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Date: 21 November 2024
Time: 10:09
Website accessibility statement
This statement applies to the Trust websites available via www.uhb.nhs.uk and hgs.uhb.nhs.uk.
What is website accessibility?
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the organisation responsible for developing web standards. The W3C states that: “Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them.”
For a full definition, and to see what accessibility means for all website users, please see the W3C website.
Background
Our websites are very old and due for redevelopment.
While we try to make new content accessible to all users, we can’t guarantee that every part of each site will meet everyone’s accessibility needs.
Our websites do feature in-built tools to enable users to alter the way content is viewed using standard templates, e.g. the ability to alter text size or colour contrast.
Standard web browsing software offers options to allow users to alter the way they view content, and we do not deliberately override these options.
There is some content which is difficult to publish in a way that is fully accessible. For example, our Trust newsletter is designed to be printed. While users are welcome to download this document, it is not designed to be an online resource. It is therefore not designed with web accessibility in mind.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We are currently working on a new website, which was originally due to go live in 2020. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has delayed the development of this website, but we aim to deliver the site as soon as possible during 2021. Wherever possible, we will ensure the content of this website meets the requirements of the international WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standard. This is the minimum standard considered to be acceptable for public sector websites.
Where we can’t meet these requirements, we will explain this in an updated accessibility statement.
In the meantime, we’ll try to make all of our key content as accessible as possible. An example of key content would be a document which somebody needs to use to access a particular service related to their disability.
However, our priority is to deliver a new website which will feature improved accessibility for all content.
Get in touch
If you find a piece of content which you feel is not accessible, or if you would like any content in another format, please contact us. We will do what we can to make the requested information available in an accessible format.
Digital Communications Team
3rd floor, Wolfson Building
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
Mindelsohn Way
Edgbaston
Birmingham, B15 2GW
Email: Webmaster@uhb.nhs.uk
Further action
If you’re not satisfied with our response, or with our approach to making our content accessible, you may complain to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. This is the enforcement body for website accessibility regulations.
For further information on enforcement of accessibility regulations for websites and mobile apps, please see part 5 of The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
