Walsall Link Logo

Accessibility statement for Link Walsall 

This accessibility statement applies to content published on the Link.Walsall domain. 

This website is run by Walsall Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to: 

  • zoom in up to 400% 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 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:  

  • Hidden content with different screen settings and devices may confuse all users  

  • Error suggestions are generic for some form fields 

  • Slider images lack essential functions for user control 

  • Keyboard issues for users who rely on a keyboard including people who are blind and people with physical disabilities  

  • Images without alternative text will not be read by a screen reader  

  • Images that contain text will not be read by a screen reader 

  • Low colour contrast against the background will cause issues for the visually impaired  

  • Menus may disappear on focus, creating issues for screen magnification users 

  • Headings that are not properly labelled or placed at the wrong level. Can make it harder for users to scan and digest content quickly 

  • Missing ‘Skip to content’ making it more difficult for users to navigate the site 

  • Forms without labels will cause issues for screen readers  

  • Buttons without labels will cause issues for screen readers 

  • Text that does not increase when text size is increased 

  • Instructions that rely on sensory characteristics 

  • Links incorrectly labelled and styled will cause issues for all users, but especially the visually impaired   

Feedback and contact information 

Tell us if you need information on this website in a different format. In your message include: 

  • the web address (URL) of the content 

  • your name and email address 

  • the format you need (for example, BSL, large print, accessible PDF, audio recording, easy read or braille)  

We’ll consider your request and get back to you as soon as possible. 

Reporting accessibility problems with this website 

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. We encourage you to tell us what you think.  

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, let us know via: 

  • email: WebProject@walsall.gov.uk 

  • phone: +44 1922 650000 

  • address: Walsall Council, The Civic Centre, Walsall, WS1 1TP  

We will respond to feedback within five working days. 

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 

Walsall Council is committed to making its 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 version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances, listed below. 

Non-accessible content 

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations 

  1. Some images do not have a text alternative, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.1.1 Non-text content. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some heading levels have been skipped and marked up incorrectly. This may impact Blind or low vision users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some buttons and forms are not labelled. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 Info and relationships. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. On some pages instructions rely on sensory characteristics. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some content cannot be viewed when rotated on all mobile devices. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.4 Orientation. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some form field inputs do not have an auto-complete feature. This makes it harder for users to fill out the form fields, especially for users with cognitive disabilities. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.5 Identify input purpose. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some links use colour as the only visual means of conveying information. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.1 Use of colour. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some parts of the website have sufficient contrast between the text and background colours. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum). We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some images contain text within them. These cannot be read by screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.5 Images of Text. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some content does not reflow when viewed at high browser magnification, which means people with visual impairments may be unable to access some content. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.10 Reflow. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some buttons have low contrast against the background making it harder to see them. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.11 Non text contrast. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. On some pages our navigation dropdown menu currently remains open. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.13 Content on hover or focus. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. The slider cannot be paused stopped or hidden. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.2.2 Pause, stop, hide. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. There is no “Skip to Content link” present. This may affect users who are blind or have low vision. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some links are not labelled correctly and do not take the user to the correct destination. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context). We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. On some pages the tabbing order is not logical when navigating with a keyboard. This fails WCAG success criteria 2.4.3 Focus Order. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some page headings do not describe the topic or purpose of the heading. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.6 Headings and Labels. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some elements on the page keyboard focus was unclear. This would affect users with low vision and cognitive impairments. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.2 Success criteria 2.4.7 Focus Visible. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Some selectable targets sizes are spaced out less than 24 x 24 pixels. Some people with physical impairments cannot click small buttons that are close together. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.5.8 Target Size. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. If an input error is automatically detected, suggestions for correction may not be presented to the user in text. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 3.3.3 Error suggestion. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

PDFs and non-HTML documents 

  1. Some of our PDF’s are not formatted so they’re accessible to a screen reader. Some errors may include, missing: 
    Non-text content. All non-text content presented to the user should have a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose. If these are missing, this doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 Non-text content. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Colour contrast. Some parts of PDF’s do not have sufficient contrast between the text and background colours. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast minimum. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Page titles. PDF documents should have titles that describe the topic or purpose of the page. If these are missing this doesn't meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.2. Page Titled. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Headings and labels. Headings and labels describe the topic or purpose. If these are missing this doesn't meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.6 Headings and Labels. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

  1. Name, role, value. For all user interface components, some of which are essential to providing our services (for example, forms published as Word documents). If these are missing this doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 Name, role, value. We plan to amend this by December 2024. 

What we’re doing to improve accessibility 

Following the audit conducted in April 2024 we are urgently reviewing how we can improve the accessibility of this website. We plan to make progressive fixes to content that fails to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, with all fixes in place by December 2024.  

Preparation of this accessibility statement 

This statement was prepared on 3rd May 2023. It was last reviewed on 15 April 2024. 

This website was last tested on 05 April 2024. The test was carried out by Walsall Council DaTS Team. 

  • a mixture of simple manual checks and automated tests to find only the most common barriers to users with accessibility needs 

  • manual checks using each page without a mouse, viewing the page at different zoom settings, and simulating viewing the page on a small screen 

The automated tests were completed using the latest version of Axe and WAVE. 

Tests were completed using different settings in the Internet Explorer browser on Lenovo ThinkPad with a 13-inch screen.