Accessibility Statement

This accessibility statement applies to the eC-Card digital platform, including the young person-facing eC-Card app/web journey and associated user-facing service content. It also applies, where relevant, to the eC-Card administration portal used by authorised service administrators.

Provide Digital is committed to making eC-Card accessible and inclusive for as many users as possible. The platform is designed to support young people, service staff and commissioners through clear, simple and mobile-first digital journeys.

Accessibility standard

eC-Card has been designed with reference to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA. This means that we aim to meet the applicable Level A and Level AA success criteria, including requirements relating to keyboard navigation, readable content, colour contrast, form labelling, focus visibility, error identification and compatibility with assistive technologies.

We recognise that further assurance is required to fully evidence the platform’s position against WCAG 2.2 Level AA. We are therefore committed to completing a full accessibility review of the eC-Card user journey across iOS, Android and web by 30 September 2026. The findings will be used to produce an accessibility improvement roadmap by 31 October 2026.

How accessible eC-Card is

eC-Card is designed to be clear, simple and easy to use. Accessibility considerations include:

• clear and mobile-first layouts;
• plain English content;
• scalable text;
• semantic HTML where applicable;
• keyboard navigation;
• sufficient colour contrast;
• accessible forms;
• focus management;
• responsive design;
• compatibility with modern browsers and assistive technologies.

The platform also supports inclusion through configurable content areas, multi-language functionality where enabled, and the ability for services to add easy-read or supporting guidance. Where translated content is used, the language of the translated content is identified to support assistive technology compatibility.

For users who may struggle to complete the in-app quiz because of literacy, confidence, language, cognitive accessibility or other access needs, the platform can support a controlled staff override process where this is appropriate and agreed locally. This allows trained staff to support access without unnecessarily excluding users who may find the digital journey difficult.

Known limitations

We are not currently claiming that eC-Card has been fully independently audited as WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliant. Automated checks, manual review and functional testing are undertaken, but we recognise that automated and internal testing alone cannot identify every accessibility barrier.

Known areas for further assurance include:

• full testing across iOS, Android and web journeys;
• additional screen reader and assistive technology testing;
• wider testing with disabled users and users with access needs;
• confirmation of any remaining WCAG 2.2 Level AA gaps;
• publication of a formal accessibility improvement roadmap.

Where issues are identified, they will be prioritised according to user impact, severity and operational need.

Third-party services

Use of third-party services within eC-Card is minimised. Where third-party components or services are used, Provide Digital assesses whether they could adversely affect the accessibility of the platform.

For large commodity technology providers, services are normally used under the provider’s standard terms. Where available, published accessibility information, accessibility conformance reports or equivalent documentation are reviewed. Implemented components are also checked in the development environment before release.

Reporting accessibility issues

Users, service staff and commissioners can report accessibility issues through Provide Digital’s support channels.

Accessibility issues will receive a response within two working days. Reported issues are logged in Zoho Desk, assessed, prioritised according to user impact, and incorporated into the development and release process where changes are required.

Where an issue prevents a user from completing a key journey, we will consider appropriate mitigations, reasonable adjustments or supported routes of access while a technical fix is assessed.

Testing and monitoring

Accessibility is reviewed as part of product development, quality assurance and scheduled platform reviews. Testing includes a combination of manual testing, automated accessibility testing and functional testing during development and release cycles.

Testing includes checks for:

• keyboard-only navigation;
• screen reader compatibility;
• colour contrast;
• focus management;
• form labelling;
• responsive design;
• error messages and validation;
• compatibility with modern browsers and assistive technologies.

We also recognise the importance of involving disabled users and users with access needs. As part of the accessibility roadmap, we will introduce proportionate user feedback and testing activity. This may include disabled users, users of assistive technology, or users who experience barriers relating to literacy, language, confidence, cognition or motor access.

Review and improvement

This statement will be reviewed following completion of the accessibility report by 30 September 2026 and the accessibility improvement roadmap by 31 October 2026. It will then be updated as roadmap actions are completed or where material changes are made to the platform.