WHYTHIRSK?

Independent local guide
Town · Villages · Moors

A guide for more people

Accessibility

The guide should work with a keyboard, a screen reader, magnification, reduced motion and the device you already have.

Cod Beck Reservoir near Osmotherley
Cod Beck Reservoir near Osmotherley · 13 May 2023DS Pugh · CC BY-SA 2.0

Digital access

How the site is built

  • Semantic headings, landmarks and descriptive links support structured navigation.
  • A skip link and visible keyboard focus help people move past repeated navigation.
  • Responsive layouts reflow without a forced fixed width or horizontal scrolling.
  • Meaningful images have text alternatives; decorative credit thumbnails use empty alternatives.
  • Light and dark themes respond to user preference and can be changed without an account.
  • Reduced-motion preferences are respected.
  • Core content and navigation remain available without JavaScript.
  • Pages use plain language, direct official links and no time-limited interaction.

Access in the real world

A label rarely answers the whole question

Venue access can depend on the entrance, route, surface, staff availability, toilet layout, seating and the specific event. Why Thirsk will publish concrete details only when they can be traced to a current source.

Wheelchair users

Route and dimensions

Step-free entrance, door width, gradients, internal levels, toilet and transfer space may all matter separately.

Sensory access

Environment and format

Lighting, sound, crowds, quiet spaces, captions, loops, audio description and advance familiarisation can shape the visit.

Travel

The complete chain

Station assistance, vehicle access, drop-off surface and the final doorway all need to connect. One accessible component is not enough.

Current checks

Automated and practical testing

The local build is checked at phone, tablet and desktop widths, in light and dark themes. Tests cover common WCAG A and AA issues, horizontal overflow, keyboard menu behaviour, theme persistence and navigation with JavaScript disabled.

Automated testing catches only part of accessibility. Content structure and interaction are also reviewed in the browser.

Widths375, 768 and 1440 px

ThemesLight and dark

KeyboardMenu and focus return

No JavaScriptNavigation remains usable

MotionReduced preference tested

Known limits

What still needs real-world feedback

  • External websites have their own accessibility standards and can change independently.
  • The project has not yet completed a formal audit with a representative group of disabled users.
  • Venue access information is incomplete until each place has a current, attributable source.
  • The email mailbox is not yet confirmed operational while hosting is configured.
  • Some older source photography cannot demonstrate a venue’s present-day entrance or layout.

Tell us what gets in the way

A useful report can be brief

Email hello@whythirsk.co.uk with the page, the problem and what you were trying to do. Device, browser or assistive technology details help when you are comfortable sharing them, but they are not required.

The new mailbox is still being configured. Once the site is ready for publication, this statement will be dated and contact delivery will be checked.