RTS Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement

This statement was prepared in May 2024.  It was last updated in December 2024.

NIHR is committed to making its websites and mobile applications accessible, in accordance with national legislation transposing Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council and in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This accessibility statement applies to the NIHR Reference & Terminology Service (RTS)

Compliance status

This website is intended to be compliant with WCAG 2.0/2.1 AA

A formal review was undertaken by Shaw Trust Accessibility Services in 2023.  The Shaw Trust has found RTS to be compliant with WCAG 2.2 and AA standards.  You can view the certificate of accreditation on the Shaw Trust's website.

Non-accessible content

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

• None identified

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Apart from the exemptions listed below, this site is fully compliant with the accessibility regulations

• None identified

Disproportionate burden

RTS includes links to other NIHR websites hosted by Google Sites, these are not fully WCAG 2.0/2.1 AA compliant. Fixing these accessibility issues in Google Sites is the responsibility of Google as providers of the software product. Therefore, fixes for these issues are beyond NIHR control. The only resolution to fixing these issues ourselves is to change website hosts to another supplier. We’ve assessed the cost of fixing these issues and believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We continue to work with Google in providing feedback and collaborating to ensure Google’s products are as accessible as possible.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared in May 2024. It was last reviewed in December 2024.

The RTS application was last tested in 2023 by the Shaw Trust Accessibility Services.  The report describing the results of the review was issued to NIHR RDN in 2023.

According to the report issued by The Shaw Trust:

“Shaw Trust Accessibility Services use a combination of automated evaluation tools and in-house pan-disability user testing with assistive technologies to conduct a comprehensive accessibility audit. Accessibility audits are conducted against WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion. Testing is performed to level AA conformance unless a different level of conformance is requested”. 

Feedback and contact information

If you wish to report any accessibility challenges in using the RTS application, or if you require any information in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please contact: rts.support@nihr.ac.uk  

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 30 days. If you do not receive a response, please contact the NIHR Service Desk at 0207 333 5060 (internal or external) or visit https://www.support.nihr.ac.uk/sp (internal only) for assistance.

Enforcement procedure

If you do not receive a response to the above request, please contact the NIHR Service Desk (details above) for further escalation.

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).

This website has been built using Google Sites. Please see the NIHR Hub Accessibility Statement which gives more information regarding the general use of Google Sites, including contact details for users who require further Accessibility support.