Accessibility Statement

This website is run by the National Forest Company. We are committed to accessibility, and we want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, this means you should be able to:

• Zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
• Navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
• Navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
• Listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver) We have also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible is this website?

This website has launched May 2024 and has been designed and built to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA Standard. However, we know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

Issues potentially affecting everyone

• Most forms require a CAPTCHA to be submitted, but the challenge-response tests are only displayed for 90 seconds after the "I am human" checkbox is checked. The time limit cannot be adjusted or extended.
• When many of the forms are submitted, errors are not conveyed as text messages. Instead, they are indicated by a change of colour of the relevant textbox or checkbox border, which some people cannot perceive.
• Some forms contain a textbox that does not have a visible text label to identify them. To some extent, this is mitigated by factors such as the provision of placeholder text or the context provided by the surrounding content. Also, no forms contain more than one unlabelled textbox.
• When logged in, the My Account page and the Orders page do not appear in the search results, so they can only be accessed by navigating via the links at the top of the page.
• When the links in the main menu have focus, or the mouse is hovered over it, a dropdown menu is displayed. This can cover some of the content behind it, but there is no way to close the menu without moving the focus or the mouse.

Issues affecting people with low vision

• A few combinations of text and background colour have low contrast, so they may be difficult to read.
• If the browser zoom level is high or the browser window is narrow, some content is difficult or impossible to access. This includes the CAPTCHA on pages containing forms, the first thumbnail image in image galleries and the placeholder text in the final stage of the Dedicate a Tree process.
• If the line height, letter spacing, word spacing and paragraph spacing are increased, the text in the promotional panels on the home page is truncated.

Issues affecting people who use keyboard navigation

• Most forms require a CAPTCHA to be submitted, but all the different challenge-response tests are not keyboard accessible, so it is not possible to submit the forms using keyboard controls.
• On pages containing image galleries, the buttons for controlling the gallery cannot be operated using keyboard controls.
• Some pages contain radio buttons, usually for selecting donation values, but they do not receive focus, so it is not possible to make a selection using keyboard controls.
• The Dedicate a Tree process allows trees to be added. There is an "x" link to remove the tree, but it does not receive focus so it cannot be operated using keyboard controls. However, the tree can be removed by using the “minus” button to reduce the quantity to zero.
• The Dedicate a Tree process contains three pages. When navigating from one page to another, the focus remains on the Continue button instead of moving to the top of the page when the next or previous page loads.
• In the "Delivery address" section of the Order Information page, the 'Cancel' button and the "Save to my address book" checkbox are in the focus order after the textboxes below them, which is confusing.
• The focus indicators for many links and buttons have a low colour contrast against the background colour, so it may be difficult to see which component has focus.
• Some components do not have a visible focus indicator, so it is not possible to see which component has focus. This occurs with the accordion buttons, the Apply button in the shopping cart, the checkboxes in the Newsletter Sign-up form and the Cookie Policy page, and the dropdown lists, checkboxes and radio buttons in the registration form, Edit Account form and the Order Information form. Also, some hidden components receive focus in the first stage of the Dedicate a Tree process.
• On some pages, some components are not visible when they receive focus because they are overlaid by other content. This occurs on pages where a map can be displayed in an overlay over the rest of the page. It also occurs on the Shop page when the right-hand panel is open after adding a product to the Basket.
• A Filter panel can be opened on the Explore page, but some of the checkboxes in the panel do not receive focus, so they cannot be selected using keyboard controls.

Issues affecting screen reader users (also see the issues affecting people who use keyboard navigation)

• Many images do not have appropriate text alternatives. In almost all cases, this has little impact because the images are decorative.
• Some videos contain important visual content that is not included in the audio track, and there are not transcripts or audio described versions of the videos.
• Some visual headings are not announced as headings by screen readers. In other cases, the headings are the wrong level, so it may be difficult to understand the structure of some pages.
• Many pages contain two consecutive links to the same page, when only one link is necessary.
• On pages containing image galleries, it may not be obvious that the group of links and images forms an interactive image gallery.
• On pages containing accordions, it may not be obvious that the group of buttons controls the accordion functionality.
• Some pages contain radio buttons, usually for selecting donation values, but screen readers do not recognise them as being radio buttons, so it is not possible to make a selection. The same applies to the checkboxes on the Cookie Policy page.
• On pages containing forms for entering an address, the Street Address and Postal Code textboxes have a search-as-you-type function, so a dropdown list is displayed after one or more characters have been entered. However, it is completely invisible to screen readers, so it is necessary to type the full address.
• Most forms require a CAPTCHA to be submitted, but some instructions require users to match a visual characteristic such as shape, visual location, orientation to images. This requirement can be bypassed by setting the Accessibility Cookie in the CAPTCHA’s Accessibility Options menu.
• Numerous single character key shortcuts are active when the focus is anywhere in the YouTube player. These may conflict with the screen reader’s shortcut keys.
• The Dedicate a Tree process contains three pages, but the title is the same on each page.
• On the pages for viewing and editing My Account, the title does not describe the topic or purpose of the page.
• The name, type or value of some interactive components is not conveyed to screen readers, so it may not be possible to identify what they do. In some cases, it will not be apparent that they are interactive. This occurs with the controls for image galleries, all the radio buttons and checkboxes and the controls for changing the sort order for lists of items.
• When any form is submitted with invalid data, an error message is displayed visually, but it is not announced by screen readers. Also, at the last stage of the Dedicate a tree process, each textbox has a character counter that displays the number of remaining characters, but screen readers do not announce this number as it changes.
• The What’s New page and the Explore page allow the content to be sorted A to Z or Z to A. The control for doing this is not accessible to screen readers.

Issues affecting voice recognition software users

• On the Make a Donation page, the textbox has the visible text label “Other amount”, but its programmatic name is "Input amount". Some voice recognition software programs may therefore not respond to the command “Other amount”. In most cases there will be a workaround because these programs typically have other means of targeting components, such as by displaying numbered markers.

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or Braille, or you cannot view a map on the website and need directions, please contact us:

• Email us using our contact form.
• Telephone: 01283 551 211
• In writing: National Forest, Canopy House, Bath Yard, Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE12 6BA We will consider your request and get back to you within 20 days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We are committed to making our website accessible and are continuously working on the issues that are known to us. We keep a report and roadmap of any known issues. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page or you think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, you can report this by emailing: accessibility@nationalforest.org

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

For people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment and want to contact us by phone, please call us using a text relay service. Our office reception is situated on the ground floor with no steps, wide doors and a reception desk to accommodate visitors in a wheelchair. We do not currently have audio induction loops, however, you can contact us before your visit to explore options of arranging a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, if required.

Enforcement procedure

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 issue or complaint, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The National Forest Company is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

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:

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

WCAG 2.2 level A

• Many images do not have appropriate text alternatives. In almost all cases, this has little impact because the images are decorative. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.1.1 (Non-text Content)
• Some videos contain important visual content that is not included in the audio track, and there are no transcripts or audio described versions of the videos. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.2.3 (Audio Description or Media Alternative (Pre-recorded))
• Some visual headings are not announced as headings by screen readers. In other cases, the headings are the wrong level. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
• On pages that contain “cards”, each card contains two links that point to the same location. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
• On pages containing image galleries, the components that comprise the image gallery are not programmatically grouped. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
• On pages containing accordions, the accordion functionality is not conveyed programmatically. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
• Inaccessible replacement techniques have been used for custom radio buttons and checkboxes. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
• On pages containing forms for entering an address, the Street Address and Postal Code textboxes have a search-as-you-type function, so a dropdown list is displayed after one or more characters have been entered. This is keyboard accessible, but it is completely invisible to assistive technologies. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
• Most forms require a CAPTCHA to be submitted, but all the different challenge-response tests are not keyboard accessible, so it is not possible to submit the forms using keyboard controls. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.1.1 (Keyboard Navigation)
• On pages containing image galleries, the buttons for controlling the gallery cannot be operated using keyboard controls. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.1.1 (Keyboard Navigation)
• Some pages contain radio buttons, usually for selecting donation values, but they do not receive focus, so it is not possible to make a selection using keyboard controls. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.1.1 (Keyboard Navigation)
• A Filter panel can be opened on the Explore page, but some of the checkboxes in the panel do not receive focus, so they cannot be selected using keyboard controls. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.1.1 (Keyboard Navigation)
• Numerous single character key shortcuts are active when the focus is anywhere in the YouTube player. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.1.4 (Character Key Shortcuts)
• Most forms require a CAPTCHA to be submitted, but the challenge-response tests are only displayed for 90 seconds after the "I am human" checkbox is checked. The time limit cannot be adjusted or extended. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.2.1 (Timing Adjustable)
• The Dedicate a Tree process contains three pages, but the title is the same on each page. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.2 (Page Titled)
• On the pages for viewing and editing My Account, the title does not describe the topic or purpose of the page. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.2 (Page Titled)
• The Dedicate a Tree process contains three pages. When navigating from one page to another, the focus remains on the Continue button instead of moving to the top of the page when the next or previous page loads. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.3 (Focus Order)
• In the "Delivery address" section of the Order Information page, the 'Cancel' button and the "Save to my address book" checkbox are in the focus order after the textboxes below them, which is confusing. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.3 (Focus Order)
• On the Make a Donation page, the textbox has the accessible name "Input amount", but the visible text label is “Other amount”, which is neither the same as, nor a substring of, the accessible name. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.5.3 (Label in Name)
• When many of the forms are submitted, errors are not conveyed as text messages. Instead, they are indicated by a change of colour of the relevant textbox or checkbox border. WCAG 2.2 SC 3.3.1 (Error Identification)
• Some forms contain a textbox that does not have a visible text label to identify them. WCAG 2.2 SC 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions)
• The name, role or value of some interactive components is not conveyed programmatically. This occurs with the controls for image galleries, all the radio buttons and checkboxes and the controls for changing the sort order for lists of items. WCAG 2.2 SC 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)
• The What’s New page and the Explore page allow the content to be sorted A to Z or Z to A. The name, role and value are not conveyed programmatically. WCAG 2.2 SC 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)

WCAG 2.2 level AA

• Some videos contain important visual content that is not included in the audio track, and there are no transcripts or audio described versions of the videos. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.2.5 (Audio Description (Pre-recorded))
• In most of the forms, one or more of the input fields does not have the required “autocomplete” attribute. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.3.5 (Identify Input Purpose)
• A few combinations of text and background colour have an insufficient colour contrast ratio. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.3 (Colour Contrast)
• Under the specified test conditions, some content is difficult or impossible to access. This includes the CAPTCHA on pages containing forms, the first thumbnail image in image galleries and the placeholder text in the final stage of the Dedicate a Tree process. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.10 (Reflow)
• The focus indicators for many links and buttons have insufficient colour contrast against the background colour. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.11 (Non-text Contrast)
• If the line height, letter spacing, word spacing and paragraph spacing are increased, the text in the promotional panels on the home page is truncated. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.12 (Text Spacing)
• When the links in the main menu have focus, or the mouse is hovered over it, a dropdown menu is displayed. This can cover some of the content behind it, but there is no way to close the menu without moving the focus or the mouse. WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.13 (Content on Hover or Focus)
• When logged in, the My Account page and the Orders page do not appear in the search results, so they can only be accessed by navigating via the links at the top of the page. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.5 (Multiple Ways)
• Some components do not have a visible focus indicator, so it is not possible to see which component has focus. This occurs with the accordion buttons, the Apply button in the shopping cart, the checkboxes in the Newsletter Sign-up form and the Cookie Policy page, the dropdown lists, checkboxes and radio buttons in the registration form, Edit Account form and the Order Information form. Also, some hidden components receive focus in the first stage of the Dedicate a Tree process. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.7 (Focus Visible)
• On some pages, some components are not visible when they receive focus because they are overlaid by other content. This occurs on pages where a map can be displayed in an overlay over the rest of the page. It also occurs on the Shop page when the right-hand panel is open after adding a product to the Basket. WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.11 (Focus Not Obscured (Minimum))
• When any form is submitted with invalid data, an error message is displayed visually, but it cannot be programmatically determined through role or properties such that it can be presented to the user by assistive technologies without receiving focus. The same applies to the character counters for the textboxes and textareas at the last stage of the Dedicate a tree process. WCAG 2.2 SC 4.1.3 (Status Messages)

Disproportionate burden

We will bring the website into full WCAG 2.2 AA conformance by April 2027 and will not rely on the disproportionate burden exemption.

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

Third-party content

• In order to provide enhanced content for our 'explore' section, businesses can provide content documents that are uploaded to include more detail on their business, such as menus, posters, leaflets, etc. Whilst we encourage and try to enforce businesses to make their content accessible, we cannot guarantee that all documents meet guidelines. If you encounter a problem with any of these documents please let us know and we will help as best we can.
• Some forms and user journeys, such as pages within our checkout process, are hosted through third party suppliers and software, that we have no control over.
• Our forms use hCaptcha to prevent spam enquiries. Anyone unable to access any part of the site due to the hCaptcha can contact accessibility@nationalforest.org.
• We use Google Maps and Mapbox. We understand that this is inaccessible to some user groups. For example, the items on a map cannot be tabbed onto via keyboard-only commands.These services are a third-party source and its functionality is beyond our control. If you require an accessible map, please contact accessibility@nationalforest.org.

PDFs and other documents

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services.

We are planning how to make all documents published since 23 September 2018 accessible. In the meantime, we will create accessible versions of specific documents on demand within 10 working days. Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

In January 2026, the Government Digital Service (GDS) conducted a partial WCAG audit of our website and reported some non-conformances. We have already fixed all of these.

We are updating our accessibility roadmap based on the results of our most recent testing. We will address all the WCAG non-conformances by April 2027 by making a number of updates to the website during the next 12 months.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 20 April 2026. It was last reviewed on 20 April 2026.

This website was last tested on 18 March 2026. The test was carried out by Test Partners Ltd.

We followed GOV.UK guidance on deciding how to check the website as follows:

1. We used an automated website mapping tool to identify all the pages and documents on the website.
2. We grouped the pages according to type, such as About, Explore, News etc.
3. We manually assessed a number of pages from each group to determine the level of consistency within the group and the type of content on those pages.
4. We manually assessed all the “unique” pages such as the home page and Research to determine the type of content on those pages.
5. We identified a minimum representative subset of pages that contain examples of the most common layouts, components and features, including:
   1. The header and footer.
   2. Important “unique pages”.
   3. Pages with text content and data tables.
   4. Pages with informational images, images of text and video content.
   5. Interactive elements such as forms, tabbed interfaces, carousels, maps, accordions and content filtering.
6. We conducted a manual WCAG audit on the representative subset of pages and components.
7. We conducted an automated accessibility test of all the pages.