Accessible experiences at Gardening Victoria

Gardening Victoria is committed to ensuring our resources and events are accessible to the widest possible audience. This accessibility statement explains our approach and the practical features we implement to support people with diverse needs. We aim to make Gardening Victoria content usable, navigable and understandable for everyone, including visitors who rely on assistive technologies.

We design our online materials to meet WCAG 2.1 AA compliance as a baseline standard. Compliance helps guide our choices about structure, color contrast, readable typography and predictable navigation. Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA does not guarantee perfection, but it frames our continuous improvement priorities and measurable goals across the Gardening Victoria area.

Screen-reader support is central to our design process. We provide semantic HTML, meaningful headings, and ARIA landmarks where appropriate so that screen readers convey clear structure. Alt text is supplied for graphics and images where useful; where images are decorative we mark them accordingly so assistive software can skip them.

Keyboard navigation is fully supported across our online interfaces. Users can tab through links, form controls, menus and widgets without relying on a mouse. Focus order follows a logical reading sequence and visible focus styles are applied to help users see where they are on the page. We test interactive components in multiple browsers and with common assistive tools.

Our accessibility features include but are not limited to:

• Clear headings and lists for content structure
• Consistent navigation patterns across pages
• High color contrast options and scalable text
• Keyboard operability and skip links

We also provide guidance for content creators within Gardening Victoria to use plain language, descriptive link text and accessible documents. Where we publish downloadable resources we strive to make those files accessible or to provide accessible alternatives on request.

Where limitations exist, we describe them and provide remedies. Occasionally, third-party content or legacy materials may not fully meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards; when that occurs we work to offer alternative formats or assisted access. We perform routine accessibility testing using automated tools and manual checks, and we document remediation plans for identified issues.

To support multiple needs, Gardening Victoria offers alternative formats for certain content on request. These may include larger print, plain text versions or guided assistance for using site features. We endeavour to process accessibility requests in a timely manner and to prioritise urgent needs for participation in events or access to essential information.

If you encounter barriers to accessing Gardening Victoria content or services, please let us know through the organisation's established contact channels so we can assist and record the issue. We aim to respond promptly, investigate the concern and, where possible, provide an accessible alternative. We welcome reports that help us improve.

Continuous improvement is part of our commitment. Gardening Victoria reviews accessibility practices as technologies and standards evolve. We prioritise fixes that affect the most users and maintain a development roadmap to address medium- and long-term improvements.

Training is provided for staff and volunteers to ensure accessibility is considered when creating events, publications and online posts within the Gardening Victoria area. Regular audits and user testing, including sessions with assistive technology users, inform design choices and updates.

Thank you for reading our accessibility statement. Your input is valuable; by telling us about problems you encounter you help Gardening Victoria become more inclusive. We are committed to transparency, reasonable accommodations and ongoing alignment with accessibility best practices.