Accessibility statement for Swanage Town Council
Using this website
This website is run by Swanage Town 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
- Zoom in up to 250% 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)
We have 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 is this website?
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- Most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
- Some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
- The beach hut booking system
- The text will not reflow in a single column when you change the size of the browser window
- You cannot modify the line height or spacing of text
- You cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader
- Images and some maps do not have alternative text
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 for example, please contact us:
Email admin@swanage.gov.uk
Call 01929 423636
We will consider your request, doing everything we can to help you, and get back to you within ten working days.
If you cannot view the maps on our Beach and Bay, Beach Huts, Boat Park, and Car Parks pages, please call or email us for directions: Swanage Town Hall.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page, or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact: Niki Clark, Administration and Communications Manager, 01929 423636, or email admin@swanage.gov.uk
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).
Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person
Our offices are currently closed to the public, however, you can contact us by telephone or email. Find out how to contact us:
Contact Swanage Town Hall
Contact officers
Please note that when our offices are open to the public:
- Our reception office has an audio induction loop, or if you contact us before your visit we may be able to arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.
- We may also be able to provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
Swanage Town 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 listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons:
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
Disproportionate burden
It would be a disproportionate burden to fix all the issues identified on this current website, therefore we will be commissioning a new website which it is anticipated will be available within the next three months.
Navigation and accessing information
There’s no way to skip the repeated content in the page header (for example, a ‘skip to main content’ option).
It’s not always possible to change the device orientation from horizontal to vertical without making it more difficult to view the content.
It’s not possible for users to change text size without some of the content overlapping.
Interactive tools and transactions
Some of our interactive forms are difficult to navigate using a keyboard. For example, because some form controls are missing a ‘label’ tag.
Some of our forms are built and hosted through third party software and ‘skinned’ to look like our website.
We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues with navigation and accessing information, and with interactive tools and transactions, e.g. the beach hut booking system. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will make another assessment when the supplier contract is up for renewal.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
PDFs and other documents
Some of our PDFs and Word documents are essential to providing our services. For example, we have PDFs with information on how users can access our services, and forms published as Word documents, e.g. application forms for allotment and cemetery services. These will be fixed or replaced with accessible HTML pages on the new website.
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services.
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
Any new PDF’s or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.
When we publish new content, we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.
We are in the process of commissioning the development of a new website to address the current accessibility issues on this website and to address the areas of non-compliance. It is anticipated that the new website will be launched and available for use within the next three months.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 21st September 2020. It was last reviewed on 23rd September 2020.
This website was last tested on 23rd September 2020 using WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool: https://wave.webaim.org/. The test was carried out by Swanage Town Council. The testing is ongoing and will cover the whole website to make it as accessible as possible prior to the new website being launched.
This is a living document and will be updated with any further issues found or reported to the Town Council.