Accessibility statement

This accessibility statement applies to content published on the www.hartlepool.gov.uk domain.

This website is run by Hartlepool Borough 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 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

Find out more at www.hartlepool.gov.uk/accessibility/settings

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 pages and document attachments are not clearly written
  • some tables do not have row headers
  • some heading elements are not consistent
  • some images do not have good alternative text
  • some buttons are not correctly identified
  • many documents are in PDF format and are not accessible
  • live video streams do not have captions
  • some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard

Feedback and contact information

If you need information in a different format contact us and tell us:

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

If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ and ‘location’ page, call or email us for directions.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of the Hartlepool Borough Council website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact us.

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).

Visiting us in person

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

Find out how to contact us at www.hartlepool.gov.uk/contact.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Hartlepool Borough 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.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

  1. Some tables do not have table row headers meaning assistive technologies will not read the tables correctly. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
  2. Images on some pages do not have suitable image descriptions. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).
  3. Some pages have duplicate titles. This fails WCAG 2.4.2 success criterion (Page Titled).
  4. Some pages cannot be found through more than one type of navigation. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.5 (Multiple Ways).
  5. Some buttons look like links. This means it is difficult for some users to complete a transaction or onward journey. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
  6. Many documents are in less accessible formats, for example PDF.

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

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

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. By September 2021, we plan to either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.

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

We’re working to fix content which fails to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard. We will update this page when issues are fixed.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on September 22 2020. It was last reviewed on September 22 2020.

Follow the links below to find out all you need to know about accessing this site.

Having trouble reading this site you can:
 
Increase the size of text or change the colour scheme using this page Text and Colour Scheme

The latest versions of several web browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) allow users to easily increase the font size for better readability. Try holding down the Ctrl key (Command key on a Macintosh) and press the + (plus) key. You can also decrease the font size by holding down the Ctrl or Command key and pressing the - (minus) key.

 
Would you like this site read back to you? There are a number of free downloads that can read this site back to you including:
 
Thunder
nvaccess
 
This is not an exhaustive list and there are other systems available. HBC are not responsible for external software or websites.
 
 
Website access in many languages other than English.
 
You can translate this website into other languages using Google Translate
 
Google Translate
 
Downloading PDFs

How to access information in Adobe Acrobat PDF files.

Help in making the web easier to use

Link to the BBC accessibility website for help with making adjustments to your computer to make the most of the web.