Accessibility statement

This covers zip.ms and every page on it.

A British Sign Language demo

Speed

This video is 62 seconds long. It has no sound. It is a demo: it shows what a video in British Sign Language on your website looks like. The video that signs this page is on its way.

Read the words it signs. Download the video if it will not play.

A computer made this BSL from a short demo script. Nobody signed it live. The person you see is built from studio recordings of Deaf BSL translators, who agreed to it and are paid for it. I am Deaf and BSL is my first language.

I watch every video before it goes on the site. If the signing is wrong, tell me. I will fix it.

How this site works for you

Each page is built to the highest level of WCAG 2.2. These are the rules, used around the world, for websites that all people can use. The site works:

with a screen reader (what this means)
on a keyboard, with no mouse
at any text size
if you cannot tell colours apart

There is an Easy Read version and a Large Print version.

Reading options

The Reading options menu is at the top of each page. It changes the colours, the text size and the spacing. You can choose from eight colour settings. You can also pick your own text colour.

You can also stop all the moving pictures. Your choice stays with you as you go from page to page.

How it was checked

Each page was checked by hand and by test tools. It was checked in three web browsers. The checks made sure:

all text is easy to see, in each colour setting
each page works with just a keyboard
pages work on a small phone screen, with bigger text and with wider spacing
all the things you click or tap are big enough
each link makes sense when a screen reader reads it out
each page makes sense when a screen reader reads it aloud

No test finds all problems. No official body gives a pass for this. These are test results, not a badge.

Results for each rule

The highest level has 31 rules. On this site 22 are met and 9 do not apply. They do not apply because the site has nothing they cover. Each one is listed below, so you can check for yourself.

Show all 31 rules

Met: 22

Words for each video. The videos have no sound. The words they sign are written out on this page. There is a link to them by each video.
Clear parts. Each part of a page has its own heading. All buttons and settings are standard ones, in named groups. Icons are hidden from screen readers.
Strong contrast. All text stands out strongly from what is behind it. This is true on each page and in each colour setting. Each piece was measured.
Easy to read text. You can choose the text colour and the page colour. Lines are short. They are never stretched to fit. Wider spacing adds room between lines, blocks of text, letters and words. Text works at twice its size, with no need to scroll side to side.
No pictures of text. No page has a picture of text.
Keyboard. Nothing needs a mouse.
No time limits. Nothing is timed.
No sudden messages. Only one message can appear. It tells Safari users that Tab is skipping links. It covers nothing. Close hides it for good.
No flashing. Nothing flashes.
Nothing moves unless you want it. Pages are still at first. Things move only if your device settings allow it. You can also stop them in Reading options.
Where you are. Each page below the main page shows where you are on the site.
Clear links. Each link says where it goes. Some links explain a word. They tell screen readers so. Two links with the same words always go to the same place.
Headings. Each part of each page starts with a heading.
Nothing in the way. You can move around with a keyboard. The part you are on is never covered. This was checked on each page, in all eight colour settings.
Easy to see where you are. A clear outline shows the part you are on. Even the faintest one is far stronger than the rule asks.
Big enough to tap. All the things you click or tap are at least the size the rule asks for. That includes links on a line of their own. Links inside a sentence are the size of the words. The rule allows this.
Mouse, touch and keyboard. All three work at the same time.
Hard words explained. Some words have a special meaning. They are explained at the bottom of this page. The first time a page uses one, it links there. I use plain words where I can.
Short forms. Each short form is spelled out the first time a page uses it.
Easy reading level. Each page is written for a reading age of about 9. That is true of the pages as written, not just the Easy Read version.
Nothing changes by itself. Nothing changes until you ask. Your place on the page never moves by itself.
Help. Each button and setting has a plain label. Each page says how to get help.

Do not apply: 9

Sign language for videos with sound. The only videos here are in BSL, with no sound.
Spoken words that describe videos. No video has sound.
Live sound. Nothing here is live.
Background noise. There is no sound.
Logging in again. There is nothing to log in to.
Time outs. Nothing on the site can time out, so there is nothing to lose.
How words are said. No word here has a meaning that changes with how it is said.
Checking before you send. Nothing is sent from this site.
Logging in without puzzles. There is nothing to log in to.

Known issues

Some settings need JavaScript. This is a browser feature. If you have turned it off, the sliders in Reading options do not work. The eight colour buttons still work. So does wider spacing. Your browser’s own zoom still changes the text size.
Live speed figures need it too. A panel times how fast a page loads. Without JavaScript, it shows usual figures instead. It says so.
Other websites are not covered. Some links go to other websites, such as Google and WhatsApp. This page does not cover them.

If you use Safari

In Safari, pressing Tab may skip the links. This is a Safari setting. It affects all websites. This site shows a message when it happens.

To fix it:

Open Safari, then Settings.
Choose Advanced.
Tick “Press Tab to highlight each item on a web page”.

Or hold Option and press Tab.

Tell me if something is wrong

If something does not work for you, please tell me. Tell me too if you need it in a form that suits you better.

Email hi@zip.ms about accessibility. Or message +44 7486 390192 on WhatsApp. You can also text the same number. Say which page it was and what went wrong.

I aim to reply within two working days. I aim to fix it, or tell you why I cannot, within ten.

If that does not solve it, you can go to the Equality Advisory and Support Service. They take complaints about accessibility in the United Kingdom.

The law

This site is run by a sole trader in the United Kingdom. The Equality Act 2010 applies here. The accepted standard is the middle level of these rules. This site goes further, to the highest level.

What the demo video signs

The video on this page, the main page, the Easy Read page, the WordPress page and the case study page is a demo. It is in British Sign Language and has no sound. These are the words it signs, in order.

This is a demo video. It shows you what the British Sign Language video on your website will look like.

A computer makes the signing. Nobody signed this live. James is Deaf, and BSL is his first language. He checks every video himself before it’s used.

Every website James builds includes a video like this, as standard. It signs the words on your page. It helps Deaf visitors, who use British Sign Language as their first language. It also shows every visitor that your website is built for everyone.

This one is just an example, to give you an idea. You send James your own words. He checks them, and writes your script in plain English and Easy Read.

Words used in a particular way

Some words on this site have a narrower meaning than usual. Each one links here the first time a page uses it.

Easy Read: A way of writing that pairs very short sentences with a picture for each idea. It is a recognised format for people with a learning disability. It is more than just simpler writing.
Screen reader: Software that reads a page out loud, or sends it to a braille display. It moves through headings, links and controls. It does not just read from top to bottom.
Tracker: A hidden tool from another company that records what you do on a page. This site has none.
Accessibility statement: This page. It lists each rule the site is built to. It says which are met, which do not apply, and how the site was checked.
Everything else is furniture: The main line on the homepage. Speed matters most; everything else on a website is decoration.
Theme: A ready-made design for a WordPress site.
Plugin: An add-on that gives WordPress an extra feature.
Page builder: A tool for designing pages by dragging blocks around.
WooCommerce: A plugin that turns WordPress into an online shop.