Fostering York accessibility statement

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

This statement applies to content published on the Fostering York domain.

Fostering York is committed to making our website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No.2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

To find out more about how our website meets accessibility guidelines please see:

Accessibility of our online services

It is designed to be used by as many people as possible. The text should be clear and simple to understand. You should be able to:

  • zoom in up to 300% without problems
  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • use most of our online services with screen reader software

Most of our online services work when scripts, applets or other programmatic objects are turned off, or aren't supported by a device. However, your experience using online services without scripts running may degrade.

Our online services are partially compliant with the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Get details of online services which don't meet accessibility standards, and online services exempt from accessibility standards.

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Requesting services in an accessible format

If you need information in a different format email: webadmin@york.gov.uk, and tell us:

  • the location of the information (copy and paste the URL/address from your browser address bar)
  • your name and email address (so we can respond)
  • the format you need (for example, audio CD, braille, British Sign Language (BSL), large print, accessible PDF)

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Feedback and contact information

You can report accessibility problems with this website if you find any issues that are not listed on this page, or you think we’re not meeting accessibility regulations. Email: webadmin@york.gov.uk in the first instance, so that we can work to resolve the issue. If you contact us with a complaint about the accessibility of our online services, and you’re not happy with our response the Equality Advisory and Support Service may be able to help you.

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. If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

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How accessible this website is

Parts of this website are not fully accessible. For example:

  • the text will not reflow in a single column when you change the size of the browser window
  • you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text
  • some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard

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Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), due to the following non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations:

  • Some PDF documents don't specify headings for accessibility. Headings are crucial for screen readers and other assistive technologies.  - this technique relates to Success Criterion WCAG 2.0 A 1.3.1
  • there may be cases of form controls that don't contrast sufficiently with their surroundings so that people with visual impairments are still able to clearly see them - this relates to success criterion WCAG (AA) 1.4.11
  • some links may not be defined in a specific way to be accessed by screen readers, which are used by blind and the partially sighted - this technique relates to Success Criterion WCAG 2.0 A 4.1.2
  • Some lists are marked up incorrectly which can prevent screen readers accurately reporting the amount of items contained in the list - this technique relates to Success Criterion WCAG 2.0 A 4.1.1
  • some headings on the website may fail accessibility as they do not provide text within the Header tag - this technique relates to Success Criterion WCAG 2.0 A 1.3.1
  • there may be some pages that use the same link text for different destinations this technique relates to Success Criterion WCAG 2.0 A 2.4.4
  • there may be failures to comply with the strictest accessibility standard (WCAG AAA), the colour of text must strongly contrast with its background colour, so that people with significant visual impairments can read it - this technique relates to Success Criterion WCAG 2.0 AAA 1.4.6
  • there may be some interactive components on a page, such as buttons or fields, that are not large enough to be easily used by people with motor impairments - this technique relates to Success Criterion WCAG 2.1 AAA 2.5.5

Where downloads (in PDF, and other file formats) do not meet accessibility standards we plan to fix or replace them, either when they are next reviewed, or as part of our ongoing programme of review work, whichever is sooner.

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Online services which are exempt from accessibility standards

Parts of our online services are exempt from accessibility standards:

  • Where downloads (in PDF, and other file formats) do not meet accessibility standards we plan to fix or replace them, either when they are next reviewed, or as part of our ongoing programme of review work, whichever is sooner.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We’re committed to being a fair and inclusive website, and we're passionate about providing accessible services, ensuring they’re properly designed and coded, so more people can use them, more easily, regardless of their hardware, software, language, location, or ability.

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Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on November 2024 and last reviewed on 26 November 2024.

Our online services are currently being (and will continue to be) reviewed for compliance with WCAG standards by City of York Council's Web Services Team, who carry out manual checks, alongside weekly automated sample testing which (together with usage data) informs and prioritise our actions for improving accessibility across online services.

Online services are re-assessed for accessibility whenever a major modification is undertaken; 'page content' is checked every time it is updated. Our current estimate is that further accessibility fixes to address non-accessible content on this site, will be undertaken during December 2025.

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