Accessibility statement for Public Access

This accessibility statement applies to Public Access. There’s a separate accessibility statement for the main H&F website.

Public Access is part of the wider H&F website and is run by Hammersmith & Fulham Council through our third-party supplier Idox.

Using this website

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 200% without the text spilling off the screen
  • get from the start of the service to the end using just a keyboard
  • get from the start of the service to the end using speech recognition software
  • listen to the service using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

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:

  • some colours do not meet the minimum contrast requirements
  • some form controls are missing labels
  • there is no way to skip repeated links and move to the main content
  • not all controls in the mapping system receive focus or are accessible by keyboard.

Feedback and contact information

Contact us if you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille.

You can call 020 8753 1081 or email the service that is handling the item you are interested in:

Reporting accessibility problems with this service

We're always looking to improve the accessibility of Public Access.

If you find any problems that aren't listed on this page or think we're not meeting the requirements of the accessibility regulations, please use our report form to let us know.

Report an accessibility issue

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

We provide a text relay service for people who are Deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment. Please call 18001 followed by 020 8748 3020.

Alternatively, you can use Relay UK service. Relay UK (previously Next Generation Text) - helps people with hearing and speech difficulties communicate with anyone over the phone, using the national relay service.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Hammersmith & Fulham Council is committed to making Public Access 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

Colour contrast

Some colours such as the blue used for text and buttons, do not have enough contrast with the backgrounds they’re used on. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (contrast - minimum).

Interactive tools and transactions

The track button on planning application pages is missing alternative text meaning the function of the button is not presented to screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content) and 2.4.4 (link purpose - in context).

On the documents tab of planning application pages, the following form controls are missing labels:

  • document type select box
  • description text field
  • checkboxes to select documents for downloading.

There are also hidden form fields on the comments tab and register page that are also missing labels.

This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 3.3.2 (labels or instructions).

Error summary messages don’t have aria roles enabling them to be announced to assistive technologies when errors are made. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.3 (status message).

The site doesn’t have any page regions or aria landmarks. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships) and 2.4.1 (bypass blocks).

A skip to main content link is present but doesn’t become visible when it has keyboard focus. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.1 (bypass blocks) and 2.4.7 (focus visible).

Technology

Some of the map controls are not keyboard accessible and, or do not receive focus when using a keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.1 (keyboard) and 2.4.7 (focus visible).

The focus order of the elements on the maps does not follow a logical order. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.3 (focus order).

The ‘help with this page’ link opens in a new window but this isn’t stated anywhere. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.4 (link purpose - in context).

The top left cell of the table on the documents tab is marked up as a header cell but doesn’t contain any text. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships).

Disproportionate burden

Not applicable

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

Maps

The maps and mapping systems used on Public Access are not for navigational use and are therefore exempt from the regulations. We will not provide text alternatives for the contents of the maps used on the website. 

PDFs and other documents

Documents on the site are provided as part of the application being made and have been created by a third-party. Under the regulations, third-party content that is neither funded, developed by, or under our control is exempt from the regulations.

How we tested this service

This service was last tested on 21 August 2020 by Hammersmith & Fulham Council using:

  • Accessibility Insights for the Web
  • browser extension tools
  • manual checking
  • NVDA
  • Siteimprove
  • Text spacing
  • WAVE
  • Web developer.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We're working with the supplier, Idox, to fix the issues in this statement and to make the system more usable for all users.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 15 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 9 April 2021.

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