#Accessibility
Our aim is to provide equal access for all
We are committed to ensuring our site is accessible and usable for all abilities and disabilities.
Working with AbilityNet
Our website has been built in line with accessibility best practice and is accredited by AbilityNet, a charitable organisation specialising in website accessibility.
For those in the know, that means we seek to comply with the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines set out by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and we strive to maintain Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0.
Diversity of our web users
We want to be as inclusive as we can. In designing this site, we have considered the needs of players with a range of impairments, including: vision, hearing, mobility, reading difficulties and learning difficulties. Also, we have considered the needs of people whose first language is not English.
While there are lots of specific things we do to achieve best practice, some examples of how we help are described below. But, if you're looking for practical help with making your computer easier to use so that you can make most use of our site, there's more information in the step-by-step guidance at the bottom of this page.
Navigation
We have included skip links – such as 'Skip to content', 'Skip to main navigation' and 'Back to top' links – to make it easier to navigate our website. Our pages are appropriately structured, with all headers being semantically correct, plus a logical tabbing order is provided through the page links and controls. Finally, we also provide a sitemap for further assistance navigating our site.
Text options
We have built our website so that font and background colour combinations have sufficient contrast for users with different colour blindness conditions. Font sizes can also be increased or reduced in accordance with best practice. Formatted text is used instead of images of text, and we have included alternative or hidden text to enhance the accessibility of our website.
We've also tried really hard to write all of our content in clear, straightforward language and have re-written all of our Game Rules and Procedures and other legal documents in plain English to make them easier to understand.
Images and alternatives
Alternative text is provided for image assets. Where possible, we try our best to avoid using text in images and ensure any text is layered over a background image with sufficient contrast to make it easily readable.
Help with Instant Wins
We are aware that Instant Win games cannot be operated using the keyboard alone. It is necessary to activate the Flash object with the mouse before keyboard support is available. This is a known limitation of embedded Flash objects. The games also present an accessibility issue to screen reader users as the content of the games is not announced.
If you think this issue may affect you, to resolve this, you can turn off animations in your account by choosing to edit your Instant Wins animation settings. Instant Win games can then be played using only the keyboard or with a screen reader, as the Flash object is removed and the game outcome is revealed immediately.
Creating and testing our site for accessibility
To ensure that we consider both accessibility best practice and the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, we have created our own accessibility guidelines, and these are used in the design, development and ongoing maintenance of our websites.
We regularly check the accessibility of our sites as part of an ongoing development process. To ensure a holistic approach to accessibility, we always test our sites with assistive technologies, including JAWS and NVDA screen readers, magnifiers and voice recognition software. Where possible, we also conduct testing sessions with users who have a range of disabilities and access requirements.
As an innovative organisation we are always looking at new ways to enhance and develop our websites. As part of this we will ensure we continue to work with accessibility experts and consider the accessibility of new features of our site as they are developed. We are also working with external suppliers who provide additional content for our sites to encourage them to enhance the accessibility of their material.
Feedback
We always welcome feedback on the accessibility and usability of the site. If you wish to report any issues you experience with certain web browsers or other software whilst visiting our site, please email us at: help@national-lottery.co.uk.
Step-by-step accessibility guidance
Need some help in making your computer easier to use? My Computer My Way provides a useful resource with step-by-step instructions on how to customise your computer to better suit your needs.
