Accessibility

Last reviewed: 25 September 2026

We want everyone to be able to use this website. That includes people who use a screen reader, a keyboard, screen magnification, voice control or a switch device. This page explains the standard we build to and what we have done. It also lists what still needs work, and how to tell us when something is hard to use.

The standard we aim for

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at level AA. WCAG is the world standard for web accessibility. The Australian Human Rights Commission points to it in its guidance on the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth). We check the site against it while we build, and every time it changes.

What we have done

• Structure. Pages use real headings, landmarks and lists. A “Skip to content” link sits at the top. This helps assistive technology move around the page quickly.
• Keyboard. Everything that works with a mouse also works with a keyboard. The focus outline is always easy to see, and the sticky header never covers it.
• Colour and contrast. Text meets the WCAG contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1. Colour is never the only way we show information.
• Motion. If your device is set to reduce motion, the site does not animate. Anyone can also turn animation off. Moving panels stop when you hover over them or move focus to them.
• Forms. Every field has a visible label. Screen readers announce errors. The spam check only asks for a click when it can’t tell that you are a person.
• Images. Images with meaning have a text description. Images that are only decoration are hidden from screen readers.
• Zoom and small screens. The layout works down to 320 pixels wide, and at 200% zoom, without scrolling sideways.
• Language. Pages say they are in English, so screen readers pronounce them correctly.

Display options

To open the display panel, use the round button in the bottom-left corner of any page. You can also use the “Display options” link in the footer. In the panel you can turn on:

• High contrast: black text on white, with stronger lines.
• Larger text: everything one size bigger.
• Underline links: every link clearly marked.
• Readable font: simpler letters, with more space between words and lines.
• Stop animations: no movement, autoplay or scroll effects.

Your choices are saved only in your browser, and you can reset them at any time. Your own browser and device settings, like zoom, text size and reduced motion, still work too.

How we check

We test every type of page with an automatic tool (axe-core). Then we test by hand: with a keyboard only, at 200% zoom, and on a screen 320 pixels wide. Automatic tools find only some problems, so testing by hand matters just as much.

Known problems

• Older journal posts. Some older posts have screenshots and code examples. We are still improving their descriptions.
• Other companies’ services. Other companies run the Cloudflare spam check, WhatsApp and the sites we link to. We choose accessible options where we can, but we don’t control them.

Tell us what is not working

If something on this site is hard to use, please tell us. Email [email protected], or use the contact page. Tell us the page and what happened. We will fix it, or get you the information another way.

If you are not happy with our reply, you can contact the Australian Human Rights Commission.