Accessibility statement

This statement applies to content published on:

• www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk
• directory.buckinghamshire.gov.uk
• jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk

Other websites managed by Buckinghamshire Council will have their own separate accessibility statements.

As a minimum, you should be able to:

• zoom in up to 300% without problems
• navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
• operate most of the website using a screen reader

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

For advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability, visit AbilityNet.

Specific issues relating to our other core websites can be found on their individual accessibility statements:

• www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk accessibility statement
• www.buckscc.gov.uk accessibility statement
• www.chiltern.gov.uk accessibility statement
• www.southbucks.gov.uk accessibility statement
• www.wycombe.gov.uk accessibility statement

Buckinghamshire.gov.uk is partially compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. However, we are constantly working to improve both our compliance and the experience of our users.

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

• some online maps and mapping services cannot be easily navigated
• some pages and documents are not clearly written or structured
• some online tools may be difficult to use for assistive technologies
• some videos do not have captions
• some content such as images do not have good text alternatives
• some documents published before 23 September 2018 are not accessible but can be requested in an accessible format

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille email [email protected].

We will consider your request and get back to you within 20 working days.

If you can't hear or speak on the phone we provide a text relay service: 18001 01296 395000.

Or you can use our contact us form.

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact: [email protected].

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 contact us with a complaint and you’re not happy with our response contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to making its 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 version 2.1 AA standard, due to the following issues:

Parts of the website link to legacy county and district council websites. Some of these websites are not fully accessible.

Some documents are not accessible in a number of ways including missing text alternatives and missing document structure.

View our accessible document policy to report any problems or request documents in an alternative format.

1. Headings are not structured
   On 2 pages that use our location template, the heading levels are skipped or nested incorrectly. This fails accessibility best practice and could make it harder for assistive technology users to understand how content is structured.
   
2. Element IDs are not unique
   Some navigation areas on tools and pages may have the same ID value. Users may find it difficult to distinguish the difference between those elements. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing).
   

1. Container element is empty
   An empty container element can be confusing for users of assistive technology, such as screen readers. This fails the WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).

1. Headings are not structured
   On some pages the heading levels are skipped or nested incorrectly. This fails accessibility best practice and could make it harder for assistive technology users to understand how content is structured.
   
2. Page has no headings
   Some pages have no headings, which fails accessibility best practice. A lack of headings can make content harder for users of assistive technology to understand, including navigating using a screen reader.

Not applicable.

Non-HTML documents published before September 2018 do not need to be accessible - unless users need them to use a service.

Where we choose to feature third party content or functionality on our website, we are responsible for ensuring it meets accessibility standards. However, we are not responsible for the accessibility of third party platforms or content that is neither funded nor developed by us, or under our control. This includes:

• third party websites that we link to from this website and any of our other digital channels
• social media platforms
• data we supply to national databases
• third party content we are legally required to publish but is not in the control of Buckinghamshire Council

We monitor accessibility using automated checks via Siteimprove and manual checks. We also test this website regularly with real users.

This website has also been tested by the Shaw Trust. We will use this information to develop an accessibility roadmap that will show how and when we plan to make improvements on this website.

As part of the reorganisation of local government for Buckinghamshire, the county and district councils have been replaced by Buckinghamshire Council as of 1 April 2020.

Content currently hosted on the legacy council websites will be gradually transferred over to the new Buckinghamshire Council website where it will be republished as fully accessible content. Once this is complete, the current area websites for the district councils and county council will be decommissioned.

This is a gradual process and will take place over the next couple of years. In the meantime, we plan to improve the accessibility of our existing content alongside the migration of content to the new website. Furthermore, all new content published will be fully accessible.

This statement was prepared on 19 September 2019. It was last reviewed on 26 September 2022.