Visual Arts South West (VASW) is committed to making its website accessible and inclusive for as many people as possible.
We want everyone to be able to explore the South West visual arts sector, find opportunities and events, access resources, discover organisations and art workers, and engage with VASW online.

This accessibility statement applies to the VASW website:
https://vasw.org.uk

We welcome feedback and see accessibility as an ongoing process of improvement. Contact us at [email protected]

We are working to make this website as accessible as possible and to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA standard.

The WCAG guidelines are based around four principles. Content and functionality should be:

• Perceivable — information should be available in ways people can perceive;
• Operable — people should be able to navigate and use the website;
• Understandable — information and functionality should be clear and predictable;
• Robust — content should work with different browsers, devices and assistive technologies.
• We have not yet completed a full independent accessibility audit of the website. We therefore do not currently claim that every part of the website meets WCAG 2.2 AA.
• We are committed to identifying and addressing accessibility barriers as part of the ongoing development of the website.

The website includes a number of features designed to help people customise their experience.
You can currently adjust:

• text size;
• letter spacing;
• line height;
• colour theme;
• colour contrast;
• link styling;
• font choice;
• animation settings.

The font options include a dyslexia-friendly setting, and animation can be reduced or switched off.

These settings are available through the website's Accessibility controls and your preferences can be saved in your browser.

We recognise that accessibility needs vary from person to person. These controls are intended to support different ways of accessing the website, but they do not replace the need for accessible design and content.

We aim to make content accessible by:

• using clear and meaningful headings;
• using descriptive link text;
• providing alternative text for meaningful images;
• avoiding unnecessary use of colour to communicate information;
• using clear and readable language;
• providing captions or transcripts for relevant multimedia;
• structuring information so that it can be understood using assistive technologies.

As a visual arts organisation, we recognise that images and other visual material are an important part of the VASW website. Where an image communicates important information, we will seek to provide an appropriate text alternative.

For artworks and other visual material, we will consider whether a more detailed description is appropriate to help people understand the content.

VASW publishes information about exhibitions, events, jobs, commissions, open calls, residencies and other opportunities.

We encourage organisations and members who submit content to provide clear accessibility information wherever relevant.

Where appropriate, listings should include information about:

• physical access;
• hearing assistance;
• captions or interpretation;
• alternative participation;
• relevant access costs.

VASW will encourage contributors to improve accessibility information where it is missing or unclear.

We aim to make documents published on the website as accessible as reasonably possible. Where a document cannot be made accessible, we will seek to provide the information in an alternative format where reasonably possible.

If you cannot access a document or resource, please contact us and let us know what information you need and which format would work for you.

Some content available through the VASW website may be provided by third parties, including member organisations, event organisers, artists and other contributors. VASW cannot guarantee the accessibility of third-party websites or platforms linked to from our website.

Where we identify significant accessibility problems with third-party content, we will seek to address the issue with the relevant contributor or provide an alternative where reasonably possible.

We are continuing to assess the website for accessibility issues. At present, we have not completed a comprehensive WCAG 2.2 AA audit of all pages, components, documents and third-party integrations. This means there may be accessibility issues that we have not yet identified. We will update this statement as testing takes place and issues are identified and addressed.

Where specific accessibility issues are identified through testing, we will list them here together with, where possible:

• the affected page or feature;
• the nature of the problem;
• the relevant WCAG criterion;
• the action being taken;
• the expected timeframe for resolution.

We welcome feedback about the accessibility of the VASW website.
If you find something that is difficult to use, inaccessible or does not work with your assistive technology, please let us know. You can contact VASW by emailing [email protected].

When reporting an accessibility problem, it is helpful to include:

• the page or feature you were trying to use;
• what went wrong;
• the device or browser you were using, if known;
• the assistive technology you were using, if relevant;
• what you expected to happen.

You do not need to provide medical or personal information to report an accessibility issue.

If information published on the website is not accessible to you, please contact us by emailing [email protected].

We will consider reasonable requests for an alternative format or another way of accessing the information. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• accessible HTML;
• plain text;
• an accessible document;
• large print;
• audio;
• a different digital format;
• information provided by another reasonable means.

VASW recognises its responsibility to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.

If you need an adjustment to participate in a VASW activity, access information, use a service or communicate with us, please contact us by emailing [email protected]. We will discuss your requirements with you and, where reasonably possible, identify an appropriate adjustment.

You do not need to use technical accessibility terminology when making a request. Simply tell us what would help you access the information or activity.

Accessibility is part of VASW's wider commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. We recognise that digital accessibility is only one part of creating an inclusive visual arts network. 

Our commitment therefore extends to:

• events and physical spaces;
• membership;
• opportunities;
• communications;
• publications;
• digital services;
• employment and recruitment;
• partnerships;
• programming;
• participation in the wider VASW network.

This statement was last reviewed on 29 September 2026

The website was last tested on [INSERT DATE] against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

The statement will be reviewed at least annually and whenever significant changes are made to the website.
Visual Arts South West