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Accessibility statements

Accessibility statement for the Better Health website

Accessibility statement for the Better Health website

This accessibility statement applies to www.nhs.uk/better-health/ and its embedded tools.

This website is run by NHS England on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser functionality
  • zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
  • interact with most of the website using a screen reader (including recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We have also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

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

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

  • some users may experience issues with the video content, which is not yet fully accessible
  • when using assistive technologies, some users may experience issues with PDF files

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please email betterhealth@dhsc.gov.uk.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please email betterhealth@dhsc.gov.uk.

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 are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Technical information about this website's accessibility

NHS England is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed in the "Non-accessible content" section.

Non-accessible content

  • Videos presented on the home workout videos page are not identified by accessible text. This does not comply with Web Content Accessibility Guideline v2.2 (A) 1.1.1 Non-Text Content.
  • Videos presented on the home workout videos page do not have audio descriptions. This does not comply with Web Content Accessibility Guideline v2.2 (AA) 1.2.5 Audio Description (pre-recorded).

PDFs

  • The structure of the content is not always available to assistive technology, which makes the content difficult to understand and navigate for users of screen readers. This does not comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guideline v2.2 (A) 1.3.1 Info and relationships.
  • The reading order of the content is not always logical, which means some content does not make sense when read out by text-to-speech software. This does not comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guideline v2.2 (A) 1.3.2 Meaningful sequence.

What we are doing to improve accessibility

We are aware of these issues and are considering various solutions at this stage. At the moment, we do not have a set timeline for completion, but will provide updates as progress is made.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 8 July 2020. It was last reviewed on 6 March 2025.

The website was last tested on 7 July 2020.

These tests were carried out by Zoonou, the Digital Accessibility Centre (DAC) and Nomensa, with the exception of the Personal Quit Plan, which was tested internally.

Disproportionate burden statement for the Better Health mobile applications

Disproportionate burden statement for the Better Health mobile applications

Landscape orientation of Better Health mobile applications

Page content is restricted to being viewed in portrait orientation across both iOS and Android devices, and does not comply with WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.4 (Orientation). This is a known issue affecting NHS Couch to 5K, NHS Active 10, NHS Weight Loss Plan, NHS Food Scanner, NHS Quit Smoking and NHS Drink Free Days mobile applications.

Benefits of creating an accessible version

Enhanced Content Layout: Landscape orientation can be beneficial for displaying certain types of content, such as tables, charts, and diagrams. This can be particularly useful for apps that provide data visualization or educational content, making it easier for users to interpret complex information.

Wider Keyboard: For users who may have difficulty with small on-screen keyboards, landscape mode can provide a wider keyboard layout, making it easier to type accurately and quickly. This can benefit users with motor impairments or those who have larger fingers.

Improved Gesture Controls: Landscape orientation may offer more space for touch gestures and controls. This can be advantageous for users with limited dexterity or precision, as it reduces the chances of accidental taps and swipes.

Compatibility with Accessories: Some users may use accessories like physical keyboards, external Braille displays or fixed orientation device mounts with their mobile devices. Landscape orientation can offer better compatibility with such equipment, allowing for more comfortable and efficient interaction.

Burden

  • Development Resources: Enabling landscape orientation requires significant development effort, including redesigning interfaces, adjusting layouts, and optimizing content. This allocation of resources could be better utilized to enhance other critical aspects of the apps, such as accessibility features, content quality, and usability in portrait orientation. 
  • Maintenance and Testing: Maintaining and testing multiple app orientations significantly increases the complexity of ongoing development and quality assurance efforts. This would lead to increased maintenance costs and a potentially higher likelihood of introducing bugs and issues with each update.

Assessment

It is our determination that the benefits of enabling landscape orientation across the Better Health mobile apps do not appear to outweigh the costs and potential challenges, rendering this a disproportionate burden.

As a result, we recommend focusing our resources on improving other aspects of the app, such as enhancing content quality, providing better accessibility features, and optimizing user experience in portrait orientation.

This approach aligns with our commitment to providing accessible and user-friendly health and wellness information to all users while effectively managing development efforts and resources.