Accessibility

Our Commitment to Accessibility

Gatespark Learning Hub is committed to ensuring that our platform is accessible to everyone — including people with disabilities, those using assistive technologies, and those with varying levels of digital literacy. We believe that education should have no barriers, and we work continuously to make our platform as inclusive as possible.

This accessibility statement applies to gatesparkhub.com and all pages, applications, and services we operate at that domain. It was last reviewed in July 2026.

Conformance Status

We aim to conform with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. Our platform is currently partially conformant, meaning that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard. We are actively working to address the known issues listed in this statement.

Our accessibility work is guided by four core WCAG principles:

• Perceivable — information and user interface components must be presentable in ways users can perceive
• Operable — user interface components and navigation must be operable by all users
• Understandable — information and operation of the interface must be understandable
• Robust — content must be robust enough to be interpreted by a wide variety of assistive technologies

Accessibility Features

Gatespark Learning Hub includes the following accessibility features:

Keyboard Navigation

The entire platform can be navigated using a keyboard alone. Key interactions:

• Tab — move forward through interactive elements
• Shift + Tab — move backward through interactive elements
• Enter / Space — activate buttons, links, and form controls
• Arrow keys — navigate within menus, dropdowns, and video player controls
• Escape — close modals, dropdowns, and overlays

A visible focus indicator is displayed on all keyboard-focused elements. If you find any element that cannot be reached or operated by keyboard, please let us know.

Screen Reader Support

We test our platform with commonly used screen readers. We aim for compatibility with:

• NVDA with Google Chrome (Windows)
• JAWS with Google Chrome (Windows)
• VoiceOver with Safari (macOS and iOS)
• TalkBack with Chrome (Android)

Key screen reader considerations we have implemented:

• All pages have a descriptive <title> element
• The page language is declared with lang="en"
• Navigation landmarks (nav, main, footer, aside) are present on all pages
• Heading hierarchy is sequential and meaningful (h1 → h2 → h3)
• Dynamic content updates (e.g. notifications, form validation) use aria-live regions
• Modal dialogs trap focus and announce their purpose

Visual Accessibility

Colour and Contrast

We do not use colour alone to convey information. Text contrast ratios meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements. In dark mode, contrast ratios are independently maintained.

Animations and Motion

The platform includes scroll animations and transitions. We respect the prefers-reduced-motion media query: users who have enabled the "reduce motion" setting in their operating system will see a simplified, animation-free version of the platform.

Text Sizing

Text is sized in relative units (rem/em) and scales with browser font settings. All content and navigation remains functional at 200% text zoom.

Video & Audio Content

Video content on the platform:

• Does not auto-play with sound
• Includes pause/stop controls
• Does not flash more than three times per second (to avoid triggering photosensitive seizures)

We are working to provide:

• Captions and subtitles for all video lessons (currently being rolled out to new courses; legacy courses are being captioned progressively)
• Transcripts for all audio content
• Audio descriptions for instructional videos where on-screen visuals carry essential information

If you need captions or a transcript for a specific course that does not yet have them, please contact our accessibility team and we will prioritise it.

Content Accessibility

• We write in plain English, aiming for clarity and readability. We target a reading level accessible to a general adult audience.
• Data tables include proper headers with scope attributes.
• Forms include visible, associated labels for all fields and clear, actionable error messages.
• PDFs and downloadable materials are tagged for accessibility where possible. If you need an alternative format of any document, please contact us.
• Links have descriptive text that makes sense out of context (we avoid link text like "click here" or "read more").

Known Accessibility Issues

We are transparent about areas where we know our platform does not yet fully meet WCAG 2.1 AA. The following issues are currently being tracked and addressed:

If you encounter an accessibility barrier not listed here, please report it to us using the contact details below.

Compatible Assistive Technologies

Our platform has been tested with and is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies:

• Screen readers: NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack
• Screen magnification software: ZoomText, Windows Magnifier, macOS Zoom
• Speech recognition software: Dragon NaturallySpeaking
• Switch access and alternative input devices (basic compatibility)
• Browser built-in accessibility features (Reader Mode, high contrast mode)

Feedback & Accessibility Support

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of our platform. If you encounter any accessibility barriers, need content in an alternative format, or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us. We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days.

When contacting us about an accessibility issue, it helps to provide:

• The URL or page name where you encountered the issue
• A description of the barrier you experienced
• The assistive technology you are using (if applicable), including its name and version
• Your preferred method of contact for our response

Continuous Improvement

Accessibility is not a one-time fix but an ongoing commitment. Our approach to continuous improvement includes:

• Including accessibility requirements in our design and development process from the start
• Conducting regular accessibility audits against WCAG 2.1 AA
• Testing new features with users who rely on assistive technologies before release
• Providing accessibility training for our development and content teams
• Reviewing and updating this statement at least annually, and whenever significant platform changes are made
• Prioritising and tracking known issues to resolution

We recognise that our work is not complete and are committed to making Gatespark Learning Hub a more accessible platform with every iteration.

Contact Us

For accessibility-related questions, accommodation requests, or to report a barrier, please contact our accessibility team: