Web Accessibility Statement

Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Using our website

This accessibility statement applies to our website.

This website is run by HIW. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
  • We’ve 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.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reason(s):

 non-compliance with the accessibility regulations:

  • PDF documents aren’t fully accessible to screen reader software or people who need to change font sizes and colours. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships)
  • there’s a limit to how far you can magnify the map on our ‘contact us’ page. This fails WCAG success criterion Success 1.4.10 (Reflow)
  • some document attachments are not clearly written. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships)
  • some documents do not have sufficient colour contrast. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.4.11 (Non-text Contrast)
  • some heading elements are not consistent. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels)
  • some images do not have good alternative text. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content)
  • some link text does not describe the purpose of the link. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)
  • Some elements do not contain clearly written names. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels)
  • Word documents as forms do not fully meet accessibility standards. They may not be fully accessible to screen reader software. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We use Word documents for providers and managers to submit applications and notifications. These documents are essential to providing our services. You may need to print the documents to read them or fill them in. We’re working to produce accessible versions of these documents.

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

Any new PDFs documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

With the exception of publishing PDFs, we intend to address the other non-compliances as soon as is practicable.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 18 December 2023.

This website was last tested in November 2023. The test was carried out by Welsh Government staff using SortSite, a testing tool that scans websites for different quality issues including accessibility and web standards compliance.

Feedback and contact information

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, email HIW.Comms@gov.wales

If you would need information on this website in a different format like an accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

e-mail: HIW.comms@gov.wales

call: 0300 062 8163

We’ll respond to your request and as soon as we can. We aim to acknowledge all enquiries made by phone or e-mail, within two working days.

If you can’t view the map on our Contact Us page, call or email us for directions.

Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

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 complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).