Accessibility statement

General

This accessibility statement applies to the Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service’s website. (you can access the statement PDF Format here: Accessibility statement for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.pdf)

This website is run by Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service. 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 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)

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.

Method of testing

Accessibility testing is done manually by the communications team and by Web Orchard, Where compliance has been tested it has been against WCAG 2.0 AA  and more recently WCAG 2.1 AA.

Accessibility

SFRS aims to improve its compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1).

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

  • Most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • Live video streams do not have captions
  • Some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
  • Character Key Shortcuts do not work on all pages

Enabling the Accessibility Menu

The accessibility menu can be enabled by clicking the accessibility menu icon that appears on the corner of the page. After triggering the accessibility menu, please wait a moment for the accessibility menu to load in its entirety.

Disclaimer

SFRS continues its efforts to constantly improve the accessibility of its site and services in the belief that it is our collective moral obligation to allow seamless, accessible and unhindered use also for those of us with disabilities.

Despite our efforts to make all pages and content on our website fully accessible, some content may not have yet been fully adapted to the strictest accessibility standards. This may be a result of not having found or identified the most appropriate technological solution.

Scanned pdf documents do not comply with the Accessibility Regulations 2018 but these documents can be provided in an alternative format or on alternative media, on request.

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:

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 14 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, contact: enquiries@shropshirefire.gov.uk

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).

Find out how to contact us

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.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service 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 and exemptions listed below.

  • Character Key Shortcuts do not work on all pages

Non-accessible content- non compliance with regulations

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

  • Most PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software under WCAG 2.4.2 Page titled

  • The focus visible does not currently tab clearly to the 'news' section under WCAG 2.4.7 Focus Visible

  • 'Read more' links are not yet accessibile through the keyboard under WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard

This should be rectified by 1st May 2023

Disproportionate burden

Interactive tools and transactions

Some of our interactive forms are difficult to navigate using a keyboard. For example, because some form controls are missing a ‘label’ tag.

Our forms are built and hosted through third party software and ‘skinned’ to look like our website. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (information and relationships).

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues with navigation and accessing information, and with interactive tools and transactions. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will make another assessment during a full website review in July 2023 when we plan to move to a new website.

Bypass Blocks

WCAG 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks and WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value: Frames must have an accessible name. These issues are caused by our accessibility tools.

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

PDFs and other documents

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 [example of non-essential document].

Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

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 24/2/23. It was last reviewed on 24/2/23.

This website was last tested on 17/2/23. The test was carried out by Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service