Accessibility Statement | Visit Bruges Press

Visit Bruges strives to make the website accessible to all users, regardless of technological limitations or physical constraints. In doing so, we follow the Flemish Administrative Decree dated 7 December 2018 and which transposed the European Directive (EU) 2016/2102.

This accessibility statement applies to the website https://press.visitbruges.be.

This means that you should be able to:

change the colours, contrast and font.
zoom in without the text falling off the screen.
navigate most parts of the website using only a keyboard.
use most parts of the website with speech software.
have most parts of the website read aloud using a screen reader.

What is web accessibility?

Web accessibility means that websites, tools and technologies are designed and developed so that everyone can use them. The goal of web accessibility is to provide equal access and equal opportunities to people with various types of disabilities. These include everything from visual, hearing, physical, speech, cognitive and neurological disabilities to individuals experiencing temporary limitations, such as a broken arm.

Key principles of web accessibility include:

Perceptibility: Information and user interface components should be presented in different ways so that they are perceptible to any user (for example, text that can be read with a screen reader).
Usability: User interface components and navigation should be usable by everyone (for example, the website should function with a keyboard and users should have sufficient time to read and use content).
Comprehensibility: Information and how to use the user interface should be understandable (for example, text content should be readable and understandable).
Robustness: Content must be robust enough to be reliably interpreted by a wide range of user devices, including assistive technologies.

Adherence to web accessibility standards as outlined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) helps achieve a more inclusive digital environment.

Limitations

Alternative texts:

Missing, incorrect or not descriptive
Decorative images not correctly labelled as decorative
Status indicators without textual alternative

Video and audio:

No subtitles or audio description provided for videos

Structure and semantics:

There is no semantic structure or it is incorrectly used
Navigation landmarks without clear labels
Information displayed only through visual characteristics without correct labelling

Forms and input fields:

Autocomplete attributes are missing
Labels or instructions on forms are missing or unclear.
Form submits automatically upon last input without user verification
No or unclear error suggestions

Visual accessibility:

Links only recognisable by colour, without underlining or sufficient contrast Text contrast insufficient
Text is cut off or becomes unreadable when zoomed to 200%.
Reflow makes content disappear or become inaccessible.
Contrasts between non-textual elements are insufficient
Configured text spacing causes overlapping or cut-off content

Keyboard navigation and interaction:

Focus order not logical
Link purposes unclear without context
Focus indicator not very visible or missing
Functionality via path-based gestures without alternative
Elements are activated before the click (mousedown/touchstart)
Visible labels do not match the name for screen readers

Compatibility with assistive technology:

Custom controls do not work with screen readers or do not have the right ARIA roles
Status messages are not available for assistive technology

Proposed alternatives

For non-accessible elements, there is not always an alternative available at present.

Report problems with the accessibility of this website

We are continually working to improve the accessibility of this website. If you encounter any issues not listed on this page or if you believe we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact our accessibility officer at els.pieraerts@brugge.be or call 050 44 80 00.

You can also file a report through the online City of Bruges Helpdesk or contact us by sending an email to info@brugge.be or call +32 (0)50 44 80 00.

If you have not been helped properly or if you are not satisfied with the response, please contact the Ombudsman service. Submit your complaint using the online form, email your complaint to ombudsman@brugge.be, call +32 (0)50 44 80 90, send a letter to Ombudsman City of Bruges, Hoogstraat 9, 8000 Bruges or drop by during opening hours.

Conformity status

This website is partially compliant with the standard WCAG 2.1 (AA). The site was last tested by Humix BV on 18 April 2025. The website did not meet 12 of the 50 applicable success criteria.

Improvement plan

Following the audit carried out by Humix BV on 18 April 2025, we started improving the content and functionalities that do not meet the WCAG 2.1 (AA) standard. We aim to bring the website into compliance by spring 2026 at the latest.

We are actively working towards improving the accessibility of our online services and content. Although we recognise that certain parts of our website are currently not yet fully accessible, we are working on a detailed plan to address these issues. The improvements will be implemented in phases: some changes can be implemented immediately, as they are within our control. Others require more time and we have informed our suppliers, who will look into it and make changes.

Test method

The test method used is in accordance with the WCAG-EM evaluation methodology.

Scope of the test

All content that was subject to the audit is localised at https://press.visitbruges.be/

Examples of tested pages

Method for selecting sample pages

We selected the 12 most important pages of our website as structured samples.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was drawn up on 26 June 2025 and published on 26 June 2025. Last revised on 26 June 2025.