Legal
Accessibility Statement
Our commitment
We want this directory to be usable by everyone planning a trip with an animal, including people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, magnification, voice control or reduced-motion settings. Accessibility is treated as a requirement of publishing, not an afterthought.
Target standard
We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Level AA. WCAG 2.2 AA is the standard referenced by the European Accessibility Act, by the UK public sector guidance and by the accessibility standards most commonly cited in claims brought in the United States under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
What we have done
- Semantic HTML with landmark regions (
header,nav,main,footer) and oneh1per page, so screen reader users can jump between regions. - A visible “Skip to content” link as the first focusable element on every page.
- Full keyboard operability: every interactive control, including filters, chips and the cookie banner, works with Tab, Enter, Space and arrow keys.
- A clearly visible focus indicator on all interactive elements, using a high-contrast outline that is not suppressed anywhere.
- Text contrast checked against WCAG AA thresholds: body and interface text meets or exceeds a 4.5:1 ratio, and larger display text meets 3:1.
- Colour is never the only way information is conveyed. Leash policy, category and amenity filters are always accompanied by text, not signalled by colour alone.
- Descriptive alternative text on imagery that carries meaning, and empty alternatives for decorative elements.
- Filter results announced to assistive technology through a polite live region, so a change in the result count is spoken without moving focus.
- Layouts that reflow cleanly at 320px width and at 200% zoom without horizontal scrolling, and text that respects the browser's base font size.
- Animation and transition effects that are minimal by design, so no motion-reduction override is required.
- Forms with real
labelelements, sensible tab order and errors described in text rather than by colour.
Known limitations
- Third-party destinations. Maps, venue websites and booking partners are outside our control and may not meet the same standard. We cannot fix them, but we can tell you where a link leads so you can decide before following it.
- Listing content. Practical notes drawn from venue information are edited for clarity but are not a substitute for contacting a venue about step-free access, assistance animal policies or facilities for a specific need.
- Accessibility of venues. A place marked “step-free access” means the entrance is reported as step-free. It is not an audit of the whole site, and it is not a certification.
Assistance animals
Nothing in this directory should be read as guidance on the legal status of assistance animals or service animals, which varies by jurisdiction and is governed by laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act. Where we describe a venue's own policy, we report it as the venue states it. For your rights in a specific situation, seek qualified local advice.
Reporting a barrier
If you encounter a barrier, email hello@bighappy.com with the subject line “Accessibility barrier”, and include the page, what you were trying to do, the assistive technology or browser you use, and what happened. We will acknowledge within five working days and tell you what we intend to do. Accessibility reports are treated as bugs, not as feature requests.
Assessment approach
This statement reflects a self-assessment carried out by the site's authors using keyboard-only navigation, screen reader spot checks, browser zoom and contrast measurement. It is not an independent third-party audit. When an external audit is commissioned, we will publish the date and the scope of it here.