Accessibility

This page provides information about how Foss & Bjørn have considered accessibility in its site design, and it also includes tips for how to make some changes locally on your own device.

Our commitment is to provide an accessible and inclusive online environment for all users, including those with ADHD, autism, those with other sensory challenges, as well as other individual access requirements such as sight and hearing impairments. This policy outlines our approach to creating a website that is as accessible and user-friendly as possible, for as many as possible. We’re committed to adhering to best practices in web accessibility, as well as complying with relevant accessibility standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. In devising our approach to accessibility, we have also leveraged the findings from and used guidance contained within the Hassell report, the results of which were kindly made available to us by the National Autistic Society (NAS).

If you have feedback on the usability and accessibility of this site, and/or have suggestions for improvements, please contact us – we’re always looking for ways to make your experience better and would be happy to hear from you.

If you’d like guidance on how to make your device easier to use, such as changing text size on your device, please check out mcmw.abilitynet.org.uk.

At Foss & Bjørn we’ve followed these design principles for our website:

  • The design is intentionally simple, clean, and with an uncluttered layout to make it easier to find what you’re looking for without distractions.
  • There’s clear contrast between text and background. This helps to accommodate users with visual processing difficulties.
  • We only use one level of header at the top of every page, and this is consistent throughout. Where there is lots of text, we group it together into collapsible sections, and the top of the collapsible section then becomes a sub-header.
  • There’s minimal clutter, and there’s generally lots of empty space around text, helping to reduce sensory overload.
  • We use a “sans serif” web font so the text is easier to read.
  • The site is designed using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), which helps us control the presentation and layout to a high level of detail and tailor it to consider end users’ needs more.
  • We use responsive design to ensure the website works well on different devices and screen sizes.
  • We never have text as images.
  • Whenever there’s an image, we always have “alt” tags that explain what an image shows (this is work in progress and will be finalised soon!).
  • Buttons, links and other page elements behave the same way throughout the site, which helps to reduce confusion.
  • If you click on something, you get immediate feedback relating to what you’ve done, for instance links are underlined and change colour when clicked, and buttons change colour when you hover over them and when you click them. This helps show the results of the interactions you have with the site.
  • We organise content in a logical, hierarchical manner on every page. Once you’re in the shop, you can see at the top of each page where you are in the hierarchy (e.g. you may be in necklaces and looking at a particular product, you can then click back up to the necklaces overview by selecting the link marked Necklaces without using the Back button).
  • Page elements are placed in consistent locations from page to page, such as the standard core menu along the top. Consistency helps to predict where to find information, and reduces cognitive load.
  • The Sitemap provides a simple overview of what the site contains.
  • We write in plain language and short sentences. We also try to limit our use of commas where their sole purpose is to connect multiple sentences. We use straightforward, jargon-free language. Any definitions or acronyms we have to include (such as “BPA”) are always explained.
  • We use bullet points and other structural elements to format a page, which breaks up information into manageable sections. This makes it easier to scan a page to understand the content, and it also helps you know where one point begins and ends.
  • When we write we put the most important information first to give the most emphasis.
  • Links are given meaningful text to make it clear what you’re about to click on.
  • We don’t currently have any audio or video content on the site, but if we add these in future we’ll provide transcripts and captions for them all.
  • We don’t currently have any videos on the site, but if we add any, we won’t have them set to auto-start, as this can be distracting and overwhelming.
  • There are no audio elements, to cater to those with auditory sensitivities.
  • We don’t use any flashing animations or auto-playing media. These can be distracting or overwhelming, especially for users with sensory processing issues.
  • We use content grouping and collapsible sections so that it’s easier to focus on one task or one piece of information at a time. This is especially the case on pages with lots of text, like this one.
  • There’s only three forms on the site, and that’s to register to set up an account, to sign up to the newsletter, and to contact us. These have clear instructions and labels, and the associated error messages are designed in clear language and to be easy to understand.