Accessibility
ACCESSIBILITYSTATEMENT.
Everyone who applies for, assesses or runs a grant should be able to do it with the tools they use. This is where Backed stands against WCAG 2.1 AA, what does not work yet, and how to tell us.
Last reviewed 7 November 2026
Conformance status
We hold every portal to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Each one partially conforms: most of it meets the standard, and the exceptions below do not yet.
| Portal | What it covers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator portal | Every page staff use to run rounds, assessments, decisions, contracts and payments. | Partially conforms |
| Applicant portal | Registration, applications, contracts, milestones, payments, returns and the Applicant dashboard. | Partially conforms |
| Assessor portal | The Assessor dashboard, assessment workspace, conflict of interest and shared assessments. | Partially conforms |
| Verifier portal | The Verifier dashboard, applications, contracts, milestones and registration. | Partially conforms |
| Public pages | Landing Pages, the round index, the referee page, and sign-in and sign-up on the sign-in hub. | Partially conforms |
How we assessed it
Assessed on 7 November 2026 by Backed internal assessment. This is a self-assessment, not an independent audit. An independent audit has been commissioned. Its results will replace this assessment.
- An automated axe-core scan against the WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 Level A and AA rules, run in the end-to-end journeys of each portal. A serious or critical violation fails the build.
- An internal keyboard-only pass over a sample of page templates in each portal.
- An internal screen reader pass with NVDA on Windows and VoiceOver on macOS over the same sample.
- Each sampled template checked at 375 px and 1,280 px wide for reflow and zoom.
- Where the sample did not reach every page template, a criterion is reported as Partially Supports rather than Supports.
Assistive technologies tested
- Keyboard only: Every control reached and operated without a mouse.
- NVDA: Screen reader on Windows, with Chrome.
- VoiceOver: Screen reader on macOS, with Safari.
- axe-core: Automated scan against the WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 Level A and AA rules.
Every sampled page template is checked at 375 px and 1,280 px wide.
Known exceptions
Each one is dated, with a workaround until it is fixed. A fixed exception stays on the list, marked closed.
| Exception | Success criterion | Where | Severity | Recorded | Workaround | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A11Y-001: Pressing the / key on its own opens Search. The shortcut cannot be turned off or remapped, so speech input can open Search by accident. | 2.1.4 | Every page with the Search control (Administrator portal, Assessor portal) | Moderate | 7 November 2026 | Press Escape to close Search and return to where you were. Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on a Mac) opens Search on purpose. The shortcut does nothing while you are typing in a field. | Open |
| A11Y-002: Application PDFs and Decision Letters generated before 7 November 2026 are untagged: a screen reader reads them without headings, tables or a set reading order. | 1.3.1, 1.3.2 | Application PDF and Decision Letter downloads generated before 7 November 2026 (Administrator portal, Applicant portal) | Serious | 7 November 2026 | Email contact@backed.giving and we will send a tagged copy within 5 business days. The application itself can be read in the Applicant portal. | Open |
| A11Y-003: Other generated PDFs (contract letters, board packs and document reports) have not yet been assessed for structure and reading order. | 1.3.1, 1.3.2 | Contract letter, board pack and document report downloads (Administrator portal, Applicant portal, Verifier portal) | Moderate | 7 November 2026 | The same records can be read as pages in the portals. Email contact@backed.giving for an accessible copy of any document. | Open |
| A11Y-004: An Organisation logo uploaded before 7 November 2026 has no written description, so it is announced as "<Organisation> logo" until an Administrator adds one. | 1.1.1 | Every page and generated document that shows the Organisation logo (Administrator portal, Applicant portal, Assessor portal, Verifier portal, Public pages) | Minor | 7 November 2026 | The logo is announced with the Organisation name. Administrators can add alternative text under Settings > Organisation. | Open |
Generated documents
The statement covers the documents Backed generates for Applicants.
- Application PDF: A tagged PDF with a structure tree and reading order, the document language set, and the Organisation logo described by its alternative text.
- Decision Letters: A tagged PDF with a structure tree and reading order, the document language set, and the Organisation logo described by its alternative text.
Documents generated before 7 November 2026, and other PDFs, are listed in the known exceptions above.
Accessibility Conformance Report
Our Accessibility Conformance Report follows the VPAT 2.5 WCAG edition and gives a result for each WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA success criterion. It is dated 7 November 2026.
Download the Accessibility Conformance Report (PDF, 7 November 2026) · Read it as a web page
Tell us what does not work
If any part of Backed is hard to use with your assistive technology, email contact@backed.giving. Tell us the page and what happened. We reply within 5 business days, and we tell you when it is fixed.