Great Ormond Street Hospital
Introduction
Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) commissioned an accessibility audit of their website to help ensure it could be used by everyone, including disabled visitors. The goal was to identify any barriers and take steps to meet government regulations and accessibility best practice.
Initial Audit Findings
During our initial audit, we identified a wide range of issues affecting usability and compliance. These included visual, structural, and technical problems that impacted users relying on screen readers, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technologies.
We also updated their accessibility statement to bring it in line with current standards. This outlined the issues found and explained how these could affect disabled users in real terms.
Examples of Issues Identified
- The cookie banner was not accessible
- Skipped or empty headings made screen reader navigation difficult
- Links were not clearly identified, sometimes lacking underlines
- Poor contrast ratios, making text hard to read
- Missing alt text on images
- A complex navigation structure that created barriers for users with cognitive impairments
- Forms were not accessible for users with limited motor skills
- Unclear focus outlines made keyboard navigation difficult
- Some elements were unreachable by keyboard
- Text could not be resized to 200% without loss of readability
Re-Audit After 16 Months
Sixteen months later, GOSH requested a re-audit to review the improvements made. They provided a list of resolved issues, and we carried out a full retest of the site.
Improvements Noted
We found that major progress had been made. Many of the original issues had been successfully resolved, including:
- Improved contrast ratios, making content easier to read
- Alt text added to images, greatly improving screen reader access
- Navigation structure was simplified and easier to follow
- Forms had been redesigned to be more accessible for users with physical disabilities
Remaining Issues
While the site had clearly improved, a few issues remain. Most are minor and can be easily addressed with continued attention. These included:
- Some newly added images still missing alt text
- Occasional inconsistencies in form labels
- Focus not always correctly set on some interactive elements
Conclusion
The re-audit shows that GOSH has made meaningful improvements to the accessibility of their website. Most major issues have been resolved, and the remaining ones are small and easily fixable. A revised accessibility statement has been completed and will be uploaded shortly.
Final Thoughts
Accessibility is not a one-off task. It is something that needs reviewing and updating as the website evolves. GOSH have taken this seriously and made clear progress. We look forward to continuing to support them as they move even closer to full accessibility.