This accessibility statement applies to Bicester.gov.uk, run by Bicester Town Council.
The content on this website is accessibly designed for everyone to find, read, and understand. It is compatible with assistive technologies and developed to meet the accessibility standards outlined in this statement.
View the site your way
There are a number of customisation options for your browser and device that could help you use this website and other websites more effectively.
AbilityNet provide advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
Feedback and contact information
Please contact us if you have an accessibility query including:
- if you are experiencing issues with accessing information or using the website
- if you find an accessibility problem not listed on this statement
- if you have positive feedback on the accessibility considerations made.
When you contact us there is a process in place that will acknowledge your contact, tell you who is dealing with it and give you a timescale by which you can expect a reply.
Alternative formats
If you need information in an alternative format:
An English-speaker will take details of what you need and will arrange a translation or interpreting service for you. You may need an English-speaking friend or a family member to help you with this.
We may not be able to meet your requirements immediately, but we will try to provide an interpreter (or translation service) to help you as quickly as possible.
Complaints process
If you have reported a problem with our website or asked for an alternative format, but you are not happy with our response, you can use our complaints policy and form to register your difficulty. Bicester Town Council is reviewing the standard complaints policy document and will be adding a specific accessibility policy form once approved by the Policy Committee.
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).
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
Bicester Town Council will regularly review the site as our commitment to making this 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 (WCAG) version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
Non-accessible content
We have tested the accessibility of the content across our website prior to 14 September 2020 launch against WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
The content listed below is non-accessible with the reasons listed. Some parts of the website may not work for everyone. Below are known issues that we either need to fix, cannot fix, or do not need to fix right now.
If you find something that does not work that we missed, please remember to contact us.
Website wide issues
Insufficient alt text
Some images contain text which cannot be read by assistive technology, such as screen readers.
Any relevant text is included in the image’s alt-text, which is visible to assistive technology.
Branded text such as logos, slogans or other marketing messages, may not be included in the alt-text if they are not relevant to what the image is conveying.
Images that do not contain sufficiently descriptive alt-text are not compliant with WCAG guideline 1.1.1, and WCAG guideline 1.3.3.
We will correct insufficient alt-text over time as we review each page, post or news item. Any new pages, posts or news item from 14 September 2020 will have alt text included.
Images within Community Events may not have an alternative text due to the feature for external users to upload their event posters. We are investigating solutions for this and we may be able to amend the upload feature format for the future to allow users to add alternative text with the upload.
Insufficient colour contrast
Some images contain text that does not meet minimum colour contrast requirements.
Images with insufficient colour contrast are not compliant with WCAG guideline 1.4.3.
We will correct the contrast on these images over time as we review each page. If you find any images with insufficient colour usage please contact us.
Links indistinguishable from text
On the navigation bar and buttons the text links may not be underlined and only identifiable by design: users with visual impairments can navigate using keyboard tabs.
Image backgrounds
Images with text may be hard to see or understand, due to the colour contrast being affected when CSS is disabled.
Images with insufficient colour contrast are not compliant with WCAG guideline 1.4.3.
We check our images using www.toptal.com and will correct the contrast on these images over time as we review each page. Any new background images uploaded after 14 September will be checked and corrected.
Content specific issues
Image sliders
Image sliders are used on the homepage. You cannot use the 'previous slide' and 'next slide' controls on our image sliders using a keyboard, or pause automatic image scrolling. This is not compliant with WCAG guideline 2.2.2.
This is a compromise intended to improve the experience for visually impaired screen reader users, who would otherwise be presented with controls affecting decorative images, which can't be accessed using a screen reader.
Search results
The search bar icon in the navigation bar on our homepage is not accessible. This is not compliant with WCAG guideline 1.3.2.
We have decided not to remove the search icon as this is in a consistent and predictable structure for other users, to aid accessibility we have a separate link to a search page within the footer. This can be accessed by using the keyboard tab and will take the user to a separate accessible search page.
Overlapping and cropped text in tables
Tables may include overlapping or cropped text when viewed through a viewport width of 320 pixels or less: This affects smaller smartphones such as the iPhone SE.
This is not compliant with WCAG guideline 1.4.10.
This issue is present on the Allotments, Cemetery, Garth Park and House, Open Spaces, Play Areas and Sports Pitches pages.
We are investigating solutions for this and may change table format to text format for the future.
Inaccessible documents
Documents available on the below pages cannot be provided in an accessible format.
Strategic Documents: Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2019/20 Part 3
As part of our statutory duties, these documents must be available to the public, and we do not have the original forms to make accessible.
Bicester Ward Map, Play Area Locations Map, if you need assistance accessing this information please contact us, we are investigating solutions for these maps to present the information in an alternative format.
Open Spaces and Sports Pitches Booking Form, if you need assistance accessing these forms please contact us, we will be adding accessible online forms to the site in the future.
News posts
News images in archive section are being improved to make the posts accessible, we could not guarantee that they do not contain alt text and tags and these are being improved on an ongoing basis. There may also be links to documents which are no longer archived.
Disproportionate burden
Not applicable.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
This section covers issues that we do not need to fix right now. The law calls these exemptions.
PDFs and documents
Some of our PDFs that are not essential to providing our services were published before 23 September 2018. Any new PDFs or documents we publish will meet accessibility standards, where an inaccessible document is uploaded (for example a scanned meeting minutes document), there will be an additional accessible document uploaded.
Video
Video content embedded on our website before September 2020 may not meet accessibility standards: They may not feature subtitles, audio-description or offer a written transcript.
Any video added to our site since September 2020 meets accessibility regulations.
We use YouTube to embed videos onto our web pages. We are not responsible for the accessibility of the YouTube platforms.
Maps
Our website uses online maps. Where there is a map, the information being displayed is provided in an alternative format on the same web page.
Third party content
Our website contains third-party content. We do not have control over and are not responsible for the accessibility of this content, but we endeavour to work with the third party to improve its accessibility. This may include:
- links to non-Bicester Town Council websites
- content/functionality on our website
- content hosted on other websites, such as social media sites.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 11 September 2020 and is due to be reviewed 11 September 2021.
This website was last tested on 11 September 2020. The test was carried out by Bicester Town Council and Navitas Design.
