Accessibility Policy

2. Purpose of this policy

This policy is intended to:

• describe our general approach to website and digital accessibility;
• explain how accessibility may apply to data consulting and business-support services;
• identify practical measures that may reduce accessibility barriers;
• clarify client, user and third-party responsibilities;
• provide a method for requesting assistance or reporting concerns; and
• avoid unsupported claims about certification, compliance or guaranteed accessibility.

3. Scope and application

This policy applies, where relevant, to:

• the DataConsultant website at https://dataconsultant.in;
• website pages, navigation, forms, documents, images, videos and other content controlled by us;
• electronic communications, downloadable resources and online enquiries;
• data analytics, business intelligence, data engineering, reporting and dashboard engagements;
• data strategy, migration, integration, automation, database and research services;
• artificial intelligence and machine learning support;
• training, advisory, technical support, project-based services and managed teams; and
• client deliverables where accessibility is included in an applicable written scope.

It does not automatically apply to systems, websites, software, content or platforms that we do not own, control, design, manage or contractually support.

4. What accessibility means

In this policy, accessibility means designing, presenting, operating or supporting digital information and services in ways that seek to reduce barriers for people with different abilities, needs, technologies and methods of interaction.

Depending on the context, relevant considerations may include:

• keyboard access and visible focus;
• clear headings, page structure and navigation;
• readable text, adequate contrast and text resizing;
• descriptive links, controls and form labels;
• text alternatives for meaningful images;
• captions, transcripts or alternatives for multimedia;
• compatibility with commonly used assistive technologies;
• predictable interactions and understandable instructions;
• reduced reliance on colour, motion or strict time limits; and
• alternative formats where a primary format creates a barrier.

5. Our accessibility approach

Where relevant and reasonably practical, our approach may include:

• using structured headings and meaningful page titles;
• providing text alternatives for important non-text content;
• supporting keyboard navigation for key website functions;
• using descriptive labels for links, buttons and forms;
• reviewing visual contrast and avoiding colour-only instructions;
• designing responsive layouts for different screen sizes;
• providing clear form instructions and error information;
• considering reduced-motion preferences;
• reviewing new features for avoidable barriers; and
• evaluating reported issues and possible alternatives.

These measures describe a general approach and do not guarantee that every user will experience our website or services without difficulty.

6. Standards, assessment and conformance

We may use recognised accessibility guidance, including an appropriate version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, as a reference when designing, reviewing or improving digital content.

However:

• reference to a standard does not by itself establish full conformance;
• conformance depends on the version, level, pages, components, technologies and date assessed;
• automated tools alone cannot identify every issue;
• a partial review is not equivalent to a complete audit;
• different jurisdictions and contracts may impose different requirements; and
• this policy is not a formal audit opinion, certification or legal determination.

Unless we publish a specific written statement supported by an appropriate assessment, we do not claim that the website or a deliverable fully conforms to a particular standard.

7. Website accessibility

We seek to make key website information and functions reasonably accessible to a broad range of users.

Accessibility may nevertheless be affected by:

• the browser, device, operating system or assistive technology used;
• browser extensions, user settings or internet performance;
• third-party forms, widgets, chat, scheduling, video or analytics tools;
• older pages, archived materials or legacy components;
• documents with technical or source-format limitations;
• content supplied by clients, vendors or other third parties; and
• temporary technical faults, maintenance or platform changes.

8. Alternative access and reasonable assistance

If you experience difficulty accessing information or completing an action, contact us using the details below.

Where reasonably practical, we may:

• explain information by email or another suitable method;
• provide content in an alternative electronic format;
• help you locate information or complete an enquiry;
• provide a text description of relevant visual information;
• arrange an alternative method for a meeting, consultation or training session; or
• refer the issue for technical review.

We will not ask for unnecessary medical details. We may request enough information to understand the barrier and consider a suitable response.

9. Accessibility in consulting and professional services

Accessibility requirements for a client engagement should be discussed during discovery, scoping, planning or contracting. They may be relevant to dashboards, reports, visualisations, data portals, forms, training materials, spreadsheets, presentations, AI interfaces and other digital deliverables.

Unless expressly included in writing, a general project scope does not automatically include:

• a formal accessibility audit;
• testing against every accessibility criterion;
• testing with every assistive technology, browser or device;
• user testing involving people with disabilities;
• remediation of existing client systems or content;
• preparation of formal accessibility declarations;
• jurisdiction-specific legal analysis; or
• ongoing monitoring after delivery.

These activities may require a separate scope, budget, timetable or qualified specialist.

10. Dashboards, data visualisations and reports

Charts, maps, colour scales, filters, animations, dense tables and interactive dashboards can create accessibility challenges. Where included in scope, relevant measures may include:

• meaningful titles, descriptions, labels and legends;
• alternatives to colour-only communication;
• keyboard interaction where the selected platform permits;
• text summaries or accessible tables for important information;
• consistent metric definitions and terminology;
• reduced unnecessary motion; and
• consideration of contrast, zoom and screen-reader behaviour.

Accessibility may depend on the selected analytics platform, browser, plugins, embedded components, client configuration and source data. Accessibility does not establish the accuracy of a metric or analytical conclusion.

11. Client responsibilities

Depending on the engagement, clients may be responsible for:

• identifying relevant countries, sectors, users and legal requirements;
• defining the required standard, version, level and acceptance criteria;
• identifying browsers, devices, assistive technologies and journeys to be tested;
• providing accessible source content, branding assets, data and instructions;
• selecting suitable third-party platforms;
• providing timely access, feedback, testing and approvals;
• arranging specialist or user testing where needed;
• maintaining accessibility after handover; and
• informing us of complaints or material changes affecting the agreed work.

Changes to content, code, datasets, themes, plugins, integrations or configuration after delivery may introduce new barriers.

12. Client content, data and confidential information

We may rely on content, data, documents, terminology, designs and technical materials supplied or approved by a client. Clients should ensure that supplied materials are authorised, relevant, accurate and suitable for the intended use.

Client data will be handled according to the applicable service agreement, the client’s documented instructions, relevant confidentiality arrangements, any applicable data-processing agreement and legal obligations.

Accessibility reports should not contain passwords, private keys, authentication codes or unnecessary personal, confidential or sensitive information.

13. Third-party tools, platforms and integrations

Our website and services may use, connect with, recommend or depend on cloud platforms, analytics tools, business intelligence systems, document software, communication services, AI providers, APIs, plugins, themes, hosting providers and other third-party technologies.

We do not control every aspect of third-party accessibility. Providers may change interfaces, functionality, accessibility support, availability or terms without notice. We may investigate settings, recommend an alternative or raise an issue, but we cannot guarantee that a third party will correct or maintain a feature.

14. Artificial intelligence and automated systems

AI and automated systems may create accessibility opportunities but can also produce unreliable or incomplete results.

• Automatically generated captions may contain errors.
• Generated image descriptions may omit important context.
• Speech recognition may perform differently across accents and environments.
• Automated accessibility testing may miss context-dependent barriers.
• Generated code may not use accessible interaction patterns.
• Model or vendor changes may affect previously reviewed functionality.

AI-generated accessibility outputs should be reviewed by an appropriately informed person before publication, production use or material reliance. We do not guarantee that such outputs are accurate, complete, unbiased, original, lawful or accessible.

15. Documents, communications, meetings and training

We may provide proposals, reports, presentations, spreadsheets, training materials and technical documents in commonly used formats. Their accessibility may depend on the source application, exported format, reading software, document structure, embedded content, security controls and later modifications.

Material document-accessibility requirements should be identified before work begins. Retrofitting a complex or legacy document may require additional work.

For meetings, workshops or training, participants should notify us of relevant accessibility requirements as early as reasonably possible so that available options can be considered.

16. Known and potential limitations

Despite reasonable efforts, some content or functionality may not be fully accessible to every user. Potential limitations include:

• older or archived content;
• complex charts, diagrams, maps or data visualisations;
• documents created before accessibility needs were identified;
• third-party widgets or embedded services;
• multimedia without complete captions or transcripts;
• inaccessible client-supplied or external content;
• technical limitations in analytics or BI platforms;
• authentication and security processes;
• temporary issues following software updates; and
• incomplete compatibility with a particular assistive technology.

17. Testing and evaluation limitations

Accessibility may be evaluated using automated tools, keyboard testing, visual review, code inspection, document inspection, screen-reader review or user-flow testing.

Unless expressly agreed:

• testing will not cover every page, state, browser, device or assistive technology;
• results reflect the content and technology available at the time;
• later changes may invalidate earlier findings;
• passing an automated test does not establish complete accessibility;
• the absence of a reported issue does not prove that no issue exists; and
• a technical assessment does not determine legal compliance in every jurisdiction.

18. Reporting an accessibility concern

You may contact us if you:

• cannot access information or an important website function;
• require information in another reasonably available format;
• identify a keyboard, screen-reader, contrast, caption, form or navigation issue;
• experience a barrier in a DataConsultant-controlled meeting or communication; or
• have an accessibility question relating to a client engagement.

Please provide, where possible:

• the page address, document name or project reference;
• a description of the problem and action attempted;
• the browser, device or assistive technology involved;
• the date the issue occurred; and
• the alternative format or assistance that may help.

19. Review and corrective action

After receiving a sufficiently detailed report, we may:

1. record and review the concern;
2. request additional information where necessary;
3. confirm whether the affected resource is controlled by us;
4. assess user impact and available alternatives;
5. prioritise the issue according to severity, frequency, contractual obligations and complexity;
6. provide available information through another method;
7. correct, replace, redesign or remove content where reasonably appropriate;
8. refer a third-party issue to the relevant provider; or
9. propose a separate scope where remediation falls outside an existing engagement.

Submitting a report does not guarantee that every requested change will be implemented immediately or in the requested form.

20. International users and legal considerations

DataConsultant may serve users and clients in different countries. Accessibility requirements may vary by jurisdiction, sector, organisation type, product, audience, procurement process and contractual commitment.

This policy is not jurisdiction-specific legal advice. Clients should obtain independent legal or specialist advice about obligations applicable to their organisation, users, products and markets. Material requirements should be recorded in the applicable agreement before work begins.

21. No guarantee of complete accessibility

We aim to support accessibility and respond to reasonable concerns, but we do not promise:

• that every part of the website will always be fully accessible;
• compatibility with every assistive technology, browser, device or configuration;
• uninterrupted access or error-free content and software;
• immediate correction of every reported issue;
• that third-party tools will meet a particular standard;
• that automated testing will identify every barrier; or
• that a deliverable will comply with every law or standard worldwide.

Nothing in this section limits a right or responsibility that cannot lawfully be excluded.

22. Accessibility as a shared responsibility

Accessibility may depend on the combined actions of DataConsultant, clients, content authors, designers, developers, technology providers, administrators, procurement teams, advisers and users.

A technically accessible component may become inaccessible because of unsuitable content, configuration, colour choices, datasets, plugins, customisation or later changes. Meeting a technical standard does not by itself ensure that a service is understandable, usable, inclusive or legally compliant in every context.

23. Relationship with contracts and other policies

This policy should be read with applicable:

• terms and conditions;
• privacy, cookie, confidentiality, security and artificial intelligence policies;
• proposals, quotations and service orders;
• master services agreements and statements of work;
• data-processing and confidentiality agreements; and
• service-specific disclaimers.

Privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, data ownership, service scope, payment, liability, security, acceptance and support obligations may be governed by separate agreements.

Where this policy conflicts with a signed agreement, statement of work, data-processing agreement or other negotiated document, the signed document will take precedence to the extent of the conflict, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

24. Changes to this policy

We may update this Accessibility Policy periodically to reflect changes in our website, services, technologies, third-party platforms, recognised practices, internal processes or legal obligations.

The latest version will be published on https://dataconsultant.in with a revised “Last Updated” date. A published update does not automatically amend an existing signed client agreement.

26. Contact us about accessibility

Contact us to report an accessibility concern, request assistance or ask how this policy applies. Include enough information to identify the relevant page, document, service or project.