Accessibility statement

This accessibility statement applies to the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) website

This website is run by SARG, a research group at the University of Sheffield. 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 or device settings.
• Zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen.
• Navigate most of the website using just a keyboard.
• Listen to most of the website using a screen reader.

We've 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.

Feedback and contact information

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact:

• Email: sarg@sheffield.ac.uk
• Post: SARG, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, 30 Regent Street, Sheffield S1 4DA.

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please let us know. We'll consider your request and get back to you within 14 days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We're always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements, please get in touch.

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

Technical information about this website's accessibility

SARG is committed to making its website 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 following:

• Contrast (Minimum) (1.4.3): Some automated testing tools may flag contrast warnings on pages using background images. We have manually verified using colour-picker tools that our text maintains a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background.
• Info and Relationships (1.3.1): On certain research project pages, heading levels are nested (e.g. using H4 for sidebars) to provide a clear visual distinction. This helps users scan the content effectively.
• Link Purpose (In Context) (2.4.4): We use "Read More" links in some of our news and research feeds for visual clarity. These follow descriptive headings which provide the necessary context for all users.
• Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) (1.2.1): Some video content produced for SARG research projects consists of visual slides without spoken audio. These videos currently do not have a text-based alternative (such as a transcript of the slide text).

Content that's not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

• PDFs and other documents: Some of our older PDFs and Word documents may not meet accessibility standards. The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix documents published before 23 September 2018 if they're not essential to providing our services.
• Third-party content: Our website includes links to, and embeds of, third-party content such as podcasts, news articles and videos. While we strive to vet all third-party tools for accessibility, we do not have direct control over the accessibility of these external platforms.

What we are doing to maintain accessibility

To ensure the SARG website remains accessible as new research is published, we:

• Conduct periodic audits: We use automated tools (Lighthouse and WAVE) to review the site's accessibility at least once every six months.
• Apply accessibility checks during publication: When adding new research, news or media to the site, we manually verify that images have alternative text, headings are used correctly, and link text is descriptive.
• Respond to user feedback: We actively monitor our contact channels to address any accessibility barriers reported by our visitors.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 6 March 2026. It was last reviewed on 6 March 2026.

This website was last tested on 6 March 2026 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard. The audit was carried out internally by SARG using a combination of automated tools and manual testing on a representative sample of pages including the Homepage, News & Media and Projects pages.

Our testing yielded the following results:

• Google Lighthouse: Achieved 100/100 for Accessibility and 100/100 for Best Practices across core pages.
• WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool): Achieved an average AIM score of 9.7 and above.
• Manual verification: Verified keyboard-only navigation, logo alternative text, and manual contrast checks for all text-over-image elements.