Avanti West Coast has become the first train operator to be awarded an accreditation that recognises its web content for being accessible to people with disabilities.

It has achieved Shaw Trust Web Accreditation, which is a mark confirming people with a wide range of disabilities have tested it and found to be accessible.

The company worked alongside Shaw Trust Accessibility Services to update and change the content on its website so that it meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which is an international standard to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Shaw Trust is the UK’s largest not-for-profit social enterprise and provides services and support that enable people to access rewarding employment opportunities.

An assessment by Shaw Trust’s digital auditor and a series of automated and human tests by users with a disability identified what design and coding changes were needed to meet WCAG’s standards; coding defines the content structure on the front-end of a website.

To address the requirements needed to obtain accreditation, the coding was modified to ensure that content is accessible to both keyboard-only users and for assistive technologies, including screen readers. Changes were also made to the design of webpages to ensure that there was sufficient colour contrast between text and background for visually impaired users.

Avanti West Coast‘s website now conforms to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, meaning that it exceeds the minimum requirement of WCAG standards, making it accessible to more people. Achievement of the accreditation follows the creation earlier this year of a dedicated social media forum for disabled customers travelling on its route.

Brandon Peat, Accessibility and Inclusion Manager at Avanti West Coast, said: “We want everyone to use the railway and recognise it’s important a consistent approach is adopted, which is why we’re pleased to be the first train operator to be awarded this accessibility accreditation for our web content by Shaw Trust.

“Providing an accessible website is the latest project we’ve delivered as part of our commitment to make journeys and easy and convenient for all our customers. It has been great to work with Shaw Trust to make sure our website meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and we hope it will enable customers to book and plan their journey confidently and independently every time they travel with us.”

Joe Manock, National Account Manager, Shaw Trust Accessibility Services, said: “Shaw Trust are absolutely delighted to have awarded Avanti West Coast their WCAG 2.1 AA Accreditation for the outstanding work in making their website accessible and inclusive for all. We have been impressed at the way they have left no stone unturned in making sure that one and all can access their services. It has been a real pleasure to work with the Avanti West Coast Team and we look forward to continuing supporting them on their Accessible journey.”