Accessibility statement for the Firm Engagement Portal

This accessibility statement applies to the Firm Engagement Portal.

This website is run by the Bank of England. 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
  • zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate the website using just a keyboard
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We have 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.

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

  • some links do not explain what happens when selected (for example, opens a new window or downloads a file)
  • some document links do not include file type or file size
  • some tables and structures do not expose relationships correctly to assistive technologies
  • some modal dialogs and status changes are not announced correctly to screen reader users
  • some form labels are unclear or repetitive, and text spacing can cause modal content to overflow

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve our website's accessibility. We know it’s important to keep improving so if you read anything that's unclear on our website or you have any trouble using it, please let us know by emailing us at: PortalMarketOutreach@bankofengland.co.uk

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 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). 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

The Bank of England is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the accessibility regulations.

Compliance status

This website complies only partly with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, for the reasons listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Links with unclear purpose

Some links open in a new window or trigger a file download without informing screen reader users of this behaviour. In other cases, some links are announced with roles that do not reflect their actual function (for example, links that do not navigate). This can prevent users from understanding the purpose and outcome of a link before activating it. This issue falls under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose).

Missing or incorrect structural relationships

Some interactive elements and content structures do not convey correct relationships to assistive technologies. This includes tables without column or row headers, tables read as plain text when navigating with arrow keys, and controls announced with misleading roles. As a result, users may not be able to understand how content is organised or how elements relate to one another. This issue falls under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).

Unclear or redundant form field announcements

Some form controls, including date input fields, announce repeated or irrelevant information to screen reader users. In some cases, format instructions and validation messages (such as “invalid entry”) are announced when the field receives focus rather than only after incorrect input. This can make it difficult for users to understand what information is required and when an error has occurred. This issue falls under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 3.3.2 (Labels and Instructions) and 3.3.1 (Error Identification).

Tables lacking valid markup

Some tables do not use the required HTML structure to expose headers and cell relationships to assistive technologies. Screen readers cannot correctly announce table context, making the information difficult to interpret for users relying on non visual navigation. This issue falls under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing).

Modal dialogs not announced correctly

Some modal dialogs are announced only as headings and do not expose their dialog role to assistive technologies. Users are not informed that a modal has opened, which can lead to confusion and loss of context. This issue falls under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).

Input actions without status feedback

After activating certain controls (for example, confirming, cancelling, adding, or deleting files), screen readers announce only generic input feedback such as “Enter”. Changes in state or outcome are not announced, preventing users from understanding the result of their action. This issue falls under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 3.2.2 (On Input).

Errors not announced to screen reader users

Required field errors are visually displayed but are not announced to screen reader users when validation fails. Error messages are not programmatically associated with their corresponding fields, and users are not informed that an error has occurred, which can make it difficult to identify and correct issues. This issue falls under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 3.3.1 (Error Identification) and WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages).

Unclear or redundant labels and instructions

Some controls announce repeated or unnecessary information, while others do not clearly communicate required status or purpose. In some cases, loading messages are announced repeatedly without user interaction. This can make forms more difficult to understand and complete using assistive technologies. This issue falls under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 3.3.2 (Labels and Instructions).

Links to non-HTML documents missing file type and file size information

Across the website, some links to non-HTML documents do not provide the file type and/or file size in the link text. As a result, users may not understand what will open or download before activating the link. This issue falls under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose).

Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

Redundant title text

In some instances, screen reader users are presented with redundant title (tooltip) text, which can make content slower to navigate and understand. These title attributes are generated by Microsoft Power Pages by default, and we have removed them wherever possible. This issue falls under WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose).

Form Structure and Legends

Some <fieldset> elements in our forms do not include <legend> tags. In some cases, this is due to standard Microsoft Power Pages controls which restrict our ability to customise the underlying structure. In other cases, we consider legends unnecessary because grouped inputs already have clear context through semantic headings (for example, <h2>/<h3>) and correctly associated <label> elements. Screen reader testing indicates this provides the required relationships and instructions, meeting WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels), and 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions). We will continue to monitor to ensure grouped controls remain understandable.

Layout Tables

In some instances, we use Microsoft Power Pages layout tables provided out of the box. Because these <table> elements are used for layout rather than data, they do not contain header (<th>) cells. This issue falls under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.3.2 (Meaningful Sequence).

Illogical heading structure

On the profile page, a first-level heading (<h1>) is missing and heading levels are skipped in some instances. We use Microsoft Power Pages components provided out of the box, which limits our ability to modify the underlying structure. These issues fall under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are actively addressing these issues as part of an ongoing accessibility improvement plan. Where third party components do not yet meet accessibility requirements, we will prioritise accessible alternatives, explore supported customisations, or consider alternative solutions where necessary.

Disproportionate burden+

Non applicable.

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

PDFs and other documents

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 01 April 2026. It was last reviewed in April 2026. This website was last tested in March 2026 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard. The test was carried out by the Bank of England internal team. The website was tested manually and by using automated testing tools, conducted by our website and test team.