Accessibility statement

Introduction

This website is run by North Somerset Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser settings
zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen using browser settings
navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
listen to most of the website using a screen reader
you can skip to the main content when using a screen reader or keyboard

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

The My Computer My Way guide from AbilityNet is a step-by-step guide to help you make your device easier to use if you have a disability.

Translation

If you would like information on our website translated into another language, you may find one of the services listed below meets your needs. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of any external website or free website translators.

Under some circumstances, for example, if you cannot read the information easily in English, you can request information in a different language from us. This includes British Sign Language, easy read or a foreign language. Please contact our customer service centre for advice.

How accessible is this website?

This website has been developed to be as accessible as possible. However, we know some parts of this website aren’t fully accessible:

some controls on pages – this may include links, buttons, and fields – do not show when they have been selected by the keyboard
some links are not distinct enough and may be difficult for people with moderate visual impairments to read
some content may be difficult to navigate using a screen reader
some tables do not have headers so people using a screen reader may find it difficult to recognise headings
some links do not have sufficient colour contrast
the ‘back to top’ button cannot be accessed using the keyboard
some elements disappear or get cut off at 200% and 400% zoom
zooming is disabled on mobile devices.
form elements do not have labels.

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 using the contact details at the end of this statement.

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 the requirements of the accessibility regulations, contact us using the contact details at the end of this statement.

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

North Somerset Council is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance

The website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard.

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

A few PDF documents published since September 2018 aren’t fully accessible to screen reader software and are essential to providing our services. These are being reviewed and will be accessible as soon as possible. Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

A full audit of the website will be carried out where the below issues will be resolved:

some controls on pages – this may include links, buttons, and fields – do not show when they have been selected by the keyboard
some links are not distinct enough and may be difficult for people with moderate visual impairments to read
some content may be difficult to navigate using a screen reader
some tables do not have headers so people using a screen reader may find it difficult to recognise headings
the colour of text and its background for the element is not sufficient
the ‘back to top’ button cannot be accessed using the keyboard
at 200% zoom, 400% zoom and in mobile view, the ‘Register’ text in the ‘Sign In/Register’ button in the header/hamburger menu is no longer available
at 200% zoom, 400% zoom and in mobile view, the ‘Did you find what you were looking for?’ and ‘Was this webpage helpful?’ text is partly cut off
the links in the footer, such as 'About us' and 'Terms and conditions', do not have sufficient colour contrast
the 'Back to top' button does not have sufficient colour contrast
at 200% and 400% zoom, the links in the hamburger menu, such as 'Families' and 'Contact Us', do not have sufficient colour contrast when receiving focus or hover
zooming is disabled on mobile devices
form elements do not have labels

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

External links

This website may link to third-party, external websites or services that are not fully accessible.

Maps – some of our maps are not accessible. We don’t currently have a plan in place to change our maps as mapping is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations

Live video

We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We aim to address any issues promptly. We will be reviewing this site regularly and updating this statement accordingly. Our content is continually reviewed and written to a set of standards that promote the use of plain English.

We are assessing our current microsites for accessibility and will set up a programme to bring them into the main content management system of the corporate website.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 22 August 2020. It was reviewed on 20 February 2024

Contact us

For any enquiries about the accessibility of this website, you can contact us by:

emailing: NSOD@n-somerset.gov.uk
post at North Somerset Online Directory, Town Hall, Walliscote Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1UJ