not fully accessible. We have claimed exemptions for this in some cases such as complex performance data in our Board reports.
- There are some issues with keyboard navigation, keyboard focus and linked images that we aim to resolve by 28th January 2025.
- Links to websites or resources that we do not own or manage so we cannot guarantee their accessibility.
We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website.
If you find any problems or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please email our Website Accessibility address where your email will be picked up and responded to by our Communications Team.
If you need information on this website in a different format, like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or Braille, please contact us to ask for an alternative format. We'll consider your request and get back to you in 15 working days.
If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ page, call or email us for directions.
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).
Technical information about this website's accessibility
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This accessibility statement applies to www.clatterbridgecc.nhs.uk.
Compliance status
The website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard. The date of the most recent test was 20th January 2025.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
PDFs
- The structure of the content is not always available to assistive technology. For example, table headers may not be correctly marked up or tables may include merged cells, which makes the content difficult to understand and navigate for users of screen readers. This fails success criterion 1.3.1 – Info and relationships.
- The reading order of the content is not always logical, which means some content does not make sense when read out by text-to-speech software. This fails success criterion 1.3.2 – Meaningful sequence.
- Images, graphs and charts do not always have text alternatives, which means some content is not available when using text-to-speech software. This fails success criterion 1.1.1 – Text alternatives.
- The page titles within the settings of some PDFs does not always reflect the content information clearly. This fails success criterion 2.4.2 – Page titles.
Images, tables, charts and graphics
- Although the vast majority of images, tables, charts and graphics include text alternatives that explain what they show, some do not. For example, complex performance charts or complex infographics that include a lot of information. This fails success criterion 1.1.1 – Text alternatives.
- The reading order of tables and graphics is not always logical, which means some content does not make sense when read out by text-to-speech software. This fails success criterion 1.3.2 – Meaningful sequence.
- On our home and main news lists, there are some linked images without alternative text. This fails success criterion 2.4.4 – Link purpose (in context). We are aiming to resolve this issue by 28th January 2025.
Keyboard
- There are some issues with keyboard navigation in the desktop view of the header, specifically around navigating backwards from certain elements. This fails success criterion 2.1.1 – Keyboard. We are aiming to resolve this issue by 28th January 2025.
- On our homepage service search, it can be difficult to see the keyboard focus. This fails success criterion 2.4.7 – Focus visible. We are aiming to resolve this issue by 28th January 2025.
Videos
- Some videos do not include a text alternative (captions or transcripts); these are mainly videos created by external partners. This fails success criterion 1.1.1 – Text alternatives. We are committed to adding captions and transcripts to all new videos wherever possible.
Podcasts
- A text alternative (transcript) for audio-only content has not been provided for podcast content. This fails success criterion 1.2.1 - Audio-only (pre-recorded).
Disproportionate burden
Creating accessible versions of complex PDF documents that are not essential for patients using our services – and where the cost of this outweighs the benefits – would place a disproportionate burden on the Trust. This applies in particular to:
Detailed performance reports for our Trust Board
These packs include over 100 pages of statistical process charts and other visual guides to help Trust Board members understand key performance data and trends over time. The charts and data tables are images produced from our business intelligence dashboard. It would place a disproportionate burden to try and convert this information into an accessible format or to add alternative text to hundreds of these charts each month and would impede the Trust Board’s ability to monitor and analyse organisational performance.
Treatment protocols and complex clinical guidance
There are approximately 800 detailed SACT treatment protocols in the Professionals section of our website. These are aimed at health professionals who may need to provide emergency care to patients on certain cancer treatments or understand our treatment protocols. Many contain complex algorithms or flowcharts presented this information visually.
PDF documents
Historic versions and some complex current PDFs include images, charts or graphics that may not be accessible to screenreaders or may not have a logical reading order. We do not intend to create accessible versions of these documents due to disproportionate burden.
Documents
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23rd September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services. We will review the feasibility and business case of providing compliant PDFs in future for essential information or see how we can make it available in other accessible formats.
Live video
We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.
We are making sure that we provide text alternatives – for example, webpage versions or accessible PDFs – for important documents such as our annual reports and strategies.
We are providing text alternatives for videos, images, charts, tables and graphics wherever possible.
Our website developers are making some technical improvements to resolve non-compliances highlighted above – these are due to be completed by 28th January 2025.
We are raising staff awareness and training staff to produce information in accessible formats – for example, through the correct use of headers, alternative text, colour contrast and formatting of tables and charts.
Our website developers will continue to improve its technical functionality to address any new or emerging non-compliances.
This statement was prepared on 23rd January 2025. It is based on:
- Technical assessment of the website content management system (CMS), design, layout, navigation and functionality by Frank, our website developers. This assessment was carried out on 20th January 2025.
- Continuous self-assessment of website content (including images and documents) by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s Communications Team.
Website browsers
Website browsers often have useful tools (known as ‘extensions’) that can help you by reading pages aloud to you. There is a useful article about this on Understood.org.
Chrome
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner to open the menu.
- Click on ‘more tools’.
- Click on ‘extensions’.
- Click on burger menu in top left corner (three black lines).
- At the bottom of the menu click on ‘open Chrome web store’.
- Search for the extension – we used ‘Read Aloud’. (It is important you use an extension that is well reviewed and has a large number of users. We cannot guarantee their effectiveness.)
- Click ‘Add to Chrome’.
FireFox
- Firefox has a built-in ‘Reader View’ button, next to the address bar at the top of the browser.
- ‘Reader View’ displays the page’s main text content with simple styling and no distracting clutter.
- On the left of the text there are tools allowing you to listen to the page read aloud or change the text size.
- There are also extensions that can be installed, for example those listed on the Mozilla website.
Safari (desktop)
- In the Safari application menu, go to Edit > Speech > Start speaking.
- You can choose to read the whole page (including the navigation and everything else), or you can click the 'reader view' icon if you only want to read the main page content.
Microsoft Edge
- Clicking on 'Settings and more' in the top right corner of the Microsoft Edge browser will bring up the 'Read aloud' option, which lets you have text from web pages read to you.
- You can choose from several voices. Find out more from Microsoft.
Operating Systems
Some Operating Systems have built-in options:
- Chrome OS / Chromebooks have native support. Read more from Google.
- Windows lets users install ‘Apps’ that can read content out loud. Read more from Microsoft.
- IOS has built-in settings for reading content aloud. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content to select your preferences. Read more in the iPhone User Guide.
Android devices: TalkBack
- TalkBack is an Accessibility Service for Android which helps blind and vision-impaired users interact with their devices more easily. The application adds spoken, audible and vibration feedback to your device.
- TalkBack provides spoken feedback as you navigate around the screen, by describing your actions and informing you of any notifications. It is a system application and comes pre-installed on most Android devices. The application is updated when the Accessibility Service is improved.
- Read how to turn on TalkBack on your Android device.
Apple devices: VoiceOver
- VoiceOver is a fully featured screen reader for Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.
- It is already built into the operating system, so you don't need to download any additional software.
- VoiceOver reads aloud everything on the screen including documents and web pages.
- It enables the navigation of your computer or device by keyboard or touch alone.
- Read more about Apps which work well with VoiceOver.
NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access)
- NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free, downloadable screen reader available in a number of languages.
- It can read everything on the screen aloud in a synthesised voice enabling you to use your computer using just the keyboard or a combination of keyboard and mouse.
- The software can also be installed and run from a USB pen drive and supports the use of a braille display.
- The software is free to download and use, but a donation to support further development can be made.
- Go to the NVDA website for more information and to download it.
The information on this page has been provided thanks to Frank, our website developers.