Accessibility Statement for Business Gateshead
Summary
This website is run by Gateshead Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
- zoom in up to 200% without the text spilling off the screen using your browser
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader
- change the line height or spacing of text without causing loss of content
We've also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website aren't fully accessible:
- the forms are not fully accessible with Assistive Technology
- headings and semantic meaning are not always identifiable programmatically
If you're not able to view vital information, or complete an action on the website, please Contact us so we can provide additional support or guidance.
What to do if you can't access parts of this website
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please contact us.
We'll consider your request and get back to you as soon as possible.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We're always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that aren't listed on this page or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact Gateshead Council's web 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 website's accessibility
Gateshead Council is committed to making this website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
Non accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Noncompliance with the accessibility regulations
- Headings (particularly heading 1) and semantic structure are not always identified by the technology so are not programmatically determinable, which does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships). We are working with our digital platform supplier to put a resolution in place and hope to have this resolved by January 2020.
- Not all content on the page is included in HTML5 or WAI-ARIA landmarks, so does not meet success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships). We will update any missing landmarks on an ongoing basis and aim to complete this process by March 2020.
Some links are identified by changes in colour when using a cursor rather than a keyboard to navigate, this does not meet WCAG success criterion 1.4.1 (Use of Color), this is the case on our buttons throughout the site. We will add additional styling to resolve this issue by January 2020.
The same link text used for multiple different destinations, particularaly on the homepage where there are several 'see more' links. This does not meet success criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose - In Context). We will look to replace the text with alternatives by 2020.
Disproportionate burden
- The Contact us form and Newsletter sign up form fail to meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value) as the name and role of fields can't be programmatically determined, making is difficult for users using Assistive Technology. The form is hosted by a third party provider so we are unable to resolve this issue at present.
- The video controls do not have enough contrast. This fails WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion 1.4.11 (Non-text contrast). This is an issue with the YouTube video player and not within our control. We will continue to look for a more compliant player.
- Some video controls have a tooltip which does not stay open when moving the cursor to them. This fails WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion 1.4.13 (Content on hover or focus). This is an issue with the YouTube video player and not within our control. We will continue to look for a more compliant player.
How we tested this website
This website was last tested on 20 September 2019. The test was carried out by Gateshead Council.
We checked a sample of pages (at least one example of each page type we use) against the criterion to determine accessibility issues, with support from third party accessibility checker browser extensions. We also used basic screen reader software to check the site for potential issues when using assistive technology.
What we're doing to improve accessibility
We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. We will reassess this statement as technology and our digital platforms develop to ensure that if fixes become available that we implement these quickly.
This statement was prepared on 20 September 2019. It was last updated on 20 September 2019.
