Website accessibility

This accessibility statement applies to www.charnwood.gov.uk.

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

• zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
• 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 (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

To change colours, contrast levels and fonts please change them in settings on your web browser.

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 are not fully accessible:

• you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text
• most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software 

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

• communications@charnwood.gov.uk
• 01509 634795

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in one working day or sooner if we can.

If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ page, call or email us for directions.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Charnwood Borough 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 status

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

We endeavour to make our PDFs and Word documents published on the website accessible. However, there may be some documents which aren’t fully accessible. We publish all essential service information on an accessible web page and provide contact details for alternative versions.

We have allocated resources to identify non-accessible documents and we will either convert them into a web page, make them accessible or remove them.

Disproportionate burden

We’ve assessed our resources with regard to making all PDFs or Word documents accessible and we believe that doing so immediately would be a disproportionate burden (legislation.gov.uk) within the meaning of the accessibility regulations.

At the beginning of 2022 we allocated resources to address the issue. we have reduced the number of PDFs and Word documents from around 15,000 to less than 10,000. We will continue to reduce the number of the next 12 months. We will also be reviewing our website provider contract in 2023 which will provide a further opportunity to address the issue.

We publish key information contained in these publications on a web page and/or link to alternative sources of information. We offer information in an alternative format on demand.

Content that’s not within the scope of 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.

Enforcement

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).

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are committed to improving accessibility on our websites. We will:

• Continue to regularly review accessibility issues on this website
• Regularly seek external advice and support to review accessibility
• Work with our website provider to improve accessibility
• Address specific issues as soon as reasonably practical
• Ensure new Council websites are compliant with the regulations

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on January 27, 2023.

This website was last tested for accessibility in May 2021. The test was carried out by Shaw Trust.

The website was also checked by the Central Digital and Data Office (part of the Cabinet Office) on November 9, 2021. The check identified five issues, three of which have been fixed by the website provider. Two relate to PDFs which are being rectified by the actions outlined above.