Accessibility Statement

This accessibility statement applies to nottinghamshire.gov.uk.

On this page

Using this website

This website is run by Nottinghamshire County Council. We want as many people as possible to use it

For example, you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts using your browser or device settings
  • zoom in up to 400% without the content spilling off screen or becoming difficult to read
  • navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We also try to make the website text as simple as possible to understand.

How accessible this website is

We know through testing, content reviews and user feedback that some parts of this website are not fully accessible.

For example:

  • many PDF and Word documents are difficult to navigate and do not fully meet accessibility standards
  • some audio and video content may be harder to use because captions and transcripts are not always available or checked for accuracy
  • some web page content can be difficult to navigate or understand because headings, links, images and page structure are not always used consistently
  • some online forms and third-party systems may not fully meet accessibility standards and can be difficult to use with assistive technology

Nottinghamshire.gov.uk contains content that has been published over many years. Some documents, audio and video content, web page content and third-party systems do not currently meet accessibility requirements.

We continue to improve web page content, documents, forms and online services to make them easier to access, understand and use.

If you experience an accessibility problem that is not listed on this page, please contact us and we will investigate it.

Get help or request information in a different format

If you need help using this website or accessing information, contact us.

We may be able to provide information in another accessible format, such as plain text, large print or Easy Read, depending on your needs.

We will consider your request and get back to you within five working days.

Contact us to request information in a different format

Report an accessibility problem

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website.

If you:

  • have difficulty using any part of the website
  • find an accessibility problem that is not listed on this page
  • would like to share feedback about the accessibility of this website

We welcome both problem reports and positive feedback. 

You can contact us or use our Website Accessibility Feedback form.

Enforcement procedure

If you report an accessibility problem and are not happy with our response, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) for advice and support.

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

We're committed to making this website accessible, in accordance with the accessibility regulations.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard due to the non-compliance issues listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

PDFs and other documents

Many PDF and Word documents are difficult to navigate and do not fully meet accessibility standards.

Common issues include

  • document structure is not always applied correctly, which can make documents harder to navigate using assistive technologies (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
  • document titles are not always provided or are unclear (WCAG 2.4.2 Page Titled)
  • images in documents do not always include suitable descriptions (WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content)
  • content is not always presented in a logical reading order (WCAG 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence)

We aim to improve document accessibility through guidance, training and ongoing reviews, focusing on information and services people use most often.

Where possible, we encourage information to be published as web pages rather than downloadable documents.

If you cannot access information in a document, contact us and we will work with you to provide it in another accessible format.

Audio and video content

Some audio and video content does not fully meet accessibility standards.

Common issues include: 

  • captions are not always provided or reviewed for accuracy when automatically generated on pre-recorded videos (WCAG 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded))
  • transcripts are not always provided for audio-only content, such as podcasts (WCAG 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded))

We improve audio and video content accessibility through guidance, training and ongoing content reviews.

Website content

Some website content does not fully meet accessibility standards.

Common issues include:

  • content where headings, lists and other page elements are not always used correctly, which can make information harder to navigate and understand (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
  • images without suitable descriptions (WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content)
  • links that are unclear when read out of context (WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context))

We regularly review website content and improve accessibility through content reviews, staff guidance and training.

Third-party forms and online services

Some online forms and services are provided through third-party systems that Nottinghamshire County Council does not fully control.

Accessibility testing has identified accessibility issues affecting some of these systems. These issues can make them difficult to use with:

  • screen readers
  • keyboard navigation
  • speech recognition software
  • other assistive technologies or strategies

We continue to review these issues and improve accessibility. Where possible, we fix issues within our control and work with suppliers to improve accessibility in third-party systems.

Disproportionate burden

Some accessibility issues identified in third-party systems may fall outside the council's direct control.

We have carried out a disproportionate burden assessment relating to some third-party forms and online services. The assessment is currently under review to confirm whether the issues identified remain present and are still valid.

Read our full Disproportionate Burden Assessment

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

Documents published before 23 September 2018

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDF and Word documents published before 23 September 2018 unless they are essential to providing a service.

Live video streams

Live video streams are exempt from the accessibility regulations and may not include captions.

Where possible, we enable automatically generated live captions for council meetings on our YouTube channel.

What we're doing to improve accessibility

We know some parts of our website are harder to use than they should be.

We continue to improve web page content, documents, online forms and services to make them easier to access, understand and use.

We identify accessibility issues through testing, content reviews and user feedback.

Where issues are within our control, we work to fix them as part of ongoing website maintenance and service improvements. We also work with suppliers to improve accessibility in third-party systems.

Recent improvements have included updates to website templates, navigation, search and key user journeys.

Creating more accessible content

People creating content for our website have access to guidance, learning resources and support to help them create content that is easier to access, understand and use.

This includes guidance on:

  • writing accessible web content
  • creating accessible documents
  • writing meaningful link text
  • using images appropriately
  • creating accessible audio and video content
  • structuring webpages correctly

Our guidance on creating accessible content is available publicly for anyone who publishes information on behalf of the council or wants to learn more about accessibility.

Read our How to create accessible content guidance.

Accessibility issues can still occur, so we continue to review content and make improvements where possible.

Making information easier to access

Where possible, we encourage information to be published as web pages rather than downloadable documents because they are:

  • easier to access
  • easier to keep up to date
  • easier to use on mobile devices
  • easier to use with assistive technologies

We continue to improve the availability of Easy Read information where it benefits residents most.

We focus our efforts on information and services that people use most often and where improvements are likely to have the greatest impact.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

Statement first published: 14 September 2020
Statement last reviewed: 17 August 2026
Website last formally tested: 5 May 2021 by HeX Productions

Testing carried out by HeX Productions included automated checks across the website and manual testing using assistive technologies across 25 defined user journeys.

Since the website was formally tested, we have continued to identify accessibility issues through testing, content reviews and user feedback. Where issues are within our control, we address them through website maintenance, content improvements and development work.

We review this statement regularly and update it when significant changes are made.