Accessibility Statement

Accessiblity Statement for Manchester Adult Education Service Website

This accessibility statement applies to the Manchester Adult Education Service website (www.manadulted.ac.uk). This service is part of Manchester City Council.

This website is run by the Manchester Adult Education Service (MAES). 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 using browser settings or extensions
  • zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

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.

How accessible our website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

  • The search input fields across the site lack explicit programmatic text labels or aria-attributes, making them difficult for screen reader users to identify.
  • Text colour combinations within our global navigation menus and site footer do not meet the minimum contrast threshold of 4.5:1 against their backgrounds for normal-sized text.
  • Certain image links on directional landing pages, such as our “Find a Centre” page, do not contain descriptive alternative text, which disrupts screen reader navigation.
  • Some heading levels are skipped structurally (for example, jumping from an <h2> to an <h4>), which impacts page layout semantic navigation.

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, or if you need to discuss specific physical accessibility adjustments at our learning centres (such as ramp access, lifts, and accessible toilets):

  • Email: maes.info@manchester.gov.uk
  • Telephone: 0161 234 5678
  • Postal Address: Manchester Adult Education Service, Manchester City Council, Level 3 – Town Hall Extension, Albert Square, Manchester, M60 2LA

We will consider your request and get back to you within 5 working days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

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, contact the Manchester Adult Education Service directly via email at maes.info@manchester.gov.uk  or use the Manchester City Council corporate feedback routes.

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).

Contacting us by phone or in-person

We provide text relay services for learners who are deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

Our eight primary adult education centres across the city have facilities for learners with physical disabilities, including ramps to buildings, lifts to floors, and accessible toilets for wheelchair users. If you need a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter for your assessment or classes, please let us know when you contact us.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non compliance with accessibility regulations

Some search functionality input fields across our site templates lack explicit programmatic text labels or corresponding aria-attributes. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value). We plan to implement fixed theme templates to ensure hidden labels are present in the DOM via the WordPress .screen-reader-text class by October 2026.

Text colour combinations used within our main utility navigation menus and global page footer elements do not reach the minimum contrast threshold of 4.5:1 against their backgrounds for normal-sized text. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast – Minimum). We are adjusting our global site CSS palette and theme customizer styles to meet compliance by October 2026.

Certain image links on our directional landing pages (such as our “Find a Centre” page) do not contain descriptive alternative text, causing screen readers to announce uninformative file paths or image titles instead of the hyperlink destination. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose). We are actively editing image block properties in WordPress to provide explicit alt values by December 2026.

Heading layouts do not always follow a sequential, nested order (for example, skipping from an <h2> heading straight down to an <h4> in structural columns or sidebars). This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships). We are correcting template hierarchy settings and retraining content editors by December 2026.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 18 May 2026. It was last reviewed on 18 May 2026.

This website was last tested on 18 May 2026. The test was carried out by the Manchester Adult Education Service using the automated WAVE web accessibility evaluation platform alongside selective manual inspections of representative page templates.

We tested a comprehensive sample of core pages across the digital footprint, including the homepage, the primary core landing menu (“Welcome to MAES”), six distinct Subject Area curriculum pages, Learner Services information, and the centre locator utility.