Accessibility Statement for Essex Record Office Blog

This accessibility statement applies to www.essexrecordofficeblog.co.uk.

This website is run by Essex 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:

  • 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:

  • Many article images or image links have no or incorrect alt text
  • Audio clips that are part of articles have no alternative
  • Each page has multiple heading level 1’s meaning the main subject of the page could be confused
  • Heading levels are often skipped or are in an illogical order making it difficult to understand what content is related
  • Multiple sections are identified with the same landmark but have no label to differentiate them
  • Some headings are present with no content
  • HTML is used to format content meaning some styling cannot be overwritten
  • On the ‘you are hear’ form there are no autocomplete values
  • Link colour to surrounding text has low contrast
  • Some text that describes photos has low contrast with the background
  • When increasing font-size the search box placeholder is obscured
  • Some images have text that cannot be adjusted
  • When zooming in to 400% the form reCAPTCHA overflows the page
  • The skip to main content link receives focus after numerous header items, meaning you cannot skip past these items
  • There are multiple links with the same text that go to different locations
  • Some elements do not have visible focus styles
  • Error suggestion to overcome error’s does not provide clear ways to overcome errors
  • Some links have no accessible name making it difficult to know where the link will take you

Feedback and contact information

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

  • Email: ero.searchroom@essex.gov.uk
  • Call:  033301 32122

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 20 days.

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:

  • Email: ero.searchroom@essex.gov.uk
  • Call:  033301 32122

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 20 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).

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 About | (essexrecordofficeblog.co.uk).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Essex County 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 the accessibility regulations

Some images have no or incorrect alt text making it difficult to understand the purpose or content of the image. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text content).

Audio clips have no media alternatives making it impossible for some users to access the content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.1 (Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded).

Landmarks and Headings are not implemented correctly or are missing. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).

Form fields do not include autocomplete attributes making it difficult for some users to complete. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identify input purpose).

Links have low contrast with surrounding text and have no other identifiers. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.1 (Use of color).

Some text has low contrast with background colors and could be difficult to see. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum)).

When resizing text some input placeholders are obscured and difficult to read. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.4 (Resize text).

When zooming in to 400% some form functions overflow the page making it difficult to use. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.11 (Reflow).

Page repeated content precedes skip links meaning that they still have to be tabbed through. This fails WAG 2.4.1 (Bypass blocks).

The focus order within the header is illogical. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.3 (Focus order).

Some links have the same text but go to different locations. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 (Link purpose (In context)).

Some interactive elements receive no focus styles making them impossible to identify for keyboard only users. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.7 (Focus visible).

Error suggestions do not provide a clear way to overcome errors. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.3.3 (Error suggestion).

Some landmarks include redundant roles attributes which can become confusing, and some links have no accessible name. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).

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

Live video

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

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 12 May 2022. It was last reviewed on 12 May 2022.

This website was last tested on 12 May 2022. The test was carried out by Essex County Council.