Gardeners Mile End Website Accessibility Statement

Gardeners Mile End is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive online experience for all visitors, including disabled people, older people, and anyone using assistive technology. This accessibility statement explains the steps we are taking to make our website more accessible and usable for everyone in and around the accessible Gardeners Mile End area.

Our Accessibility Commitment

We aim for our website to follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 at level AA. These guidelines help us design and develop content that is more usable and accessible for people with a wide range of access needs, including visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments, as well as visitors using mobile devices or slower connections.

Accessibility is an ongoing process. We regularly review our content, design, and code to identify barriers and make improvements, particularly for residents, visitors, and community members engaging with services in the Gardeners Mile End area.

Measures To Support Accessibility

To improve accessibility, we focus on clear structure, consistent navigation, and readable content. Pages are organised using headings and subheadings, with descriptive text to help users find information about gardening services, local activities, and support in the Gardeners Mile End community.

We aim to maintain sufficient colour contrast between text and background and to use legible font sizes. Where possible, information is presented in plain language without unnecessary jargon, so it is easier to understand for a wide audience.

Screen-Reader Compatibility

Our website is being developed to work effectively with modern screen-reader software. We use semantic HTML so that headings, lists, and other elements are announced in a meaningful order. Images that convey information are given alternative text, so users who cannot see them still understand the content.

Links and buttons are written to be descriptive, so visitors using screen-readers can understand their purpose without relying on visual context. We also avoid using images of text wherever possible, which supports both screen-readers and users who adjust text size or colours.

Keyboard Navigation

The website is designed so that most content and interactive elements can be accessed and used with a keyboard alone. Users should be able to move through the page in a logical order using the Tab, Shift plus Tab, Enter, and arrow keys.

We work to ensure that keyboard focus is always visible, so it is clear which part of the page is currently selected. This benefits people who cannot use a mouse, as well as those who prefer keyboard shortcuts for efficiency.

Supported Browsers and Devices

The Gardeners Mile End website is intended to work on recent versions of major browsers and a range of devices, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Responsive layouts help ensure that content is readable and functional at different screen sizes and orientations.

Visitors in the Gardeners Mile End area and beyond should be able to adjust basic browser and device settings, such as zoom level, colour preferences, or text size, and still access core information and services.

Ongoing Improvements and Known Limitations

While we strive to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, some areas of the website may not yet fully comply. Certain legacy content, complex tables, or third-party elements may present barriers. When we identify such issues, we work to resolve them or provide accessible alternatives.

We review new features and content with accessibility in mind before they go live and continue to improve existing pages wherever we can.

Contact for Accessibility Requests and Feedback

We welcome feedback about the accessibility of the Gardeners Mile End website. If you find any part of the site difficult to use, cannot access specific information, or need content in a different format, you can contact us in writing or in person at our usual correspondence address.

Please describe the page or feature you are trying to access, the problem you are experiencing, and any assistive technology, browser, or device you are using. This helps us investigate and work towards a suitable solution for you and for other visitors in the accessible Gardeners Mile End area.

Escalation and Future Updates

If you raise an accessibility concern, we aim to acknowledge it and respond with further information or proposed steps within a reasonable period. Some changes may take longer to implement, but your feedback directly informs our priorities.

We will review and update this accessibility statement from time to time, particularly when we make significant changes to the website or our services. Our goal is to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities and diverse access needs, can use the Gardeners Mile End website with greater independence and confidence.