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Accessibility statement for NHS Couch to 5K

This accessibility statement applies to the NHS Couch to 5K mobile application.

This application is run by the Department of Health and Social Care. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this application. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and font sizes
  • zoom in up to 200% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the application using just a keyboard
  • listen to most of the application using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of TalkBack and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the application text and tone of voice as simple as possible to understand.

Adapting the content to your specific needs

If you have a disability or other specific access needs, AbilityNet has advice guides to help you adapt your device to make it easier to use.

How accessible this application is

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

  • all audio content does not have an adequate accessible alternative 
  • when navigating the application using an external keyboard, it may not be possible to access all content onscreen
  • content cannot be viewed in landscape orientation

Reporting accessibility problems with this application

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this app. If you find any problems not listed on this page, or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please email us using the link below.

To assist us in resolving the issue you are experiencing, please inform us of the device type you are using (iOS or Android), what app you are using (in this case the NHS Couch to 5K mobile application), what screen you were on (e.g. Week 2, Run 1) and the issue you have faced. This will give us the information we need to consider and investigate your request and get back to you within 5 working days.

You can use the template below:

  1. Device type:
  2. App name:
  3. Screen title or feature:
  4. Issue summary:
  5. Supporting information:

Email the Better Health team

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 application’s accessibility

The Department of Health and Social Care is committed to making its application accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This application is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Decorative images have informative alternative attributes, which presents unnecessary information to screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 Non-text Content.
This issue cannot currently be resolved due to limitations with third party content. We will review this again by March 2027.

An adequate alternative text transcript is not currently provided for some audio content. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.2.1 Pre-Recorded Audio-Only and Video-Only. This has been partially resolved by introducing text transcripts alongside Ella Toone, Sarah Millican, Jo Whiley and Steve Cram trainer programmes, with remaining rollout of text transcripts expected to be completed by June 2026.

Pre-recorded videos do not have a text transcript or audio description track within the app. The user is not informed that the transcript is available on YouTube. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative.
We plan to resolve this by October 2026.

Pre-recorded videos do not have an audio description track. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.2.5 Audio Description (Pre-Recorded). This issue cannot currently be resolved due to limitations with third party content. We will review this again March 2027.

Some text does not reflect native display settings when zooming text only to 200% using device zoom controls. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.4 Resize Text. This issue cannot currently be resolved due to limitations. We will review this again March 2027.

A keyboard trap is present when navigating with iOS VoiceOver. This can cause problems for users of screen reader navigation who may be unable to navigate away from this element. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap.
We plan to resolve this by October 2026.

There is no inbuilt way for screen reader users to return to the top of the screen quickly after navigating through long text content on some screens, which could make it more time consuming for some users to navigate the application. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks.
We plan to resolve this by October 2026.

The focus order of the page is not logical when navigating with an external keyboard on iOS. Users who rely on keyboard access for operating a page benefit from a logical, usable focus order. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.3 Focus Order. This issue cannot currently be resolved due to limitations. We will review this again March 2027.

The focus order of the page is not logical when navigating with Android TalkBack. Users who rely on a screen reader for operating a page benefit from a logical, usable focus order. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.3 Focus Order.
We plan to resolve this by October 2026.

When activating controls on the screen, the change in state is not announced when navigating with a mobile screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.2.2 On Input.
We plan to resolve this by October 2026.

Status messages are announced incorrectly or not announced by screen readers. This may result in users being unaware that important information on the page has changed. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.3 Status Messages.
We plan to resolve this by October 2026.

Disproportionate burden

Orientation 

The application can only be viewed in a portrait view and cannot be adjusted to landscape. This is due to the limitations of the viewpoint for mobile applications.  

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues with video players and the application orientation. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will make another assessment when the supplier contract is up for renewal, likely to be in August 2026.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We will be focusing on improving the app for all our users including a commitment to undertake user and usability testing to better understand and support user needs, with independent annual third-party accessibility audits and reviews.

We are:

  • Reviewing all new features for accessibility as part of our design and QA processes
  • Testing interactive components (like modals, buttons, and forms) for keyboard and screen reader support
  • Maintaining and reviewing our accessibility statement and WCAG audit results
  • Monitoring client feedback for accessibility issues and acting on it as part of our development process

The next independent audit of Couch to 5K will be carried out in October 2026.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was initially prepared on 16 January 2024. It was last reviewed and updated on 26 March 2026.

This application was last audited on 6 October 2025. The test was carried out by Zoonou Ltd.

Zoonou used the Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM) 1.0 to define the pages tested and test approach.

Visit the WCAG website for more information.

Page last reviewed: 26 March 2026
Next review due: 1 October 2026