Accessibility statement for norfolk.gov.uk

This accessibility statement applies to www.norfolk.gov.uk. It doesn't cover subdomains such as communitydirectory.norfolk.gov.uk, which are covered by other accessibility statements.

This website is run by Norfolk County 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 400% without the text spilling off the screen and without content being truncated or overlapping
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)

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this website is

We aim to meet the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 at AA level.

However, we know some parts of this website are not fully accessible.

Issues potentially affecting everyone

Pages reload unexpectedly when files are uploaded on some pages in the admissions application process.
Some form controls do not have visible labels in the general enquiry form, highways problem report form and admission application process. In the general enquiry form, some labels incorrectly state that the corresponding textbox is optional when it is mandatory.
The email form field in some email newsletter sign up forms does not support autocomplete.
On some forms, the visual positioning of error messages may make it unclear to some users which field the error message applies to.
Interacting with the captcha challenge on some webforms may trigger a change of context users do not expect.
The captcha challenge on some webforms has a time limit that users can't turn off, adjust or extend.
The captcha challenge on some webforms may be difficult to use when CSS is disabled.

Issues affecting people with low vision

Throughout the website there are a small number of combinations of text and background colour that do not have sufficient colour contrast. Most are specific to individual pages.
Some textbox borders have low colour contrast against the background colour, so they may not be easy to see. The focus indicators for some textboxes and radio buttons have low colour contrast against the background, so they also may not be easy to see.
The slider switches in the admission application process have low colour contrast against the background so they may be difficult to see. Their focus indicators also have very low colour contrast.
Some buttons, checkboxes and comboboxes have the browser's default focus indicator. This has good colour contrast against the background in most browsers, but it has very low colour contrast in Safari so it may not be easy to see. Some checkboxes also have the browser's default styling. The checkbox borders have good colour contrast against the background in most browsers, but they have very low colour contrast in Safari so it may not be possible to see them.
We link to Power BI data dashboards from three pages on the website. If users adjust text spacing, browser zoom and/or display resolution, some content is not visible, or is only visible when scrolling in two dimensions.
The captcha challenge on some webforms sometimes requires users to scroll in two dimensions when zoomed in.

Issues affecting people who use keyboard navigation

The focus indication for many links, buttons and form controls is conveyed only by a small change of colour, so it may be difficult to tell which component has focus.
Some buttons cannot be operated using keyboard controls, either because they do not receive focus, or they receive focus but do not respond to the Enter key being pressed.
Overlays are displayed when the Sign-in button is operated on any page. The focus remains in the page behind the overlay instead of moving into it. This makes it difficult to interact with the content in the overlays.
We link to Power BI data dashboards from three pages on the website. Users can't navigate to all interactive interface components using a keyboard and focus is not always visible.
Some email newsletter sign up forms do not show error messages when the form hasn't been correctly completed and the user attempts to submit the form using a keyboard. This makes it hard for users to identify errors they have made and correct them.
When the cookie control pop-up appears, users can still tab to content outside the pop-up.
It's not always possible for users to tab to all buttons within the captcha challenge on some webforms.
When interacting with the captcha challenge on some webforms, it's not always visually obvious which component has focus.

Issues affecting screen reader users

Some images in the general enquiry form do not have text alternatives.
The embedded YouTube videos do not have audio description.
In the YouTube videos, the timeline slider does not convey the current time to screen readers, so it is difficult to set the slider to a specific time.
Some buttons, textboxes and radio buttons are not labelled, so their purpose is unclear in the general enquiry form, Norfolk Assistance Scheme form, highways problem report form and admission application process and in the My Norfolk: My requests and enquiries page and the Norfolk Community Directory. In a few cases, buttons are not announced as being buttons, so it may not be obvious that they are interactive.
In most of the forms, error messages are not announced automatically when the form is submitted, so it is necessary to explore the page to find the errors.
Some forms contain textareas that have character counters. The number of remaining characters is not announced automatically, so it is necessary to leave the textarea in order to read the character counter.
Web pages showing email newsletters are not fully accessible to users who use screen readers.
Many Word documents and older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software.
Some financial information is published in csv files, which do not include table formatting that accurately conveys visual information to screen reader users.
Some information about major highways projects is published using templates required by the Department for Transport. Some parts of these documents do not accurately convey visual information to screen reader users.
Some email newsletter sign up forms tell screen reader users that all fields have invalid input until they have been completed correctly. This may confuse users as this is not typical form behaviour.
Some email newsletter sign up forms are embedded on the page in an iframe that does not have a descriptive accessible name. This may make it difficult for users to identify the form or find it on the page.
On some forms, when an error message appears to indicate that the user has not provided their address correctly using the address look up tool provided, visual styling communicates all the fields the error message relates to, but this information is not conveyed programmatically.
The visible label of the 'Search' button in the page header does not match its accessible name. This means that screen reader software will read out two different labels.
On the home and search pages, the main landmark region is also the complementary landmark region. This may make it difficult for users to identify the main content on the page.
Some pages have a page title that does not clearly describe the topic and purpose of the webpage. This may make it difficult for users to understand what the page content is about.
The link text for some links within the captcha challenge on some webforms doesn't sufficiently describe the purpose of the links. This may make it difficult for users to understand what they relate to.
The captcha challenge on some webforms has error messages that aren't sufficiently associated with the relevant content or determinable without receiving focus. The checkbox functions as a required field but this is not conveyed programmatically.

Issues affecting voice recognition software users

It is not possible to target some Search textboxes by means of their visual text label. The same applies to the INTRAN logo in the footer. Most voice recognition software, such as Dragon, has workarounds such as "mousegrid" or a command such as "Show links".

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, email webaccessibility@norfolk.gov.uk

We're 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, email webaccessibility@norfolk.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

We provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit, we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

Technical information about this website's accessibility

Norfolk County 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

We are aware of the following areas where our site is not currently meeting the WCAG standards. We have listed the issues according to the specific WCAG standard they are missing. We are currently working on fixes for all these issues and where possible have listed an estimated date for fixing them.

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

WCAG 2.1 level A

Some images in the general enquiry form do not have text alternatives. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.1.1 (Non-text Content)
The embedded YouTube videos have visual content that is not conveyed in the audio track, but audio described versions of the videos have not been provided. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.2.3 (Audio Description or Media Alternative (Pre-recorded))
Some visual headings are not marked-up as headings, and some are marked-up as the wrong heading level. The visual styling of some headings does not match their programmatic styling. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
Several Word documents require user input (act as editable forms or templates) but have visible labels or instructions that aren't programmatically associated with the form field. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
Some financial information is published in csv files, which do not include table formatting that accurately conveys information shown visually. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
Some information about major highways projects is published using templates required by the Department for Transport. Some parts of these documents do not accurately convey information shown visually. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
On the homepage and search webpages, the 'main' landmark regions are also the 'complementary' landmark regions. A landmark region must have the role that best describes its content, and these sections are not complementary so should only have the 'main' landmark. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships)
On some pages, content such as the search button and the drop-down menu in the page header overlaps or disappears when CSS styles are turned off. This makes the content difficult to read and interact with. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.2 (Meaningful Sequence)
When the page is linearized, the captcha challenge dialog present on some webforms is positioned after all the other page content (ie. after the footer). This affects its meaning - it's no longer visually associated with the captcha checkbox. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.2 (Meaningful Sequence)
The focus indication for many links, buttons and form controls is conveyed only by a change of colour. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.4.1 (Use of Colour)
Some buttons do not receive focus, so they cannot be operated using keyboard controls. Some other buttons receive focus but still cannot be operated using keyboard controls. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.1.1 (Keyboard)
We link to Power BI data dashboards from three pages on the website. Users can't navigate to all interactive interface components using a keyboard. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.1.1 (Keyboard)
When the cookie control pop-up appears, keyboard users can tab to components on the page and activate them. Keyboard users should only be able to tab to the 'Cookie Controller' link, and the 'Accept all' and 'Set cookie preferences' buttons. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.1.1 (Keyboard)
When interacting with the captcha challenge on some webforms, once a user has navigated to the new challenge, audio/visual challenge and help buttons once, they cannot navigate back to them using a keyboard. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.1.1 (Keyboard)
The captcha challenge on some forms expires and errors after two minutes. The user must tick the checkbox and complete a new challenge. They are not given the option to turn off, adjust or extend the time limit. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.2.1 (Timing Adjustable)
Some pages have a page title that does not clearly describe the topic and purpose of the webpage. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.2 (Page Titled)
Overlays are displayed when the Sign-in button is operated on any page, but the focus remains in the page behind the overlay instead of moving into it. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.3 (Focus Order)
Within the captcha challenge on some webforms, the 'Privacy', 'Terms' and 'Learn more' link text does not sufficiently describe the purpose of the links. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4 (Link Purpose (In Context))
The visible label for some interactive components is not the same as, or a substring of, the component's accessible name. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.5.3 (Label in Name)
The visible label of the 'Search' button in the page header does not match its accessible name. This means that screen reader software will read out two different labels. Instructions are not consistent. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.5.3 (Label in Name)
Pages reload unexpectedly when files are uploaded on some pages. WCAG 2.1 SC 3.2.2 (On Input)
When interacting with the captcha challenge on some webforms, checking the checkbox sometimes triggers a change of context (a dialog opens). The user is not warned this is going to happen. WCAG 2.1 SC 3.2.2 (On Input)
On some forms, when error messages appear to indicate that the user has not completed the form correctly, the error messages are positioned above the field label. This may make it unclear to some users which field the error message applies to. WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.1 (Error Identification)
On some forms, when an error message appears to indicate that the user has not provided their address correctly using the address look up tool provided, visual styling communicates that the error message relates to the 'Find address' and 'Address' fields, but this information is not conveyed programmatically. WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.1 (Error Identification)
Some email newsletter sign up forms do not provide error messages when one or more fields do not have valid input and the user attempts to submit the form using a keyboard. WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.1 (Error Identification)
Some email newsletter sign up forms include 'aria-invalid="true"' on all form inputs until they have valid input, which triggers the value to change to "false". This is incorrect use of the attribute - on form load it should be set to "false" and it should only be set to "true" if invalid input is detected when validation is performed WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.1 (Error Identification)
The captcha challenge on some webforms has error messages that aren't sufficiently associated with the relevant content. The checkbox functions as a required field but this is not conveyed programmatically. WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.1 (Error Identification)
Some form controls do not have visible labels in the general enquiry form, highways problem report form and admission application process. In the general enquiry form, some labels incorrectly state that the corresponding textbox is optional when it is mandatory. WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions)
In the YouTube videos, the timeline slider does not convey the current time programmatically. WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)
Several Word documents require user input (act as editable forms or templates) but do not have programmatically determinable form fields. WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)
Some form controls do not have accessible names in the general enquiry form, Norfolk Assistance Scheme form, highways problem report form and admission application process. Some buttons in the highways problem report form also do not have a role. Throughout the website, file upload buttons do not have an accessible name. On the My Norfolk: My requests and enquiries page, the buttons in the "Reference number" column do not have a role. In the Norfolk Community Directory the textbox does not have an accessible name. WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)
Some email newsletter sign up forms are embedded on the page using a script. This creates an iframe element within the html. The iframe does not have a descriptive accessible name. WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)

WCAG 2.1 level AA

The embedded YouTube videos have visual content that is not conveyed in the audio track, but audio described versions of the videos have not been provided. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.2.5 (Audio Description (Pre-recorded))
The email form field in some email newsletter sign up forms does not include the attribute and value 'autocomplete="email"'. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.5 (Identify Input Purpose)
Throughout the website there are a small number of combinations of text and background colour that do not have sufficient colour contrast. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.4.3 (Colour Contrast)
At display resolution 1280 x 1024 and browser zoom 400%, users must scroll both horizontally and vertically to see all content in the captcha challenge on some webforms. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.4.10 (Reflow)
Some textbox borders do not have sufficient contrast against the background colour, so they may not be easy to see. The focus indicators for some textboxes and radio buttons do not have sufficient colour contrast against the background, so they also may not be easy to see. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.4.11 (Non-text Contrast)
The slider switches in the admission application process do not have sufficient colour contrast against the background so they may be difficult to see. Their focus indicators also have very low colour contrast. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.4.11 (Non-text Contrast)
We link to Power BI data dashboards from three pages on the website. If users adjust text spacing, some content is not visible. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.4.12 (Text Spacing)
When interacting with the captcha challenge on some webforms, some components do not have a visible focus indicator. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.7 (Focus Visible)
We link to Power BI data dashboards from three pages on the website. If users adjust browser zoom and/or display resolution, some content is not visible, or is only visible when scrolling in two dimensions. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.4.10 (Reflow)
We link to Power BI data dashboards from three pages on the website. Focus is not always visible. WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.7 (Focus Visible)
In most of the forms, the error messages are status messages, but they are not in ARIA live regions. WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.3 (Status Messages)
Some textareas have character counters. These are status messages, but they are not in ARIA live regions. WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.3 (Status Messages)
Error messages for the captcha challenge on some webforms are not programmatically determinable without receiving focus. WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.3 (Status Messages)

Disproportionate burden

We are not claiming disproportionate burden on any part of our site. This doesn't include subdomains such as communitydirectory.norfolk.gov.uk, which are covered by other accessibility statements.

Third party software and apps

Some online services we offer are built and maintained by third party suppliers on our behalf.

The specific teams that operate these services are working with their suppliers to establish timescales for full audits of these services. Examples include:

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

Older PDFs and other documents

Many of our older PDFs and Word documents do not meet accessibility standards - for example, they may not be structured so they're accessible to a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role value).

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.

Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

Older videos

Some of our older videos do not have captions. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.2 (captions - pre-recorded).

We do not plan to add captions to these older videos because videos published before 23 September 2020 are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

Maps

Our maps are not accessible to screen reader users. We have ensured that essential information included in maps, such as addresses or directions, are available in an accessible format.

What we're doing to improve accessibility

We migrated this website to a different content management system (CMS) in February 2024. We have updated this statement to reflect how this has improved the accessibility of this website. We have development work planned to address many of the remaining system-related issues. We aim to have addressed these by the time we reaudit this website. We aim to have reaudited this website and updated this statement to reflect that by September 2024.

We are reviewing inaccessible Word document that are required to be accessible, removing them and replacing them with accessible PDFs or web content where needed. We aim to have finished this work by July 2024.

We are reviewing inaccessible videos that are required to be accessible and working to provide alternative versions with audio description alongside them. We aim to have finished this work by July 2024.

We are reviewing csv files that are required to be accessible, removing them and replacing them with accessible Excel spreadsheets where needed. Where there is a statutory requirement to publish data in csv files on our website, we are working to provide accessible Excel spreadsheet versions alongside them. We aim to have finished this work by July 2024.

We plan to contact the Department for Transport to request they provide required templates for major highways projects in an accessible format. We aim to have secured a commitment from them to do this by May 2024.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 22 September 2020. It was last updated on 25 March 2024.

Several parts of this website were accessibility tested in late 2023 and early 2024 as part of content management system migration planning.

This website was last audited on 1 June 2023. This was carried out by Test Partners Ltd and comprised a manual WCAG audit and testing with the range of assistive technologies recommended by GDS.