New look Young Scot youth website puts accessibility at its core
Informative, engaging and fun content is at the heart of our youth website.
Our young.scot website is Scotland’s leading information website for young people. It’s packed full of quality-assured information tailored specifically for young people – with accessibility at its core.
This information is shared with young people within the digital spaces they spend their time in – including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and YouTube. Key information and social posts are also translated into Scottish Gaelic.
In support of our diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, we recently launched a new version of the website to ensure that the information we publish is as accessible as it can be.
The new website allows young people to access a wider range of accessibility and language support tools to customise their digital experience through ‘Recite Me’ assistive technology.
As well as an updated format making it easier for young people to find the information most relevant to them, our website now provides an inclusive online experience to enable website visitors to access online content and services barrier-free, in a way that best suits their needs.
Being able to offer an inclusive experience is essential to support over 20% of the population who may encounter barriers when exploring websites due to having a disability, learning difficulty, visual impairment or if they speak English as a second language.
The Recite Me assistive toolbar on our youth-facing website includes screen reading functionality, multiple reading aids, customisable styling options an on-demand live translation feature with over 100 languages including 65 texts to speech and styling options.
Young Scot volunteer Teagan, who is also a member of our Diversity Equity and Inclusion panel, welcomes the incorporation of the Recite Me tool and shares her experience of the importance of online accessibility.
“The Recite Me tool allows young people, professionals, stakeholders, staff, and everyone in between to access the Young Scot website in a way that suits them. By having accessibility tools easily available on the site means you’re embedding access and inclusion from the moment I see the iconic pink and yellow logo. We must normalise accessibility aids because they are exactly that, normal!
“As someone who uses a screen reader at times to help myself access websites while living with cognitive and neurological issues, I was delighted when I first saw the Recite Me tool pop up on the Young Scot site. Far too many websites are simply inaccessible and while I’m privileged enough to be able to navigate the internet without a screen reader, many people don’t have a choice. We shouldn’t have to choose between getting the information, support, and opportunities we need simply because we have different needs from others.
“To see a website that is not only accessible but goes the extra mile to ensure everyone has the tools they need to navigate your website, right on the page, is amazing. I hope more organisations follow this lead and begin to implement embedded accessibility in their websites and services, as well as create safe spaces for feedback on these tools to ensure everyone is getting the best experience possible.”