Accessibility Statement | Visit Bruges Convention Bureau

Visit Bruges strives to make the website accessible to all users, regardless of technological limitations or physical constraints. In this regard, we follow the Flemish Administrative Decree of 7 December 2018 transposing European Directive (EU) 2016/2102.

This accessibility statement applies to the website https://www.visitbrugesconventionbureau.be/nl

This means that you should be able to:

change the colours, contrast and font.
zoom in without the text falling off the screen.
navigate most parts of the website using only a keyboard.
use most parts of the website with speech software.
have most parts of the website read aloud using a screen reader.

What is web accessibility?

Web accessibility means that websites, tools and technologies are designed and developed so that everyone can use them. The goal of web accessibility is to provide equal access and equal opportunities to people with various types of disabilities. These include everything from visual, hearing, physical, speech, cognitive and neurological disabilities to individuals experiencing temporary limitations, such as a broken arm.

Key principles of web accessibility include:

Perceptibility: Information and user interface components should be presented in different ways so that they are perceptible to any user (for example, text that can be read with a screen reader).
Usability: User interface components and navigation should be usable by everyone (for example, the website should function with a keyboard and users should have sufficient time to read and use content).
Comprehensibility: Information and how to use the user interface should be understandable (for example, text content should be readable and understandable).
Robustness: Content must be robust enough to be reliably interpreted by a wide range of user devices, including assistive technologies.

Adherence to web accessibility standards as outlined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) helps achieve a more inclusive digital environment.

Limitations

Keyboard navigation limitations:

Calendar dates cannot be selected using the keyboard to edit the corresponding content, such as opening hours.
When zooming in on the page, the keyboard focus sometimes falls outside the visible window without automatically scrolling.

Unclear purpose of links and buttons:

Links such as contact information in the footer, category labels (‘Exhibition’), ‘View all’, and ‘Read more >’ are unclear outside their visual context.
‘More info’ buttons, Google Maps links, and calendar navigation buttons ('Today', ‘Tomorrow’) have generic or insufficiently descriptive ARIA labels.

Incorrect or missing ARIA attributes & semantics:

Interactive map does not have a text alternative.
Calendar day items do not have an accessible name, role (role = "button"), and status attributes (aria-selected, aria-current, aria-pressed).
Price tables are structured without semantic table or list structures.
Accordion buttons use generic ARIA labels, and the aria-expanded status might not be updated correctly.
Date pickers do not have explicit roles (e.g. role="grid") to clarify their structure.
Pagination does not have aria-current on the active page, has accessible hidden pages, and individual page numbers do not have clear aria label attributes.
There is an empty <nav> landmark visible and this is announced without content.

Inconsistent language in ARIA labels:

English ARIA labels ("Feedback", "Read more about...", "Toggle directions") are used in non-English parts of the website.

Problems with error handling in forms:

Error messages are not automatically announced, are not programmatically linked to the field, and the focus jumps away in the event of errors.

Missing or unclear labels/instructions:

Search input fields do not have visible or programmatic labels; a search bar only uses an icon.
Input fields in the order form do not have autocomplete attributes.
Date fields give confusing output with VoiceOver and do not have help text.
There is no explanation for a disabled “Apply” button (for voucher codes).
The input field for a discount code does not have a linked label or description.

Other Functional Problems:

Some buttons (“Inspire me!”, cookie banner buttons) have a double accessible name that is read out loud.
Parts of drop-down menus are hidden from view when zooming in.
Footer headers use an incorrect heading level (H2).

Proposed alternatives

For non-accessible elements, there is not always an alternative available at present.

Report problems with the accessibility of this website

We are continually working to improve the accessibility of this website. If you encounter any issues not listed on this page or if you believe we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact our accessibility officer at els.pieraerts@brugge.be or call 050 44 80 00.

You can also file a report through the online City of Bruges Helpdesk or contact us by sending an email to info@brugge.be or call +32 (0)50 44 80 00.

If you have not been helped properly or if you are not satisfied with the response, please contact the Ombudsman service. Submit your complaint using the online form, email your complaint to ombudsman@brugge.be, call +32 (0)50 44 80 90, send a letter to Ombudsman City of Bruges, Hoogstraat 9, 8000 Bruges or drop by during opening hours.

Enforcement procedure.

If you contact us and are not satisfied with our response, please contact the enforcement body for accessibility.

Conformity Status

This website is partially compliant with the standard WCAG 2.1 (AA). The site was last tested by Humix BV on 18 April 2025. The website did not meet 12 of the 50 applicable success criteria.

Improvement plan

Following the audit carried out by Humix BV on 18 April 2025, we started improving the content and functionalities that do not meet the WCAG 2.1 (AA) standard. We aim to bring the website into compliance by spring 2026 at the latest.

We are actively working towards improving the accessibility of our online services and content. Although we recognise that certain parts of our website are currently not yet fully accessible, we are working on a detailed plan to address these issues. The improvements will be implemented in phases: some changes can be implemented immediately, as they are within our control. Others require more time and we have informed our suppliers, who will look into it and make changes.