This is our website accessibility statement. For Access information for visiting the Museum please visit our Accessibility webpage.

www.soane.org is run by Sir John Soane’s Museum. 

shop.soane.org is run by Soane Museum Enterprises, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sir John Soane’s Museum. 

Recent accessibility testing and remediation work has focused on www.soane.org. Accessibility issues relating to shop.soane.org are noted where relevant and will be addressed separately.

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 using browser or device settings 
  • zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen 
  • navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software 
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver) 

We’ve 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 Back to top

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

  • some older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • some older videos do not have captions
  • some older images may not have suitable text alternatives
  • some interactive elements provided by third-party services do not fully meet accessibility standards

Feedback and contact information Back to top

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

  • email: admin@soane.org.uk
  • call: + 44 (0) 20 7405 2107
  • write to: Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3BP

We’ll consider your request and get back to you within 30 days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact:

Tilly Buckroyd, Digital Communications Manager

  • email: tbuckroyd@soane.org.uk
  • call: + 44 (0) 20 7440 4271 
  • write to: Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3BP

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 are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility Back to top

Sir John Soane’s Museum is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance Status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below. 

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

  • Some older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software. 

This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content) and 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).  We are working to ensure that all newly published documents meets accessibility standards and will prioritise remediating older documents where they are essential to providing our services.

  • Some older video content does not have captions.

This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.2.2 (Captions – prerecorded). We are working to ensure that all newly published content meets accessibility standards and will prioritise remediating older content where it is essential to providing our services. 

  • Some content does not reflow correctly when viewed on small screens or when zoomed to 400%. In particular, the mobile navigation and mobile search overlay can block access to page content at high zoom levels.

This does not meet WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.10 (Reflow). We have addressed all reflow issues that could be reasonably fixed within the existing codebase. Due to the complexity of the existing navigation and search components, these changes will be addressed as part of a planned redevelopment of the site, where they can be resolved more effectively.

Disproportionate burden

Some accessibility issues relate to legacy components that were implemented many years ago, including the gallery modal functionality. While these components do not meet every WCAG 2.2 success criterion, they remain usable for many users. For example, keyboard users can close the gallery modal using the Escape key, allowing them to exit the modal without becoming trapped.

Fully remediating or replacing these components would require significant redevelopment of older code and dependencies and would represent a disproportionate burden at this time. These elements will be reviewed as part of planned redevelopment of the site, where accessibility can be addressed from the outset. A full disproportionate burden assessment has been carried out in accordance with Regulation 7 of the accessibility regulations and is available on request.

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

Some accessibility issues identified relate to third-party services that are not fully within our control.

  • Cookie consent banner

Accessibility issues identified in relation to the cookie consent banner include focus visibility, focus order, and reflow behaviour when the banner is displayed. The cookie banner is provided via a third-party service and is currently being reviewed as part of a planned change of provider, which we hope will take place by March 2026. Accessibility requirements will be considered as part of this change, and the replacement cookie banner will be expected to meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards.

  • Newsletter signup form (third-party embed):  

Some accessibility issues relate to the embedded newsletter signup form provided by a third-party service. These include checkbox targets that do not meet WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.8 (Target Size – Minimum), as well as contrast issues affecting buttons and error messages, and focus visibility issues. As this content is delivered via a third-party embed, fixes will need to be implemented by the provider or addressed through configuration options where available. We are reviewing these issues with the supplier and will assess alternative solutions if necessary.

What we're doing to improve accessibility Back to top

We are committed to ensuring our website is accessible to all and we are working hard to achieve that, by:

  • Ensuring that all new components are built to the highest WCAG standards possible
  • Providing accessibility guidance to staff who create digital content
  • Planning major redevelopment work, with accessibility at the forefront of decision making
  • Remediating older content where possible

Preparation of this accessibility statement Back to top

This statement was prepared on 22 January 2026.

This website was last tested against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard on 29 November 2025. Automated tests were carried out using a combination of automated accessibility testing tools, including the latest version of Deque Axe Pro, Google Lighthouse and Android Accessibility Scanner, supplemented with manual testing, such as keyboard navigation, screen reader testing and zoom testing, to provide a comprehensive view of accessibility compliance. Further accessibility testing was previously carried out by the Government Digital Service (GDS).