Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement for Bolton College

Our Commitment

At Bolton College, we are committed to providing an inclusive, user-friendly online experience for every learner, visitor, and member of our community. We believe that everyone — regardless of ability — should be able to access and benefit from the information, services and opportunities available on our website. An accessible website isn’t just a legal requirement — it’s a moral and educational priority. By making our digital content inclusive, we improve the experience for all users, meet rising legal standards such as WCAG and EAA, and reach a broader audience. Accessibility also improves user satisfaction, engagement, and search engine visibility.

⚙️ Accessibility Tools on Our Website

We have implemented the Ally Accessibility Widget to support accessibility across our site. The widget appears on all pages and enables users to customise how content is displayed.

Features for Website Visitors

Visitors can control the following features via the accessibility widget:

• Hide the Icon – Remove the accessibility widget from view if using personal accessibility software.
• Restore Defaults – Reset all settings to default.
• Increase/Decrease Text Size – Tailor font size for improved readability.
• Grayscale Filter – For colour-blind or light-sensitive users.
• Contrast Scale – Includes Negative, High, Light and Dark contrast modes.
• Underline Links – Highlights links to improve visibility.
• Readable Font – Easier-to-read fonts for users with dyslexia.
• Sitemap View – Displays headers and links in an easy-to-navigate list.
• Hide Images – Removes images for better focus.
• Pause Animations – Reduces motion for neurodiverse users.
• Reading Guide – Enlarges or modifies cursor for focus.
• Line Height – Adjust line spacing for better legibility.
• Text Alignment – Customise left, centre, or right alignment.
• Focus Outline – Visual indicator for active elements (keyboard navigation).
• Skip to Main Content – Jump directly to key content without navigating menus.

These settings can be toggled on or off based on user preferences.

📋 Limitations & Future Plans

While the Ally widget improves accessibility, it is not a full substitute for a comprehensive accessibility audit.

We recognise that some website elements are currently not fully accessible. These include:

• Some PDFs and legacy documents not optimised for screen readers
• Lack of “skip to main content” functionality on some pages (now being added)
• Some non-descriptive link labels
• Occasional colour contrast issues
• Unstructured headings on older pages

We have conducted a site audit and are working with internal teams and external specialists to address these issues in future development phases.

🔍 Upcoming Enhancements

We are committed to continuous improvement. Planned upgrades include:

• Accessibility Scanner: to proactively identify site-wide issues
• Remediation Wizard: to guide developers in fixing content barriers
• Widget Analytics: to track user interactions and identify improvement areas
• Screen Reader Optimisation: for seamless navigation using assistive tech

📣 Feedback & Support

Need information in a different format? Want to report an issue?

📧 Email: marketing@boltoncc.ac.uk
📞 Call: 01204 482141

We’ll do our best to accommodate your needs and resolve any issues.

🏛 Legal Compliance

Bolton College is committed to complying with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, and the WCAG 2.1 AA standard.

Compliance Status: Partially compliant, due to known accessibility issues currently being addressed.

🧑‍⚖️ Enforcement Procedure

If you’re unhappy with how we respond to an accessibility request or complaint, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS):

🌐 www.equalityadvisoryservice.com
📞 0808 800 0082

🤝 Related Support at Bolton College

We also provide on-site and personalised accessibility support through our Learner Support team, including D/deaf Services, assistive technology, and specialist mentoring. Please contact Learner support:

01204 482669

studentsupportadmins@boltonc.ac.uk

Language Accessibility

At Bolton College, we recognise that not all our website visitors are fluent in English. To support our diverse community, our website includes a built-in GTranslate tool, allowing users to view content in a wide range of languages.

🗣️ About the Translation Feature

• Enables automated translation of website content using Google Translate
• Accessible via a language selection dropdown on every page
• Supports hundreds of global languages to help users understand and navigate key content
• Particularly useful for international students, refugees, and anyone more confident reading in their first language

⚠️ Please note: Translations are automatically generated by Google Translate and may not be 100% accurate. These translations are intended to aid understanding but should not be considered official or precise.

📞 Need Help?

If you require further clarification about any translated content or would like help in your language, please get in touch:

📧 Email: marketing@boltoncc.ac.uk
📞 Phone: 01204 482141

We are always happy to assist.