Accessibility Statement
Arbicle is committed to making our platform accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. This statement explains our approach and current status.
Statement date: 1 April 2026. This statement will be reviewed annually.
Our Commitment to Accessibility
Arbicle is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We continually improve the user experience for everyone and apply relevant accessibility standards. Our target standard is WCAG 2.1 Level AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
We believe that everyone deserves equal access to housing information. Our goal is to ensure that Arbicle is as easy to use as possible for people who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have motor impairments, have cognitive disabilities, or use assistive technologies.
Target conformance level: WCAG 2.1 Level AA
Accessibility Features
Keyboard Navigation
- All interactive elements are reachable and operable using a keyboard alone.
- A visible focus indicator is present on all focusable elements.
- Logical tab order follows the visual layout of the page.
- Skip-to-main-content link is available at the top of every page.
- Modal dialogs trap focus and return focus to the trigger element on close.
Screen Reader Support
- All pages use semantic HTML5 elements (nav, main, aside, header, footer).
- ARIA labels and roles are used to clarify the purpose of interactive elements.
- Images include descriptive alt text; decorative images use empty alt attributes.
- Form inputs are associated with visible labels using the for/id pattern.
- Error messages are programmatically associated with the relevant input.
- Tested with VoiceOver (macOS/iOS) and NVDA (Windows).
Colour Contrast
- Text meets a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 against its background (AA standard).
- Large text (18pt or 14pt bold) meets a 3:1 contrast ratio.
- Interactive elements (buttons, links) have sufficient contrast in all states.
- Information is never conveyed by colour alone — icons and text are used alongside colour.
- Our teal-600 brand colour (#0d9488) meets AA contrast on white backgrounds.
Text Resize
- Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality.
- Page layout responds gracefully to user-set font sizes in browser settings.
- Minimum text size is 14px; most body text is 16px.
- Line height is at least 1.5× the font size for all body text.
- No text is presented as images (except logos, where alt text is provided).
Additional Measures
Responsive design
Arbicle is fully responsive and functions on devices from small mobile screens to large desktop monitors.
No reliance on motion
All animations are subtle and informational. We respect the prefers-reduced-motion media query — users with this preference set will see static transitions.
Language declaration
All pages declare lang="en" on the HTML element to assist screen readers with correct pronunciation.
Consistent navigation
Navigation is consistent across all pages, reducing cognitive load.
Error identification
Form errors are clearly identified, described in text, and accompanied by suggestions for correction.
Timeout warnings
Where sessions time out, users are given at least 20 seconds warning and the option to extend their session.
Known Accessibility Issues
We are committed to transparency. The following issues are known and are being actively addressed:
Interactive map keyboard navigation
The property search map (powered by a third-party mapping library) has limited keyboard navigability. Listings shown on the map are also available in the list view, which is fully keyboard accessible. We are working with our mapping provider to improve keyboard support.
PDF documents
Some downloadable PDF documents (including older tenancy agreement templates) may not be fully accessible to screen readers. We are in the process of replacing these with accessible HTML versions.
Photo gallery keyboard control
The property photo carousel on listing pages can be navigated with keyboard arrow keys, but the 'previous' and 'next' buttons do not currently have a visible focus indicator in all browsers. This will be fixed in the next release.
Some third-party widgets
Certain third-party widgets (such as the live chat button) may not fully conform to WCAG 2.1 AA. We are reviewing our third-party providers and will switch to more accessible alternatives where necessary.
Request an Accessible Format
If you need information from Arbicle in a different format — such as large print, easy-read, audio description, or a more accessible digital format — please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate your needs within 10 working days.
How to request an accessible format:
- Email us at hello@arbicle.com.
- Tell us which page or document you need in a different format.
- Tell us the format you require and why.
- We will respond within 5 working days to confirm receipt and provide a timeline.
Accessibility Feedback
We welcome feedback on the accessibility of Arbicle. If you encounter a barrier that prevents you from accessing any part of the site, or if you have a suggestion for improving accessibility, please tell us.
Statement Date: This accessibility statement was prepared on 1 April 2026 and will be reviewed no later than 1 April 2027, or sooner if significant changes are made to the website. Last audit: internal review, March 2026. An external WCAG audit is planned for Q3 2026.