Accessibility statement for the Hampshire County Council website

This accessibility statement applies to the public facing pages on www.hants.gov.uk and the OurHants mobile app

This website is run by Hampshire 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 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the website using a keyboard or 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 also working to make 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:

  • text alternatives are missing for some images, buttons and inline frames
  • some scrolling or animated page elements use interactive buttons and "pips" that are missing text labels
  • the faded options on our interactive service picker templates have low colour contrast with the background
  • small print text used on maps is clipped when resized
  • most documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • live video streams do not have captions
  • older applications may not be fully compliant, for example grants applications
  • some web designs may have colour contrast issues
  • The mobile app does not change orientation when you turn your mobile device
What to do if you cannot access parts of this website

If you need information on this website in a different format, such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

  1. Complete the general enquiries form
  2. Add the web address (URL) of the page the content is on
  3. Describe the format you need, for example braille, audio CD or large print
  4. State which language you require
  5. Enter your name and email address

We will consider your request and get back to you in 5 days.

This form is for web accessibility issues only. If you have other issues or questions, you can contact Hampshire County Council.
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 complete the general enquiries form.

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.

Find out how to contact us.

Technical information about this website's accessibility

Hampshire County Council is committed to making its websites 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 and exemptions listed below.

The OurHants mobile application is partially compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Events listings

We have taken steps to improve the accessibility of our standard search filtering template, but some outstanding issues remain. We are investigating permanent fixes for these issues, including whether the template needs to be rebuilt.

1.4.12 Text Spacing

The text in the 'on this date' field is partially cut off when text is spaced.

1.4.3 Contrast

The Twitter button on the event pages does not have sufficient contrast.

Microsite navigation menu bar

Some sections of the Hampshire County Council website introduce a heading area that contains a logo space and a secondary navigation bar. The secondary navigation bar collapses into a hamburger menu on mobile phone screens. These pages use a common template and we refer to them collectively as "microsites". The issues below are common to most, if not all, pages using the microsite template.

A fix has been prepared for the microsite menu navigation. This will be reviewed and rolled out across all microsites.

1.4.10 Reflow

At 400% the microsite menu collapses and you can open it to view the options. However, once opened, the menu is not accessible via keyboard.

1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus

Some menu items open on hover but there is no mechanism to close the options without moving pointer hover.

2.1.1 Keyboard

There is no way to reach the sub-menu items in the drop downs from the menu bar using a keyboard.

Web chat component

Hampshire County Council uses a third party chat widget for providing live chat or chatbot assistance. We have contacted the provider with the list of known issues.

1.4.3 Contrast (minimum)

  • The link to the 'Privacy policy' does not have sufficient contrast against the background.
  • The placeholder text for 'Enter your email address' does not have sufficient contrast.

1.4.5 Images of Text

The 'Live chat' button is an image of text that reads 'need help? chat now'. This should appear as live text.

1.4.11 Non-text contrast

The input field for 'Enter your email address' has a grey border that does not have sufficient contrast against the background.

2.4.3 Focus Order

Clicking on the 'need help? chat now' button opens a window to start the chat. You have to tab backwards to reach the chat window. It would be expected that when new content is revealed after interacting with the button focus would move to the revealed content immediately or after the next tab.

2.5.3 Label in Name

The programmatic name of the 'Live chat' button is 'Live chat' but the visible label is 'need help? chat now'.

4.1.1 Parsing

The <style> element is not allowed as a child of the <body> element. Any page with the chat widget active has this issue.

Service picker component (contact page)

The service picker component used on several pages with complex content needs, including Contact the council, has several known accessibility issues. We are looking into redeveloping the component or removing it entirely.

1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum)

The headings of the second and third columns appear greyed out. The headings are intended to be seen, but also to indicate whether that column is active or inactive. Users with reduced vision are receiving a different user interface experience to those who can see the headings.

2.4.3 Focus Order

Once you choose an option and new options are revealed in the second column, it would be expected that the next tab would move to the revealed content but focus continues down the list. The same functionality happens when you choose a topic. This may be confusing for users who may not be alerted to the fact that new options have appeared.

Fostering Hampshire Children

The Fostering Hampshire Children website has the following accessibility issues with its design and structure.

1.4.10 Reflow

At 400%, the menu collapses and you can open it to view the options. However, once opened, the menu is not accessible via keyboard.

2.1.1 Keyboard

It is not possible to reach the drop down menu items under 'Speak with us' using a keyboard.

Video content

1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded)

Some videos contain visual information with no audio description.

We are reviewing our video content and guidance to ensure static videos contain an alternative, accessible method of accessing the visual information, including audio descriptions and updating transcripts to include visual information.

Image without a text alternative

All non-decorative images must have alternative text which describes the image to users who are unable to it. Some images are missing alternative text. This fails WCAG 2.2 1.1.1: Non-text Content.

All images and icons missing alternative text will be fixed by the web content team. Guidance will be issued to editors across the council to ensure alternative text is provided for all image uploads and why this is important.

Button without a text alternative

All buttons should have a text label which describes the button's function to users with assistive technology. Some forms contain "information" icon buttons that reveal more details. These buttons are missing text labels. This fails WCAG 2.2 4.1.2: Name, Role, Value.

The web team will add labels to these icon to ensure they have an accessible text alternative.

Inline frame without a text alternative

Inline frames (or iframes) show content from another part of the web. All inline frames should have a text alternative that describes its function for users with assistive technology. The inline frame on the planned road maintenance page is missing a text alternative. This fails WCAG 2.2 4.1.2: Name, Role, Value.

This content of this iFrame is held externally to Hampshire County Council. Hampshire County Council has reached out for the code to be updated with a relevant title.

Campaign pages

Various accessibility issues

Some of our campaign pages use custom designed. We have identified a number of accessibility issues with these designs, including:

  • Colour contrast. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (minimum).
  • Missing or empty headings. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.
  • Empty links. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.4 Link Purpose (in Context), 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only) and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value.
  • Empty unordered list tags. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.
  • Roles applied to HTML elements but not within the required context. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.
  • Spacing on social media icons. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum).
  • Missing alt text on images. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 Non-text Content.

The digital marketing team have been notified of these issues and we are working to ensure future designs are fully compliant with accessibility law.

ReCaptcha

4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

ReCaptcha boxes are causing two known accessibility issues. In addition, different forms of Captcha need to accommodate different disabilities.

ReCaptcha is critical for the protection of user accounts and data. We are reviewing our options.

Newsletter form pages

4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

There are several newsletter sign-up pages that are not content editable where checkboxes are not linked to their labels. This can cause problems for assistive technology.

Our web development team have been notified of the issue and are amending the templates.

HCC Rights of Way page template

1.3.1 Info and Relationships

The HCC Rights of Way page template table cells are missing context.

HCC Venue template

1.3.1 Info and Relationships

An empty heading and paragraph tag is shown when not in use on the HCC Venue template.

Social Media Footer

1.3.1 Info and Relationships

On pages where the social media icons are empty, some code remains that can cause problems for some assistive technology.

Council meetings archive form

2.4.7 Focus Visible

The date inputs on the Council meetings archive form highlight in an inconsistent way when using keyboard tabbing to navigate the page.

Slider buttons

2.4.7 Focus Visible

The previous and next buttons on sliding content do not highlight with an orange border when tabbed to with a keyboard. They do a little “press down” effect, but this is inconsistent with other keyboard navigation.

Search filtering

1.3.1 Info and Relationships and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

On some search filtering pages, users can tab to the hidden filters down the left-hand side without being able to see them.

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. They may not be structured so they're accessible to a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2: Name, role value.

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. We plan to either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.

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.

Map text is clipped when resized

Users with low vision should be able to scale all text to 200% without losing any information. The small print used on our externally developed map widget does not always scale without clipping the text. This fails WCAG 2.2 1.4.4: Resize text.

Fixing this issue would require development of the external widget to meet WCAG 2.2, or replacing it with an alternative that meets the requirement. This will incur a significant cost. As the text being clipped is not the primary content intended for Hampshire County Council users, we do not see a need to replace the maps at this time. We will keep the maps under review as part of our ongoing web accessibility monitoring.

Live video

Live video streams do not have captions. This fails WCAG 2.2 1.2.4: Captions - live.

We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

Mobile app

1.3.4 Orientation

The mobile app does not change orientation between portrait and landscape view.

How we tested this website

This statement was prepared on 24 September 2019. It was last reviewed on 23 August 2024.

This website was last tested on July 2024 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

The OurHants Mobile App was tested for accessibility in March 2024 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

Hampshire County Council continuously monitors the website using SiteImprove accessibility software. We also conduct manual spot checks on the most viewed pages and recently updated pages.