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Accessibility statement

This accessibility statement applies to the website www.norwich.gov.uk

This website is run by Norwich City Council.

Translating this website

You can view this website in another language for free using Google Translate. This service is automated and therefore may produce unreliable translations. We are not responsible for the content or accuracy of the translations.

You may need to install Language Packs to view some of the languages correctly.

Using this website

We are committed to providing a website that is as accessible and usable to as many people as possible. For example, that means you should be able to adapt the site to suit your needs, as follows:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • zoom in up to 300% 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)

The website text has been made as simple as possible to understand. AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

Skip links

To help keyboard-only and screen reader users to move through a page, a skip link appears when the tab key is used. The invisible 'Skip to content' link at the top left hand corner of each page allows the cursor to jump to the main content of the page.

Opening PDF documents

Some downloadable documents on this website are in Portable Document Format (PDF). If you don't have the software on your computer to open a PDF, the Adobe Acrobat website allows you to download the free Adobe Reader needed to do this. The current version of Acrobat Reader has improved accessibility features and includes the facility to read the text out loud.

Useful websites to help with accessibility

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible, for example:

  • many PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software (there is no legal requirement to make documents published before September 2018 accessible unless they are essential to providing our services)
  • form controls on directory pages where there is an embedded Google Map do not have labels on the map marker icon
  • form controls don't have an autocomplete function or accessible dialogue labels that can be read out by screen readers
  • some pages do not have the skip to the main content function when using a screen reader
  • some pages scroll in two dimensions on a small screen ie business merits list and Mousehold Heath Earth Trail
  • some pages have poor colour contrast, such as calendars within booking forms
  • tables in booking form calendars do not have clearly marked up row headers
  • some links aren't distinguishable by more than just colour
  • some links that go to the same destination use different link text
  • some links that use the same text go to different destinations
  • some links are not self-explanatory to screen reader users
  • some search functions may not have a submit button
  • content and functionality of our third party applications such as My Norwich, Jobs, Civica pay, Committee meetings, Planning applications public access are not fully accessible

Feedback and contact information

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

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

  • complete our contact us form (choose the website and accessibility option from the drop-down list in the form)
  • call 0344 980 3333

We’ll consider the request and get back to you in five days.

If you need to talk to us using an interpreter call 0344 980 3333. Find out more about our interpreting and translating service.

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 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. Please speak to the customer support officer on arrival if you have accessibility issues.

Find out how to contact us.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Norwich City 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 2.1 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 accessibility regulations

Image alternative text

  • On the website's home page there are two promotional images where the alternative text is the same as the adjacent text. This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text content)

We have committed to redesigning our entire digital service including our website and online forms by April 2026. This will include producing a delivery plan to resolve non-compliant issues ahead of the deadline. 

Links

  • Some links need to be distinguished by more than just colour in order for users with visual impairments to see these links eg latest news section and some older style forms. This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 1.4.1 (Use of colour) 
  • On some pages, links to different destinations use the same link text eg A-Z .This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 2.4.4 (Link purpose (In context))
  • On some pages links may not identify the purpose of the link in order to help users decide whether they want to follow the link. This fails WCAG  2.1 A success criterion 2.4.4 (Link purpose (in context))

We have committed to redesigning our entire digital service by April 2026. This will include producing a delivery plan to resolve non-compliant issues ahead of the deadline. 

Embedded Google Maps (directory pages)

  • Form controls on directory pages where there is an embedded Google Map do not have labels on the map marker icon. This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships)
  • Some tables which contain information do not have clear headers defined. This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 1.3.1(Information and relationships)

Our current supplier (Jadu) has advised that Google Maps will need to address this. Whenever we add a marker to an address on a map, we also show the address as text.

Table headers

  • Some tables with many columns do not display properly on mobile devices and require left or right scrolling or using the device on its side. This fails WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion 1.4.10 (Reflow)
  • Some tables which contain information do not have clear headers. This fails WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion 2.4.6 (Headers and tables)
  • Some table headings do not have scope. This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 1.3.1 (Information and Relationships)

We are looking at fixes for these issues by the end of July 2024.

Forms

  • Some form fields do not identify what their purpose is programmatically, which allows browsers to help users fill in forms with known information. This fails WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion 1.3.5 (Identify input purpose)
  • In some forms, labels in the document fragment do not point to valid IDs. This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 1.3.1 (Information and Relationships)
  • On calendars within booking forms the text and background colour that do not have sufficient colour contrast. This fails WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)
  • Search functions at the bottom of each A-Z entry page do not contain a submit button. This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 3.2.2 (On input)
  • Some items are not wrapped with the same name inside a field set. This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 1.3.1 (Information and relationships)
  • Some form controls do not contrast sufficiently with their surroundings. This fails WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion 1.4.11 (Non-text contrast)
  • There is no scope on table headers in the booking calendars on some forms to tell the assistive technologies what the header refers to. This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 1.3.1 (Information and relationships)

All of our online forms are being reviewed and rebuilt in a new form builder as part of our website redesign project. This project will be completed by April 2026 with priority given to high usage forms ahead of this deadline.

Scrolling horizontally on small screens

  • When viewed on small devices like mobile phones, some pages require scrolling horizontally such as the business merits listings and some pages in the Mousehold Health Earth Trail. This fails WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion 1.4.10 (Reflow)

We have committed to redesigning our entire digital service by April 2026. This will include producing a delivery plan to resolve non-compliant issues ahead of the deadline. 

Lists

  • Lists of related items on Go4Less and Report a repair pages should be tagged correctly to allow assistive technology to navigate from item to item more easily. This fails WCAG 2.1 A success criterion 1.3.1 (Information and relationships)

We have committed to redesigning our entire digital service by April 2026. This will include producing a delivery plan to resolve non-compliant issues ahead of the deadline. 

Disproportionate burden

We have committed to redesigning our entire digital service by April 2026. This will include producing a delivery plan to resolve non-compliant issues ahead of the deadline.

We have previously published that it would be a disproportionate burden to fix all inaccessible documents published since September 2018. This included many PDFs and other documents that are not compliant for the following reasons:

  • PDFs are not machine readable (WCAG A 1.3.1)
  • Tagging hasn't been carried out correctly (WCAG A 1.3.1)
  • Headings have not been specified (WCAG A 1.3.1)
  • The first heading is not H1 (WCAG A 1.3.1)
  • Headings don't follow a logical order (WCAG A  1.3.1)
  • Default language is not specified (WCAG A 3.1.1)
  • Titles are not defined (WCAG A 2.4.2)
  • Titles are weak (WCAG A 2.4.2)
  • Long pdfs may not have bookmarks (WCAG AA 2.4.5)
  • Documents have been photocopied and converted to pdfs
  • Forms are in PDF or Word format
  • Documents have been provided by third parties

However, these will now be reviewed as part of our website redesign and we will then reassess the situation in July 2025.

In the meantime, we will aim for any new PDFs or other documents we publish to meet accessibility standards. Where possible we provide an accessible HTML version of the information. Where it is necessary to publish a document for customers to print that cannot be made fully accessible, it will be published alongside accessible HTML web pages.

Pdfs and documents can be made available in an alternative format on request

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

You can find the complete list of content exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations on legislation.gov.uk.

PDFs and other documents

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 unless they are essential to providing our services. For example, we do not plan to fix the Air Quality Progress Report published in 2015. However, we will aim to provide alternative versions on request.

We are also not required by the regulations to fix documents provided by third-parties that are neither funded nor developed by, nor under the control of the council eg Government leaflets and documents supporting planning applications.

Live video

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

Embedded maps

Our website makes use of embedded maps. We are not required to make these accessible as long as essential information is always provided in an accessible format like an address.

Archived content

Some of our content, such as news articles and minutes of meetings is archived and not within scope of the accessibility regulations.

Third party applications

Some of our online services are provided by third-party applications which are platforms and websites developed by external suppliers and ‘skinned to look like our website. The development of these websites is partly, or wholly out of our control, so they may not conform to the same levels of accessibility of the main website. 

We are requesting compliance statements from our suppliers and where these are found to be unsuitable, we will engage with each supplier to agree measures to achieve compliance:

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are continuing to fix the accessibility issues listed in this statement both in-house and with our developers and third party suppliers. Product contract renewals and upgrades will be reviewed.

We are raising awareness of accessibility and developing training to support services across the organisation.

We have implemented the GovMetric feedback tool which asks users for feedback on accessibility of the website and forms.

We are looking at embedding assistive technology to provide enhanced usability of the website and forms for groups with differing accessibility needs.

We have committed to redesigning our entire digital service by April 2026, which includes the website and online forms. 

We will be looking to include accessibility compliance as part of the contract evaluation for third party suppliers.

We will update this page when issues are fixed or when we expect them to be fixed.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 23 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 14 June 2024.

This website is tested for compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines V2.1 level A and level AA on an ongoing basis. Testing is carried out internally every five days on all web pages and documents by the web team, using automated software (Silktide).We also use WAVE and manual sampling of template pages to help identify any issues that arise.

The latest Silktide report shows we have an overall score of 94% for accessibility compliance. Checks are carried out on the following three levels:

  • 94.8% compliancy for level A WCAG 2.1 checks
  • 94.6% compliance for level AA WCAG 2.1 checks
  • 92% compliancy for level AAA WCAG 2.1 checks.
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