Accessibility Statement

Scope of This Statement

This statement applies to the website located at www.balancephysiogc.com.au, including all pages and subpages. The website is built on the WordPress platform using the Elementor page builder and covers the following content areas:

• Home page and service overview
• Physiotherapy service pages (Physiotherapy, Sports Physiotherapy, Paediatric Physiotherapy, Women’s Health, Vestibular Physiotherapy, Remedial and Sports Massage, Shockwave Therapy, Osteopathy, Dry Needling, Headache Clinic, TMJ Therapy, VALD Performance®, Exercise Rehabilitation)
• About Us, Our Team, and practitioner profile pages
• Location information (Mermaid Beach clinic)
• Service Prices page
• Bookings page (linking to Cliniko booking platform)
• Contact Us page
• Resource Hub / Blog
• Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

Note: The online booking system (Cliniko) is operated by a third party. While we encourage Cliniko to maintain accessible practices, we are not responsible for the accessibility of third-party platforms.

Conformance Status

We are working towards full conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. At this time, the website is partially conformant — meaning some content may not yet fully meet all WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criteria.

Based on our review of the site, the following accessibility features are in place:

• A ‘Skip to content’ link is present at the top of the page to support keyboard and screen reader navigation.
• Navigation menus are structured with clear labels and logical hierarchy.
• The website is responsive and adapts to different screen sizes and devices (including mobile).
• Images include descriptive alt text (e.g., staff headshots, partner logos, and the clinic logo include alt attributes).
• Pages include structured heading levels (H1, H2, H3) to assist with screen reader navigation.
• Contact details (phone number and email address) are provided in text form with clickable links.
• Opening hours are displayed in a structured, readable format.
• Colour contrast has been considered in the site’s branding design.
• The website uses standard HTML elements with semantic meaning where possible.

Known Limitations

We have identified the following areas where accessibility may be limited. We are actively working to address these:

• Partner logo images in the ‘Our Partners’ section appear to have empty or missing alt text, which may prevent screen reader users from identifying these organisations.
• Some interactive elements (e.g., phone number popup links using Elementor popup actions) use non-standard href values that may not function optimally with all assistive technologies.
• Embedded Google Maps iframes may present challenges for keyboard-only users or screen readers without additional accessible alternatives.
• Some SVG images (including the ’23 Years’ banner) may lack sufficient textual descriptions for users who cannot perceive visual content.
• The Cliniko booking system (third-party) may have its own accessibility limitations beyond our direct control.
• Dropdown navigation menus have not been independently tested with assistive technologies and may present challenges for keyboard-only navigation.
• ARIA labels and landmark roles have not been independently audited; some interactive components built in Elementor may lack appropriate ARIA attributes.

Assistive Technologies Supported

We aim for the website to be usable with the following assistive technologies and user agents:

• Screen readers (e.g., NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver on iOS/macOS)
• Keyboard-only navigation
• Browser zoom up to 200%
• High contrast display modes
• Voice control software (e.g., Dragon NaturallySpeaking)

Technical Specifications

The accessibility of this website relies on the following technologies:

• HTML5
• CSS3
• JavaScript
• WordPress (CMS)
• Elementor (page builder)

These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards applied.

Assessment Approach

Balance Physio has assessed the accessibility of this website through the following methods:

• Self-evaluation by reviewing page content and structure
• Review of HTML source and metadata
• Manual inspection of image alt text, heading hierarchy, and link labels
• Review of site navigation and keyboard accessibility

We intend to commission an independent third-party accessibility audit to supplement this self-assessment and address any issues identified.

Ongoing Accessibility Efforts

Balance Physio is committed to continuous improvement of the accessibility of this website. Our planned actions include:

• Remediation of missing or inadequate alt text for partner logo images
• Review and improvement of ARIA labelling on interactive components
• Provision of a text-based or embedded alternative for the Google Maps iframe
• User testing with people who use assistive technologies
• Staff training on digital accessibility best practices
• Regular review of this accessibility statement (at minimum annually)

Feedback and Contact Information

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of our website. If you experience any barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us.

We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days. If you require information or a service from our website in an alternative format, we will endeavour to accommodate your request.