This accessibility statement applies to information on the BOSS website and associated specialist business support sections of the website. BOSS is a specialist service of the Business Wales website.
Each specialist service throughout the Business Wales website has its own accessibility page. It outlines how accessible the service is, how to report problems and how to request information in an alternative format. You can access these pages from the footer inside the individual service’s web pages.
Using this website
This website is run by Business Wales. 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
- zoom in up to 400% 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
- use 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 this website is
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- some pages and document attachments are not clearly written
- some heading elements are not consistent
- some page titles are not unique
- some form labels are not unique
- some images do not have good alternative text
- some link text does not describe the purpose of the link
Request information in a different format
If you need information on this website in a different format like plain text, braille, BSL, large print, easy read or audio recording:
- email: businesssupport@gov.wales
- phone: 03000 6 03000
We'll need you to tell us:
- the web address (URL) of the information you need
- your email address and name
- the format you would like to receive - for example, plain text, braille, BSL, large print or audio CD
- which assistive technologies you use
You can request a PDF in an accessible format from its page. Select ‘Request an accessible format’ to contact the organisation that published the document.
We’ll review your request and get back to you in 7 working days.
Feedback and contact information
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting the requirements of the accessibility regulations, contact us on one of the ways below:
- email: businesssupport@gov.wales
- phone: 03000 6 03000
We'll need you to tell us:
- the web address (URL) of the page you think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements
- why you think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements
We’ll review your request and get back to you in 7 working days.
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, please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person
Ofcom requires all landline and mobile telephone companies to provide a number of services for customers with disabilities. You can use the text relay service of your choice to contact BOSS.
Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit, we will make every effort to arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter. Just contact us on one of the ways below:
- email: businesssupport@gov.wales
- phone: 03000 6 03000
We'll need you to tell us:
- who you are
- how we can help you
We’ll review your request and get back to you in 7 working days.
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
BOSS is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
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 the accessibility regulations.
Some pages use alt text as an image file name. Using alt text as a file name provides insufficient context to users. This fails success criterion WCAG 2.2 A 1.1.1 and 1.2.1 F30. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some image elements do not have an accessible name. Without an accessible name, screen reader users may encounter difficulties in comprehending the meaning or function of an image on a webpage. This fails success criterion WCAG 2.2 A 1.1.1 F65. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some links do not have an accessible name. If multiple links have the same accessible name but lead to different places, it can lead to confusion for users, especially those who rely on screen readers. This fails success criterion WCAG 2.2 A 2.4.9, 4.4.4 and 4.1.2 F89. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some pages use CSS ‘font-weight’ property instead of using semantic markup like ‘strong’. CMS ‘font-weight’ does not interpret and convoy content as well as semantic markup, such as ‘strong’. This fails success criterion WCAG 2.2 A 1.3.1 F2. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some pages use aria-lable or aria-labelldby on elements and roles that prohibit naming. This fails success criterion ARIA 1.2. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some pages contain empty headings. Empty headings can confuse screen readers and make it difficult for them to understand the layout and organization of the content. This fails success criterion WCAG 2.2 A 1.3.1. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some documents titles are blank or missing. A title is essential for navigation and organization for those who have cognitive disabilities or rely on screen readers. This fails succession criterion WCAG 2.2 A 2.4.2 F25. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some pages contain links and controls where the visual label do not appear in the accessible name. This fails success criterion WCAG 2.5.3. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some pages contain images with duplicate ID. This can affect screen readers as this may cause difficulty in distinguishing between different images if they share the same ID, leading to poor user experience for users who depend on assistive technology. This fails success criterion WCAG 4.1.1. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
The technologies listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons: Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations.
Some fieldset elements are not labelled with legend elements. Associating both elements is important for accessibility because it provides context about the group of form controls contained within the fieldset. This is sufficient to meet success criterion WCAG 2.2 A 1.31 and WCAG 2.2 A 3.3.2 H71. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some pages contain text and background colours that do not have enough contrast. This effects people with visual impairments. This fails success criterion WCAG 2.2 AA 1.4.3. We plan re resolve this by October 2024.
On some pages the CSS outline or border style on this element makes it difficult or impossible to see the link focus outline. The focus outline is important for users who navigate the website using a keyboard. This fails success criterion WCAG 2.2 AA 1.4.11 F78. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some iframe and frame elements do not have a title attribute. The requirement for iframe and frame elements to have title attributes is aimed at ensuring those with disabilities can understand the purpose of the content of the embedded frame. This fails success criterion WCAG 2.2 A 4.1.2. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some elements with role=tab is not contained in, or owned by, an element with role=tablist. This fails success criterion WCAG 4.1.2. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Some elements with role=tablist do not contain or own an element with role=tab and must not contain elements with other roles. This fails success criterion WCAG 4.1.2. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
Interactive tools and transactions
Some HTML form control do not have an accessible name. An accessible name of a form control is essential to users who rely on assistive technologies to navigate and interact with web content. This fails success criterion WCAG 2.2 A 4.1.2 F68. We plan to resolve this by October 2024.
PDFs and other documents
New documents we publish to access our services should be fully accessible.
However, we know that some of our older documents (published before 23 September 2018) are not accessible. For example, some of them:
- are not marked up in a way that allows screen reader users to understand them
- are not tagged up properly, for example they do not contain proper headings
- are not written in plain English
Some of these are historic documents and are not essential to providing our services. These types of documents are exempt from the regulations. We do not currently have any plans to make them accessible.
If you need to access information in one of these document types, please contact us on one of the ways below and ask for an alternative format.
- email: businesssupport@gov.wales
- phone: 03000 6 03000
We'll need you to tell us:
- the web address (URL) of the information you need
- the format you would like to receive
- which assistive technologies you use
We’ll review your request and get back to you in 7 working days.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 15 March 2024 date to replace the previous accessibility statement. The statement was last reviewed on 15 March 2024 date.
How we tested the website
This website was last tested on 13 March 2024. The test was carried out by S8080.
On the 13 March 2024 S8080 used SortSite Desktop to scan over a 100 of our pages for compliancy to level A and AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.2. The scan included a combination of core pages, commonly used templates and complex templates.
We tested our main website platform, available at