Built for everyone.

Our commitment.

Berala Dental is committed to making our website and services accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of ability. This includes patients and visitors who use assistive technologies (such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, voice recognition software, or switch devices), patients with low vision or colour-vision deficiencies, patients who navigate by keyboard rather than mouse, patients with motor disabilities, and patients with cognitive or learning disabilities.

This is part of our broader commitment to equitable access to dental care for the diverse community of Berala, Auburn, and surrounding suburbs.

Standard we follow.

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This is the standard recommended by the Australian Government, expected by Australian courts, and referenced by the Australian Human Rights Commission as a benchmark for compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth).

The four core principles of WCAG are:

• Perceivable — information must be presentable in ways users can perceive (e.g. text alternatives for images)
• Operable — user-interface components must be operable (e.g. usable by keyboard)
• Understandable — content and operation must be understandable (e.g. plain language, predictable behaviour)
• Robust — content must work reliably with current and future assistive technologies

Measures we've taken.

To support accessibility, we have:

• Designed the site using semantic HTML — so screen readers can correctly understand headings, lists, links, buttons, and form fields
• Provided alternative text for meaningful images so screen readers can describe them to users who cannot see them
• Ensured the site is fully navigable by keyboard alone — no feature requires a mouse or touch screen
• Used colour combinations that meet WCAG AA contrast requirements for body text (4.5:1 ratio) and large text (3:1 ratio)
• Avoided relying on colour alone to convey meaning — important information is also conveyed through text or shape
• Designed the site to be responsive across screen sizes from small mobile phones up to large desktop monitors
• Allowed users to zoom up to 200% without losing content or functionality
• Used plain English wherever possible — avoiding clinical jargon in patient-facing pages
• Provided visible focus indicators so keyboard users can see where they are on the page
• Marked up forms with clear labels and helpful instructions, with required fields clearly indicated
• Ensured error messages are clear, specific, and not reliant on colour alone
• Avoided auto-playing audio or video with sound
• Avoided flashing or strobing content that could trigger seizures

Accessibility features.

For users with low vision or blindness

• Compatible with screen readers including NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, and TalkBack
• Sufficient colour contrast on all text and meaningful graphics
• Text resizable up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
• Alternative text on meaningful images and icons
• Logical reading order when content is read by assistive technology

For users navigating without a mouse

• All functionality available via keyboard alone
• Visible keyboard focus indicators on links, buttons, and form fields
• Logical tab order through the page
• No keyboard traps
• "Skip to content" link near the top of each page (where applicable)

For users with cognitive or learning disabilities

• Plain English content wherever possible
• Consistent navigation across pages
• Clear, descriptive page titles
• Forms with helpful instructions and clear error messages
• Generous time limits — no automatic logouts mid-form

For users with motor or fine-motor disabilities

• Large click and tap targets (minimum 44 × 44 pixels for primary actions on mobile)
• No reliance on time-sensitive interactions
• Forms that don't reset on minor errors

Conformance summary.

The table below summarises the current accessibility status of major areas of beraladental.com.au:

Known limitations.

We're committed to honesty about what works and what doesn't. Currently:

• Some third-party embeds — such as Google Maps, embedded booking widgets, and some social media embeds — may have accessibility limitations that are outside our direct control. We choose providers with strong accessibility records where possible, and we provide alternative ways to access the same information (for example, our address is available as text near the map embed).
• Some images may not have detailed alt text if they are purely decorative. We're working through our image library to ensure all meaningful images have appropriate alt text.
• Older blog posts may not yet meet all current accessibility standards. We are reviewing and updating older content progressively.

If you encounter a barrier we haven't listed, please let us know — see Feedback & Barriers below.

Assistive technologies we've tested with.

We've tested major site flows using:

• VoiceOver on macOS and iOS
• TalkBack on Android
• NVDA on Windows with Firefox and Chrome
• Keyboard-only navigation across major browsers
• Browser zoom up to 200%
• High-contrast mode on Windows

Alternative formats.

If you'd like information from our website in a different format — for example, large print, plain text, audio, or printed and posted to you — please contact us. We're happy to provide reasonable alternatives at no charge.

Accessibility at the clinic.

Our practice at 184 Woodburn Road, Berala is wheelchair accessible. Specifically:

• Step-free entry from street level
• Wide doorways suitable for wheelchairs and mobility aids
• Accessible bathroom on the ground floor
• Reception desk accessible to wheelchair users
• Treatment rooms suitable for transfers from wheelchairs

If you have specific accessibility needs for your appointment — such as needing extra time, an Auslan interpreter (via the National Auslan Booking Service), a translator for another language, sensory accommodations, or a chaperone — please tell us when you book and we'll arrange what's needed. There is no extra charge for any reasonable adjustment.

Feedback & barriers.

If you have any feedback about the accessibility of our website, or if you encountered a barrier that prevented you from using a feature or accessing information, we want to hear from you. Your feedback helps us improve.

You can let us know in any of these ways:

• Email hello@beraladental.com.au with the subject "Accessibility"
• Phone us on (02) 9649 6468 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-4pm)
• WhatsApp us on +61 480 198 320
• Drop in to the practice at 184 Woodburn Road, Berala NSW 2141

Please tell us:

• What page or feature you had trouble with (URL is helpful)
• What you were trying to do
• What happened — what didn't work, or what was confusing
• What device, browser, or assistive technology you were using (if relevant)

We aim to respond within 5 working days. If a fix will take longer than that, we'll explain what we're doing and when we expect it to be done.

Legal framework.

Our approach to accessibility is informed by:

• Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) — the federal law that makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the basis of disability, including in the provision of goods and services
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA — the international standard issued by the W3C and recommended by the Australian Government for accessible web content
• Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) — NSW state-level protections against disability discrimination
• Guidance issued by the Australian Human Rights Commission, including the Commission's World Wide Web Access: Disability Discrimination Act Advisory Notes

Ongoing review.

This site is regularly reviewed for accessibility. We:

• Run automated accessibility checks (such as Lighthouse and axe) at least once per quarter
• Conduct manual keyboard and screen-reader checks of new pages and features before they go live
• Update this Accessibility Statement whenever there is a material change in our practices
• Welcome user feedback as a key input — most real-world barriers are found by people using assistive technologies, not by automated tools

Contact us.