Accessibility

1. Our commitment

We want The Online Shopping Expert to be accessible to everyone, whatever device you use and however you navigate the web.

We use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 level AA as our standard. We review the platform against it as we build, and we fix the problems we find.

2. Conformance status

This website partially conforms to WCAG 2.2 level AA.

Partially conforms means that some parts of the platform do not currently meet all of the WCAG 2.2 level AA success criteria. The limitations we are currently aware of are set out in section 4.

We have not yet had an independent accessibility audit. This assessment is based on our own review and testing of the platform.

3. What we have done

The following are in place across the platform:

• A "skip to content" link, so people using a keyboard can jump straight past the navigation to the main content of the page.
• A clear outline around whatever you are focused on when you move through a page with the keyboard. It is coral on the light theme and gold on the dark theme, so it stays visible either way.
• Larger tap areas around small icon buttons, such as close and clear buttons, so they are easier to press accurately on a touch screen.
• Descriptive labels on buttons that show only an icon, so screen reader users know what each one does.
• Dialogs and overlays keep keyboard focus inside them while they are open, and return it to where you were when they close.
• The cookie choices banner can be reached with the keyboard as soon as it appears, and pressing Escape does not record a choice for you.
• Spoken announcements for some updates that happen without the page reloading, such as when a discount code is copied.
• Body text colours have been chosen to meet the WCAG AA contrast requirements, including small text that previously fell below the required level. The text on our primary action buttons does not currently meet the AA contrast requirement on the light theme; this is described in section 4.
• A visible scrollbar on the dark theme.
• Reduced or removed animation across the whole platform when your device is set to prefer reduced motion.
• Alternative text on images that carry meaning, and no announcement of images that are decorative.
• Lists you can reorder, such as the sections of your Shopping Curator profile page and the pinned brands on your dashboard, can be reordered with the arrow keys as well as by dragging.

We do not use an accessibility overlay or toolbar widget. Overlays sit on top of a website and claim to correct accessibility problems automatically. They can interfere with the screen readers and other assistive technology people already use, and they are not a substitute for building the platform accessibly in the first place.

4. Known limitations

We are aware of the following accessibility limitations:

Primary action button contrast. The text on our primary action buttons does not currently meet the WCAG 2.2 level AA contrast requirement on the light theme. The contrast ratio is 2.72:1 in its default state and 3.32:1 on hover, compared with the 4.5:1 minimum required for normal-sized text. This button is used across the platform. The equivalent button on the dark theme meets the required contrast level. We are aware of this limitation and have chosen to launch with the current design while we consider an appropriate change.

Form error messages. Error messages on some forms are not yet linked to the field they relate to in a way that screen readers can follow reliably. We plan to address this as part of a rebuild of the account settings area.

Status messages. Some status messages are not yet announced to screen reader users.

Sign-in and account features. These features have been built, but have not yet been fully tested for accessibility.

Assistive technology testing. Testing with assistive technologies, including screen readers and speech input, is ongoing.

5. Feedback and reporting a problem

If you find something on TOSE you cannot use, or you need content in a different format, please tell us at info@theonlineshoppingexpert.co.uk.

It helps if you can tell us the page you were on, what you were trying to do, and the device, browser or assistive technology you were using.

We aim to acknowledge your message within 5 working days and to tell you what we plan to do and by when. Where we cannot fix something quickly, we will look for another way to give you what you need.

6. Preparation of this statement

This statement was prepared on 13 July 2026 and revised on 31 July 2026. It reflects the accessibility work completed on the platform by that date.

It was prepared following an internal review of the platform against WCAG 2.2 level AA. This statement will be reviewed as the platform develops.