Accessibility Statement

Alpine Extensions is committed to ensuring that everyone can browse our work, understand our services and contact us easily — whatever their ability, and whatever device or assistive technology they use.

Accessibility is treated as part of the design brief rather than an afterthought. The same care we apply to the homes we build is applied to the way our website reads, navigates and responds.

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA, the internationally recognised standard for accessible web content and the benchmark referenced in UK guidance and the Equality Act 2010.

• Perceivable — content is presented in ways people can see, hear or feel.
• Operable — every function can be reached and used by keyboard as well as by pointer or touch.
• Understandable — language, navigation and forms behave predictably.
• Robust — markup is semantic, so assistive technologies can interpret it reliably.

We regard WCAG 2.2 AA as a working target rather than a finished achievement, and we keep testing as the website evolves.

The following measures are built into how this website is designed, developed and maintained.

• Semantic HTML landmarks, so screen readers can jump between navigation, main content and footer.
• A visible 'Skip to content' link as the first item in the tab order.
• Clear, high-contrast focus indicators on every link, button and form control.
• Colour combinations checked against WCAG AA contrast ratios.
• Alternative text written for every meaningful image, with decorative imagery hidden from assistive technology.
• Enquiry forms with permanently visible labels, correct input types and autocomplete support.
• Animations that automatically reduce when a visitor has 'reduce motion' enabled on their device.
• Accessibility considered during design reviews and re-checked whenever pages change.

Across the site we aim to provide:

• Clear and consistent navigation on every page.
• Responsive layouts that adapt to desktop, tablet and mobile.
• High colour contrast between text and background.
• Readable typography with comfortable line length and spacing.
• Alternative text for meaningful images.
• Keyboard-accessible navigation and controls.
• Accessible enquiry forms with clear labels and validation messages.
• A logical heading hierarchy on every page.
• Descriptive link text that makes sense out of context.
• Support for screen readers wherever technically possible.
• Touch targets on mobile that are large enough to select comfortably.
• Reduced motion for visitors who prefer minimal animation.
• Fast loading through optimised images, fonts and code.

Keyboard Navigation

Every interactive element — menus, buttons, links, form fields, the before-and-after slider and the cookie preference centre — can be reached and operated with the Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space and arrow keys. Focus order follows the visual reading order, focus is never trapped, and dialogs can be dismissed with the Escape key.

Screen Reader Compatibility

Pages are built with semantic HTML — headings, lists, landmarks, buttons and labelled form fields — so that screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver and TalkBack can announce content accurately. ARIA attributes are used only where native HTML cannot convey the meaning.

Colour Contrast & Readability

Our palette of bone white, charcoal and bronze has been chosen so body text and interface elements meet AA contrast ratios. Colour is never the only way we convey meaning: errors, status and emphasis are always accompanied by text or an icon.

Responsive Design

Layouts reflow to any screen size and remain usable at up to 200% browser zoom without loss of content or horizontal scrolling. Tap targets on mobile are sized for comfortable one-handed use.

Images & Alternative Text

Project photography, renders and before-and-after imagery carry descriptive alternative text explaining what the image shows. Purely decorative graphics are marked so that screen readers skip them rather than reading meaningless filenames.

Accessible Forms

Our enquiry forms use visible labels tied to each field, appropriate input types and autocomplete values, clearly grouped options and validation messages that are announced to assistive technology as well as displayed on screen. Required fields are identified in text, not by colour alone.

Where we publish documents such as brochures, specifications or planning information, we aim to provide them in accessible formats with tagged headings, readable text and alternative text for images.

Some older documents may not yet meet these standards. If you need a document in a different format, contact us using the details below and we will provide an accessible version at no cost.

The website is designed and tested to work with the current and previous major versions of the following browsers, on both desktop and mobile:

• Google Chrome
• Apple Safari (macOS and iOS)
• Microsoft Edge
• Mozilla Firefox
• Samsung Internet

It is also designed to work with browser zoom, operating-system text-size settings, high contrast modes and common screen readers. Very old or unsupported browsers may not display the site as intended.

Some elements of the website are provided by third parties — for example embedded YouTube videos, Google Maps, review widgets and social media content. We do not control the accessibility of these services and cannot guarantee they meet WCAG 2.2 AA.

Where third-party content presents a barrier, we will provide the same information in an accessible alternative on request, and we raise the issue with the provider where we can.

Despite our efforts, some limitations may remain. We are aware of, and actively working on, the following areas:

• Embedded third-party media players and maps may not be fully keyboard or screen-reader friendly.
• Some older project photographs may have brief alternative text that we are in the process of improving.
• A small number of legacy PDF documents may not yet be fully tagged for screen readers.

If you encounter a barrier that is not listed here, please tell us — reports from visitors are the most valuable part of our testing.

We welcome feedback. If you have difficulty using any part of this website, please contact us and include, where you can:

• The web address (URL) of the page concerned.
• A short description of the problem you experienced.
• The device, browser and any assistive technology you were using.

We aim to acknowledge accessibility reports within two working days and to respond fully within ten working days. If a fix will take longer, we will explain why and offer an alternative way to get the information or service you need.

If you need any information from this website in a different format, we will provide it free of charge. Options include:

• Large print
• Plain text or accessible Word documents
• Audio description or a spoken summary over the phone
• Easy read summaries of our process and quotations
• A guided walkthrough of your 4D design with a designer describing the space

Simply call or email us with what you need and the format that suits you best. We are also happy to discuss your project entirely by telephone or at your home if that is easier than using the website.

Accessibility is an ongoing commitment. We review the website regularly using a combination of automated testing, manual keyboard testing and screen-reader checks, and we assess accessibility whenever we add new pages or features.

This statement is reviewed at least annually, and updated sooner whenever significant changes are made to the website.

To report an accessibility problem, request an alternative format or ask a question about this statement, please contact us.

• Company: Alpine Extensions
• Address: C11, Marquis Court, Kingsway South, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE11 0RU
• Email: info@alpineextensions.com
• Telephone: 0800 433 2699

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS), which provides free advice on accessibility and discrimination in the UK.