Bench

Accessibility

This site should work for everyone.

I want every parent to be able to read this site and reach me, whatever device or assistive technology they use. Here’s where things stand — and how to tell me when something gets in your way.

Last reviewed 26 May 2026

Where things stand

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set out how to make websites work for people with disabilities. I’m aiming for WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

Right now this site is partially conformant: most of it meets that standard, and a few things don’t yet (listed below). This is my own assessment — I haven’t had an independent audit yet — and I’ll update this page when that’s done.

What I’ve built in

  • Clear, semantic structure — proper headings, lists, and page landmarks so screen readers can navigate easily.
  • A “skip to content” link and full keyboard operation — you can reach and use everything without a mouse.
  • A visible focus outline on every link, button, and field.
  • Animations that quiet down or stop when your device is set to reduce motion.
  • Forms with permanent, visible labels (not labels that vanish when you type), and errors announced to screen readers.
  • Dark text on a light background for strong contrast, and a layout that reflows on phones, tablets, and at increased zoom.
  • Descriptions on images that carry meaning; purely decorative artwork is hidden from screen readers so it doesn’t get in the way.

What I’m still working on

I know about these, and I’m addressing them:

  • An independent accessibility audit hasn’t been done yet — this statement is my own review for now.
  • I haven’t tested with every screen reader and assistive technology combination.
  • Some lighter, secondary text and a few decorative colour pairings may not yet meet the AA contrast target everywhere; I’m reviewing them.

Telling me about a problem

If anything on this site is hard to use, please tell me — it genuinely helps. Email vanessa@benchpsychology.com with the page and what got in your way. I read these myself and aim to reply within five business days.

If you need any information on this site in a different format, just ask and I’ll provide it.

How the site is built

This site uses standard, semantic HTML, with WAI-ARIA added only where the native markup isn’t enough, and CSS for styling. The core content is readable without JavaScript.