Accessibility statement for Bassetlaw District Council website
This accessibility statement applies to Bassetlaw District Council's website (https://www.bassetlaw.gov.uk) and our Open Data website (https://data.bassetlaw.gov.uk).
Bassetlaw District Council is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and applying the relevant accessibility standards.
This means you should be able to:
- change line height, spacing between paragraphs and fonts
- zoom in up to 300 percent 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’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet (external link) 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, for example:
- our Open Data website contains documents which are mainly in PDF format. This site is currently under review.
- most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
- some live video streams do not have captions
- some forms for licensing are still in PDF format until our new online system is up and running
- we might link to websites and software we do not own or manage and cannot guarantee their accessibility
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: accessability@bassetlaw.gov.uk
- call 01909 533 533 and ask to speak to Customer Services
We'll consider your request and get back to you within 10 working days.
If you cannot view any of our maps please call customer services on 01909 533 533 or email customer.services@bassetlaw.gov.uk and they will refer your enquiry to our Information Governance Team.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
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, contact by emailing accessability@bassetlaw.gov.uk or calling 01909 533 533 and ask to speak to the Digital Communications Officer.
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
Our offices in Worksop, Retford and Harworth have audio induction loops.
Find out how to contact us.
Technical information about this website's accessibility
Bassetlaw District Council is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Many of our older PDFs and Word documents don’t meet accessibility standards – for example, they may not be marked up so they’re accessible to a screen reader.
Some of our PDFs and Word Documents are essential to providing our services. We originally intended either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages or online forms by September 2020. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, this has not been achievable. However, we intend to ensure that all of these are fixed or replaced with accessible HTML pages or online forms by the end of 2023.
The accessibility regulations don’t 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 unless we determine that they represent a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. Ultimately we plan to provide an accessible HTML version of the information as the primary source.
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.
3rd party systems such as our payments engine and forms based systems are partially compliant but have issues.
PDFs and Word Documents
- Ensure PDFs are machine-readable WCAG A 1.1.1
- Specify headings for every PDF WCAG A 1.3.1
- Ensure PDF headings follow a logical order WCAG A 1.3.1
- Ensure the first heading in a PDF is an H1 WCAG A 1.3.1
- Fix untagged PDFs WCAG A 1.3.1
- Ensure PDFs specify a default language WCAG A 3.1.1
- Define a title for all PDFs WCAG A 2.4.2
- Ensure long PDFs use bookmarks to aid navigation WCAG AA 2.4.5
- Improve weak PDF titles WCAG A 2.4.2
Some areas on the website where this applies:
Neighbourhood Plans
Our communities can now choose to produce a neighbourhood plan, which contain policies to help shape and delivery new development in their areas. Because these documents are a statutory (legal) document, they have to be produced in a certain way and are externally produced. If you require information contained in any of the documents contained in our neighbourhood plans, please contact will.wilson@bassetlaw.gov.uk.
Scanned Petitions
Petitions received at the council are often scanned PDFs. We are unable to make changes to these documents and fall under the scope of 'third party content that’s under someone else’s control'. If you wish to find out what is within these petitions, please contact customer.services@bassetlaw.gov.uk.
Finance and Budget
Our fees and charges and statement of accounts do not currently meet the accessibility legislation. We are currently looking at options on how to get these documents introduced to the website as a page.
Disproportionate burden
Draft Bassetlaw Local Plan and Draft Worksop Central Development Plan
Our Draft Bassetlaw Local Plan, supporting documents (including the Draft Worksop Central Development Plan) and evidence base are large PDFs. These documents have been ongoing from the start of the process which began in 2016. As a result these documents may have been altered to represent changes as a result of consultations, rather than created from new.
Lots of these documents have been produced externally and to ensure they are completely compliant, would incur extra costs and would not be viable.
The information is necessary to produce the Draft Bassetlaw Local Plan.
If you require information contained with the plan or any documents associated with the plan (including the Draft Worksop Central Development Plan), please contact thebassetlawplan@bassetlaw.gov.uk or call 01909 533 533 and discuss with our planning policy team.
Open Data
Currently we are unable to assess the whole of our Open Data website, due to the volume of documents contained within it. This is currently being reviewed as part of a wider project to reduce the number of areas, and to bring the information back in line with the Local Government Transparency Code 2015.
What we're doing to improve accessibility
PDFs and word documents
We originally planned to provide an accessible HTML version of documents or PDFs and Word Documents will meet accessibility standards as the primary source by September 2020. Due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, the original date of September 2020 to fix or replace PDFs was unachievable. However, we intend to ensure that all of these are fixed or replaced with accessible HTML pages or online forms by the end of 2023.
The Communications Team are engaging with all services in the Council to embed the principles of digital accessibility in our everyday work. Starting with accessibility in mind will mean less issues to fix and assist us to provide the right level of information on our website in the most appropriate way.
Services based on a different technical platform
Open Data - data.bassetlaw.gov.uk
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.
This website is currently under review and will be updated or amalgamated with the Bassetlaw District Council website.
Third-party applications
We require that any new third-party systems we commission for the website are Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 AA compliant. However, third-party applications are partly or wholly out of our control and so may not conform to the same levels of accessibility as the rest of the website. Third-party applications include:
- Capita online payments
- ESB Forms
- Idox planning applications search, building control regulations search, and licensing register
- Esri mapping system
- EntitledTo benefit calculator
- Victoria form benefit applications
- Granicus govdelivery subscription - accessibility statement
- modern.gov Councillor information, meetings, agendas and minutes
Third-party applications coming soon
- Idox - Tascomi
We monitor the accessibility of these sites and ask suppliers to fix accessibility issues that arise.
Preparation
This statement was first prepared on 4 August 2020. It was last reviewed and updated on 30 May 2023.
Last Updated on Thursday, June 1, 2023