Accessibility statement for Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s website
This website is run by Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website.
For example, that means you should be able to:
• change colours, contrast levels and fonts
• zoom in 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.
Learn more on the ‘using this website’ page.
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand. Where we have used jargon or an acronym that wouldn't easily be explained by searching online, we have added them to our glossary page.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible this website is
In September 2020 the company Silktide, working in partnership with Socitm, rated our website ‘good’ for accessibility – learn more on the Silktide website.
However we know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- You cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader
- When you are using the keyboard to navigate the site, not all controls (links, buttons etc) change appearance when they are selected
- Some of the PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
- Some of the non-decorative images do not have appropriate text equivalents, while some of the images which serve as links do not have ‘alt text’ or alternative text to describe their purpose
- People using screen readers are not always able to see the layout of a form
- Some of our videos do not have accurate captions
- Some of the text and links don’t have sufficient colour contrast (though this can be amended using the accessibility toolbar at the bottom of each page).
What to do if you cannot access parts of this website
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please contact our Communications team:
• email dhcft.communications@nhs.net
• call 01332 623700 extension 31218.
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 10 working days.
If you cannot view the maps on our ‘contact us’ pages, please get in touch for directions.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We are 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, contact our Communications team:
• email dhcft.online@nhs.net
• call 01332 623700 extension 31218.
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 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 by visiting our 'contact us' page.
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below. (Note: these are the main areas of non-compliance.)
Non accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non compliance with the accessibility regulations
- Some images and buttons do not have a label or text alternative, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).
We plan to add text alternatives for all non-decorative images and buttons. (The WCAG criteria makes a distinction about non-text content that is “pure decoration” and “used only for visual formatting”, so long as it is implemented in a way that it can be ignored by assistive technology like screen readers.)
When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of non-decorative images meets accessibility standards.
- Some of our videos do not have accurate captions. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.2 (captions (prerecorded)).
All our videos are first uploaded to YouTube, which has a system of automatically captioning videos. Sometimes the captions do not accurately capture what the people in the videos are saying. We will make sure the captions are edited so that they are correct.
Many of our videos have BSL interpretation, in line with WCAG AAA standards.
- Some of our headings do not follow a clear hierarchy and some of our lists do not clearly convey information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (information and relationships).
This issue applies to headings on pages including our homepage, the 'our services' page and the 'events' pages, and to lists on pages including our 'search' page where webpage and file results have not been separated. These will be corrected.
- Sometimes the sequences in which content is presented are confusing. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.2 (meaningful sequence).
Clearer labelling will be added to pages including our events pages, news pages and jobs feed.
- Colour is often the only way of conveying text links. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.4.1 (use of colour).
We will add underlines to all text links as a default.
- The visual presentation of text and images of text does not always have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.4.3 (contrast (minimum)).
This issue particularly (though not exclusively) applies to white text on coloured backgrounds on buttons and tiles. The contrast ratios will be improved by amending the coloured backgrounds.
The website also has an accessibility toolbar that allows for all text to be turned to black text on a white background, or black text on a yellow background. The toolbar is found at the bottom of the screen on all pages.
- Some pages have images of text, and do not convey information through text itself. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.4.5 (images of text)
A small number of pages on the site feature images of text and do not include the same information as body text which can be read by a screen reader. Actual text will be added to make this clear.
- Not all of the site's functions can be operated by using the keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.1 (keyboard).
Specific issues include with the drop-down navigation menu, some forms and the homepage 'carousel'. These will be resolved through fixes by the website developer.
- There is one instance where information automatically updates, without a mechanism to disable or control this. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.2.2 (pause, stop, hide).
This applies to the Service A to Z. A notification will be added at the top, along with an option to disable this feature.
- The purpose of some buttons and links is not clear from the text or the context in which it is used. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.4 (link purpose (in context)).
This affects the links and buttons in the header on each page as well as buttons on pages including our latest news pages and our jobs feed. These will be updated with either clear title text or better labelling.
- When content requires user input, there is not always an instruction or label to advise of this. This fails WCAG success criteria 2.5.3 (label in name) and 3.3.2 (labels or instruction).
Labels will be added where this is the case - for example on the sitewide search and the Service A to Z keyboard search.
- Some of the website coding does not allow assistive technologies like screen readers to accurately interpret the content. This fails WCAG success criterion 4.1.1 (parsing).
We will work with the website developer to address these issues, which have now been successfully identified.
Disproportionate burden
When this statement was first published in September 2019, we listed two areas under 'disproportionate burden'. Following a more detailed accessibility review (see 'how we tested this website', below) and discussions with our website developer, we now believe that we will be able to address these issues, along with all the areas of non-compliance listed above.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
PDFs and other documents
Many of our older PDFs, Excel spreadsheets and Word documents do not meet accessibility standards - for example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role value).
Some of our PDFs and Word documents are essential to providing our services. For example, we have PDFs with information on how users can access our services, and forms published as Word documents. By September 2020, we plan to either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services. For example, we do not plan to fix:
• Excel spreadsheets of our staffing figures
• Excel spreadsheets of information covering our transparency spending
• Annual reports (PDF)
• Information about other organisations or their work.
Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish that are essential to accessing our services will meet accessibility standards.
Live video
Live video streams do not have captions. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.4 (captions - live).
We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.
How we tested this website
This website was initially tested on 20 September 2019. The test was carried out internally by the Trust. We tested a sample of pages from the website using the gov.uk checklist for website accessibility and the web accessibility evaluation tool created by WebAim.
More recently, in June 2020, the Trust commissioned a third party to carry out a detailed accessibility review to identify all the changes required to make the website fully accessible, in line with WCAG AA standards.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
Following the internal testing in September 2019, some key amendments were made to the site. Most notably, we worked with our website developer to implement a solution so that the drop-down accordions could be accessed by keyboard use. Unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic led to delays in other amendments and improvements being made.
Following the detailed third-party accessibility review, a plan has been developed for addressing all the areas of non-compliance. We have grouped the changes that will need to be made into a series of steps, and our ambition is to deliver these by 30 September 2021. This will be dependent on budget and the capacity of our website developer.
This statement was updated on 30 September 2020, having initially been prepared on 20 September 2019.
