Accessibility

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This accessibility statement applies to the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service website (www.northyorksfire.gov.uk).

Please note we are in the process of purchasing a new website which will go live in early 2021 or sooner.

This website is run by North Yorkshire Fire and 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 font sizes and contrast and control pages using the browser resizing features i.e. on a mac hold in command key and press + or – to resize.
• navigate most of the website using just a keyboard, information about access keys is set out below
• 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 have integrated SpeakIT as an assistive technology. 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.

Access keys

An Access key is a keyboard shortcut that replaces the need to use a mouse for navigation. In most Windows browsers you can press ALT + an access key; and Macintosh users can press Control + ALT (Option) + an access key. Then, if necessary, press Enter to activate the link.

The following Access keys are enabled throughout the website:
1 : Jump to Home page
3 : Jump to Site Map
9 : Contact us
0 : Jump to Accessibility Statement page (this page)

These Access keys are based on UK Government guidelines. We have attempted to avoid conflicts with commonly used operating system shortcuts.

Alternative languages

We use the Google Translate plugin to enable you to translate our pages into your preferred languages.  You will find this plugin at the top of all of our website pages.

How accessible this website is

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

• The homepage only provides a single route, through imagery, for users to access other areas of the website
• 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
• most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
• our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
• you cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader
• you cannot zoom without the text spilling off the screen

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 cao.serviceinformation@northyorksfire.gov.uk
• call 01609 780150
• [add any other contact details]

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

If you want to visit us in person, please call or email us for directions.

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:

Communications and Media Team

By email using commsandmedia@northyorksfire.gov.uk or media@northyorksfire.gov.uk

or in writing at

Comms and Media Team
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service HQ
Alverton Court
Northallerton
DL6 1FE

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

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

North Yorkshire Fire and 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’, listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Some images do not have a 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 intend to add alternative text to all images on the current website by the end of September 2020; and where applicable support image links with text based links – for example on the homepage.

We are in the process of purchasing a new website which will go live in the coming months and will meet accessibility requirements

Disproportionate burden

Navigation and accessing information

There’s no way to skip the repeated content in the page header (for example, a ‘skip to main content’ option).

It’s not possible for users to change text size without some of the content overlapping.

Users can not zoom without text spilling off the page.

Interactive tools and transactions

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

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 as we are in the process of purchasing a new website. Our current website is running on old technology which does not allow for some of the changes required to be made.

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

 

PDFs and other documents

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 older copies of our corporate documents.

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 14th September 2020.

This website was last tested in August 2020. The test was carried out internally.

We tested our home page, and a number of pages under each section of the website. We also tested a selection of documents under each section.

We are in the process of purchasing a new website. Once the new website is live we will carry out regular reviews to check compliance with accessibility regulations and produce action plans for areas where improvements can be ma