Accessibility

This accessibility statement applies to https://go.walsall.gov.uk. As well as this statement we have a number of internal and external websites with their own accessibility statements. You can view a list of our other websites.

This website is run by Walsall 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 contrast levels and fonts
• 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)

We are working towards making 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:

• 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
• many documents are in PDF format and are not fully accessible to screen reader software
• Page functionality being available to keyboard users, who may have cognitive impairment's.
• Keyboard focus elements not being clear for users with vision and cognitive impairments.
• Links incorrectly labelled will cause issues for all users, but especially the visually impaired.
• some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
• you cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader
• there’s a limit to how far you can magnify the map on our ‘contact us’ page
• Chat bot (WALIS) is not functional at 400% zoom
• Chat bot (WALIS) contains some HTML markup that does not facilitate accessibility for keyboard users

Feedback and contact information

Tell us if you need information on this website in a different format. In your message, include:

• the web address (URL) of the content
• your name and email address
• the format you need (for example, BSL, large print, accessible PDF, audio recording, easy read or braille)

We’ll consider your request and get back to you as soon as possible.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website.

We are working on our content and will continue to make this more readable. All of our pages let you provide feedback to us and we encourage you to tell us what you think. 

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, let us know via:

• feedback buttons on pages
• feedback button on a BETA banner at the top of the page to report how you find the look and feel and navigation of our pages
• email: webproject@walsall.gov.uk
• phone: +44 1922 650000
• visitor address: Walsall Council, The Civic Centre, Walsall, WS1 1TP

We will respond to feedback within 5 working days.

Enforcement procedure

If you contact us with a complaint and you’re not happy with how we respond, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

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’).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Walsall 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

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. 

Walsall Council 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

PDFs and non-HTML documents

Some of our PDFs and other documents are not formatted so they’re accessible to a screen reader. Some errors may include, missing:

1. Page titles. PDF documents should have titles that describe the topic or purpose of the page. If these are missing this doesn't meet WCAG success criteria 2.4.2.
2. Non-text content. All non-text content presented to the user should have a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose. If these are missing this doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1
3. Headings and labels. Headings and labels describe topic or purpose. If these are missing this doesn't meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.6
4. Name, role, value. For all user interface components, some of which are essential to providing our services (for example, forms published as Word documents). If these are missing this doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2

Images

Some images don’t have a text alternative (alt text), so the information in them isn’t available to people using a screen reader. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). When we review existing content and publish new content we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.

Some images contain text, so people with dyslexia or using a screen reader will not be able to read the information. This doesn't meet WCAG success criterion 1.4.5 (images of text). When we review existing content and publish new content we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.

Broken links

On some pages the same link text is used for different link destinations. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 link purpose (in context). We are working on a new website that will fix these issues. When we review existing content and publish new content we’ll make sure our use of links meets accessibility standards.

On some pages the purpose of each link can't be determined from the link text alone. This doesn't meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 link purpose (in context). When we review existing content and publish new content we’ll make sure our use of links meets accessibility standards.

Tables

On some pages tables do not have a description set using the caption element. This doesn't meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 info and relationships. When we review existing content and publish new content we’ll make sure our use of tables meets accessibility standards.

Contrast

On some pages on our microsites there isn't sufficient contrast between the colour of the text and the background, making it hard to read the information. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 contrast (minimum). When we review existing content and publish new content we’ll make sure our use of contrast meets accessibility standards. All the pages on our main website now conform to accessibility guidelines.

On some pages instructions use colour as the only visual means of conveying information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.1 (Use of colour) We plan to amend the links by January 2024. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of links meets accessibility standards

Language

On some pages the language has not been set in a way that can be understood by a screen reader. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.1.1 (language of page). When we review existing content and publish new content we’ll make sure our use of page language meets accessibility standards.

Navigation

On some pages the tabbing order is not logical when navigating using a keyboard. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.3 focus order. When we review existing content and publish new content we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.

You cannot skip to main content when using a screen reader. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass blocks). When we review existing content and publish new content we’ll make sure our use of  navigation meets accessibility standards.

Not all page functionality is available to Keyboard only users, This may effect users who are blind or have low vision. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.1 (Keyboard) We plan to amend the keyboard functionality by July 2024. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of keyboard functionality meets accessibility standards.

Some elements on the page, the keyboard focus  was unclear. This would affect users with low vision and cognitive impairments. This doesn't meet WCAG success criteria 2.4.7 (Focus Visible). We plan to amend keyboard focus by July 2024. When we publish new content we'll make sure our use of keyboard focus meets accessibility standards.

Some of the keyboard focus may not be clearly visible. This fails WCAG 2.4.11 Focus Appearance. We plan to amend the keyboard focus by July 2024. When we publish new content, we'll make sure our use of Focus appearance meets accessibility standards.

Some page Headings do not describe the topic or purpose of the Heading. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.6 Headings and Labels. We plan to amend the headings by July 2024. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of navigation meets accessibility standards.

Some pages do not have a unique page title. The page title should describe the topic of the page, purpose of the page or the subject of the page. This doesn’t meet WCAG success criteria 2.4.2 (Page Titled). We plan to amend the page titles by July 2024. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of page titles meets accessibility standards.

HTML

On some pages HTML is used to format content rather than CSS. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 information and relationships. When we review existing content and publish new content we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.

On some pages elements have not been marked up correctly with unique ID’s. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 4.1.1 (Parsing) We plan to amend the mark up by July  2024. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of mark up meets accessibility standards.

Videos

Some videos do not have synchronised captions or audio descriptions. This may affect users with visual or cognitive impairments. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.2 (captions pre-recorded) , 1.2.3 Audio description or Media alternative (pre recorded) , 1.2.5 Audio description ( Pre-recorded). We plan to add captions and descriptions for all videos by July 2024. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of videos meets accessibility standards.

Online forms

On some online forms, the questions with radiobox/checkbox answers might have missing fieldset or an orphaned form label which makes the questions and answers unavailable to people using a screen reader. This doesn't meet WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion 3.3.2 (labels or instructions) and 1.1.1 (non-text content).

There are several form fields that lack as autocomplete feature.Users,particularly those who have cognitive difficulties, find it more difficult to complete the field as a result. This fail WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.5 (Identify input purpose)

If an input error is automatically detected, suggestions for correction may not be presented to the user in text. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.3.3 (error suggestion) We are currently moving all the online forms into a different platform. When we are developing the revamped forms we will make sure all fields meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.

Chat bot

Our chat bot WALIS is not functional at 320 pixels screen size which is equivalent to 1280 pixels at 400% zoom. This doesn't meet WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion 1.4.10 (Reflow). We are currently in the process of fixing this issue and aiming to fix this by end of November 2024. 

Some of the HTML markup within the chat bot WALIS is not used in a way that facilitates accessibility. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 4.1.2 (Name, Role and Value). We plan to amend the HTML markup by November 2024. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure our use of HTML markup meets accessibility standards.

For some elements within the chat bot WALIS, the keyboard focus was unclear when using a screen reader. This would affect users with low vision and cognitive impairments. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.7 (Focus Visible). We plan to amend the keyboard focus by November 2024. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure our use of keyboard focus meets accessibility standards.

Some components within the chat bot WALIS are not labelled correctly when using a screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text content). We plan to amend the labels by November 2024. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure our use of Aria labels meets accessibility standards.

Some components have visible labels that don't match accessible labels. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.5.3 (Label in name). We plan to amend visible labels by November 2024.

There's no possibility to change or switch off character key shortcuts. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.1.4 (Character key shortcuts). We plan to amend this functionality by November 2024.

The chat window is cut off when displayed in landscape view. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.4 (Orientation). We plan to amend this by November 2024.

Some features are missing accessible names. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 4.1.2 (Name, role, value). We plan to add accessible names by November 2024.

Some of the text is being cut short when text spacing increase. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.4.12 (Text spacing). We plan to amend this by November 2024.

Borders around the buttons have low contrast. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.4.11 (Non-text contrast). We plan to amend the border around buttons by November 2024.

SCORM Courses

On some pages of the SCORM courses, the audio element lacks the necessary controls to pause, stop, or mute the audio playback. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criteria 1.4.2 (Audio Control). We plan to amend the audio control by July 2024. When we publish new content we’ll make sure out use of audio control meets accessibility standards.

On some pages of the SCORM courses, keyboard focus is locked or trapped on one particular element. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.2 (Keyboard trap). The pages also lack the provision of content on hover or focus. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.4.13 Content on Hover focus.  This may effect users who are blind or have low vision. We plan to amend the keyboard functionality by July 2024. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of keyboard functionality meets accessibility standards.

Some pages within the SCORM courses cannot be found through more than one type of navigation. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.5 (Multiple Ways). We plan to amend the navigation by July 2024. When we publish new content. We’ll make sure our use of navigation meets accessibility standards.

Compatibility with browsers and assistive technology

For optimal performance and experience, we recommend you use the latest version of a modern browser. Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 support is deprecated. We recommend that you use Microsoft Edge.

Walsall Council website is not compatible with:

• browsers older than Internet Explorer 8

Technical specifications

Accessibility of Walsall Council Website relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer:

• HTML
• WAI-ARIA
• CSS
• JavaScript

We rely upon these technologies for conformance to accessibility standards.

My account online applications

Online applications within my Walsall account are only accessible on the most recent versions of the following browsers:

• Microsoft Edge
• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Apple Safari
• Internet Explorer (not recommended)

If you are using an android phone, please download Google Chrome which is widely available for free on app stores.

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

PDFs and other documents

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 are doing to improve accessibility

Our service areas are urgently fixing content which fails to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1AA.

We have recently undertaken a complete rewrite of our website to deliver a more inclusive online experience. The following is a list of planned activity and estimated delivery:

• all newly published PDFs will be accessible
• fix chat bot (WALIS) functionality during zooming at 400%: July 2024
• fix chat bot (WALIS) html markup to facilitate accessibility: July 2024
• fix chat bot (WALIS) keyboard focus when using a screen reader: July 2024
• fix chat bot (WALIS) element labels when using a screen reader: July 2024

Testing approach

We run annual tests on all our microsites and digital applications. We try to fix issues as they are found.

Annual testing

This website is tested annually for accessibility. This is done manually and our web team test the most used customer journeys through the website and a sample of the different types of page. We test using tools such as Wave and AXE.

Our tests include:

• general accessibility testing and colour contrast checking using WAVE
• human testing for usability
• mobile browser retesting
• Nitro Pro and PDF-Xchange editor to test and fix PDF documents

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 18 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 20 December 2023.

Last updated on 20 December 2023.