Accessibility Statement

The Dunfanaghy Workhouse (also known as the Dunfanaghy Workhouse Heritage Centre) is deeply committed to welcoming everyone to our digital home — just as we strive to make our physical heritage site in Donegal open, inclusive, and meaningful for visitors of all backgrounds, abilities, and circumstances.

We believe history belongs to everyone. Our website aims to share the powerful stories of the Famine era, local Donegal heritage, Sheephaven culture, traditions, and community life in a way that is as accessible and enjoyable as possible — regardless of whether you’re using a screen reader, keyboard navigation, mobile device, or any assistive technology.

Our Accessibility Goals & Standards

We are actively working toward full conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA (and increasingly WCAG 2.2 where applicable), which are the internationally recognised standards for web accessibility. These guidelines help ensure our content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for people with visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, or other disabilities.

What We Have Already Implemented

To support a more inclusive experience, we have put the following measures in place:

A fully responsive design that adapts smoothly to desktops, tablets, mobiles, and different screen sizes/orientations.
Keyboard-accessible navigation — all interactive elements (menus, links, buttons, forms) can be reached and operated using only the keyboard (Tab, Enter, Space, etc.).
Proper use of semantic HTML heading structures (H1–H6) to create a clear, logical outline of content that screen readers and assistive tools can follow easily.
Meaningful alternative text (alt attributes) on many images, especially those that carry important informational or contextual value (we continue to improve coverage).
Thoughtful colour contrast choices for text, backgrounds, and interactive elements to support readability for people with low vision or colour blindness.
Accessible forms (contact, booking enquiries) with clear labels, error messages, and logical tab order.
A modern content management system (WordPress) configured to encourage and support accessible content creation.
Avoidance of content that flashes or auto-plays in ways that could cause issues for photosensitive users or those using assistive tech.
Consistent, clear language and structure to aid comprehension for neurodiverse users or those with cognitive disabilities.

Known Accessibility Limitations & Our Improvement Plan

We are honest about the fact that we are not yet fully conformant with WCAG 2.1 (or 2.2) Level AA across the entire site. Some current known issues include:

Not every image currently has a complete or descriptive alt attribute (especially older or decorative images).
Certain legacy content or third-party embeds (e.g. older media players, calendars, or external widgets) may not meet full accessibility requirements.
Some complex interactive elements or documents (PDFs) may lack full tagging or alternative formats.
Keyboard focus indicators could be made more visible in a few places.
A small number of older blog posts or archived pages still need structural and contrast refinements.

We are committed to continuous improvement. Our plan includes:

Ongoing audits using automated tools (such as WAVE, axe DevTools) + manual testing with screen readers (NVDA, VoiceOver) and keyboard-only navigation.
Prioritising fixes for high-impact issues first (navigation, forms, core content pages).
Adding transcripts or captions where audio/video content exists.
Training our content creators on accessibility best practices.
Regular reviews (at least annually) and updates to this statement.

This statement was prepared / last reviewed in February 2026. We aim to make meaningful progress every few months and will update this page accordingly.

Feedback & Contact

We genuinely welcome your feedback — it helps us improve. If you encounter any difficulty using our website, have suggestions for making it more accessible, or need content in an alternative format (e.g. large print, audio description, plain text), please get in touch.

You can also reach us via our contact form or by phone/post using the details on the Contact page.

Thank you for visiting the Dunfanaghy Workhouse Heritage Centre online. We’re honoured to share this important piece of Irish history and local culture with you — and we’re dedicated to making that experience inclusive for all.