Accessibility Policy

Updated November 2025

Our commitment to accessibility

Highlands Innovation CIC is committed to making this Website accessible and usable for as many people as possible. We want everyone to be able to access information about our work, projects and opportunities, regardless of technology, ability or context.

We aim to follow recognised best practice and relevant accessibility standards when designing, building and updating this Website.

Standards we aim to meet

Our goal is for this Website to meet the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, at level AA where reasonably practicable.

These guidelines are widely accepted as the international standard for web accessibility and cover areas such as perceivable content, operable interfaces, understandable information and robust technology.

What we are doing to improve accessibility

We take a range of measures to improve and maintain accessibility, including:

• using clear structure and headings to make content easier to navigate;
• aiming for sufficient colour contrast between text and backgrounds;
• avoiding reliance on colour alone to convey meaning;
• providing text alternatives for meaningful images where possible;
• building pages so they can be navigated using a keyboard;
• designing layouts that respond to different screen sizes and devices;
• testing new pages and components with accessibility in mind;
• reviewing feedback from users and partners and responding where we can improve.

Accessibility features

Among other things, the Website aims to provide:

• consistent navigation and layout across pages;
• logical heading structure to support screen readers and assistive technology;
• forms with labels connected to their input fields;
• links that are descriptive rather than relying only on “click here”;
• content that is written in clear, plain language where possible;
• support for zooming and reflow on smaller screens.

Limitations and known issues

Despite our efforts, we know that some parts of the Website may not yet be fully accessible. For example:

• older documents, images or embedded media may not meet current accessibility standards;
• some third-party components or plugins used on the Website may not be fully accessible or may change without our control;
• occasionally, new content or features may introduce issues that we have not yet identified.

We are working to identify and address these issues over time as resources allow.

Third-party content and services

The Website may include content, forms, maps, videos or other services provided by third parties. We do not control the accessibility of these external tools, but we seek to choose providers who take accessibility seriously and we will review alternatives where issues are identified.

Alternative formats

If you need information from the Website in a different format (for example, large print, easy read or an alternative digital format), please let us know through our Contact page. We will consider each request and aim to provide a suitable alternative where reasonably practicable.

Feedback and reporting accessibility problems

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of this Website. If you experience barriers, cannot access a part of the site, or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us via our Contact page and tell us:

• which page or feature you were using;
• what you were trying to do;
• what went wrong or was difficult;
• what device, browser or assistive technology you were using (if you are happy to share this).

We will review your feedback and, where possible, work to address the issue or offer an alternative.

Enforcement and further help

If you are not satisfied with our response to an accessibility concern, you may be able to seek further advice from relevant regulatory or advisory bodies in the UK that deal with digital accessibility and equality law.

Ongoing review

We recognise that accessibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. We will periodically review this Website and this Accessibility Policy to reflect changes in standards, technology and our own services.

Updates to this page will be noted by the “Updated” date at the top.