Accessibility statement

The Emma Caldwell Inquiry is dedicated to fostering accessibility in all aspects of its work, including its website.

The website is designed to be used by as many people as possible. You should experience:

  • Easier-to-read colours and sufficient contrast levels
  • Alternative text for all images
  • Larger font and zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
  • The ability to navigate the website using just a keyboard

The ability to navigate and interact with most of the website content using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver)

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

This accessibility statement applies to the website for the Emma Caldwell Inquiry – http://www.emmacaldwellinquiry.scot/

Compliance status

The Emma Caldwell Inquiry is committed to making its website accessible, as per the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, the Equality Act 2010 and the British Standard for Web Accessibility (BS 8878).

Our site has been built using code compliant with W3C standards for HTML and CSS, ensuring compatibility with current browsers. 

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA success criteria.

PDF and other documents
Most documents are available in accessible HTML format. However, some evidence files cannot be converted into HTML and may not be available in alternative formats.

  • PDFs do not have a metadata title defined. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.2.
  • PDFs not created from HTML aren’t tagged properly, which means software can’t easily determine the correct reading order. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 and 1.3.2.
  • Scans of text do not always provide a text alternative. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.5.

Feedback and contact information

If you encounter an accessibility issue or need assistance accessing any content, please contact us at: general@emmacaldwellinuiry.scot.

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, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

The Emma Caldwell Inquiry website will be regularly updated to improve functionality and accessibility where and when required. The current site is and always will be a work in progress. We are committed to continually improving accessibility. We achieve this by:

  • Raising awareness and promoting a culture of accessibility in the Inquiry
  • Offering support to members and staff who need accessibility expertise
  • Assessment before launching new website functionalities
  • Incorporating feedback to improve our services
  • Keeping up with the latest best practices and web standards

While we are in the process of resolving these accessibility issues, or where we are unable, we will ensure reasonable adjustments are in place to make sure no user is disadvantaged. As changes are made, we will continue to review the accessibility of this website and retest it.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared in December 2025 by the Emma Caldwell Inquiry, in conjunction with The Union. 

This website was last tested in December 2025 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standards. The Union Digital conducted the audit based on a randomly selected sample of pages, ensuring representation across all available content types on the website. The test was carried out using automated testing tools such as the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool and axeDevTools tested on a variety of internet browsers, including Chrome, Safari and Firefox, and a variety of devices, including MacBook, Windows Android, and iPhone. Testing was done against the WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria.

The Emma Caldwell Inquiry reserves the right to amend this policy periodically.