This accessibility statement applies to the website www.aberdeencity.gov.uk
This website is run by Aberdeen City Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
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change colours, contrast levels and fonts
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zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
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navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
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navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
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listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
We have also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet supports people of any age, living with any disability or impairment to use technology and has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
Recite Me Web Accessibility and Language Toolbar
Recite Me is innovative cloud-based software that lets visitors to our website view and use it in the way that works best for them.
We have added the Recite Me web accessibility and language toolbar to this website to make it accessible and inclusive for as many people as possible.
Some areas of the website do not support the use of the Recite Me toolbar:
- It is not currently available on certain pages where customers are asked to complete forms. This is due to these areas of the website being provided by third parties.
- The translation function does not fully support the Chatbot. Text provided within Chatbot will automatically be translated but questions to the Chatbot can only be submitted in English.
It helps the one in five people in the UK who have a disability, including those with common conditions like sight loss and dyslexia, to access this website in the way that suits them best.
It also meets the needs of the one in ten people in the UK who don't speak English as their first language, by being able to translate our web content into over 100 different languages, 35 of which can be spoken in text to speech mode.
How do I access the Recite Me toolbar?
You can open the Recite Me language and accessibility toolbar by selecting the 'Accessibility Tools' link at the top of the website.
After you click on the link, the Recite Me toolbar opens and displays a range of different options for customising how the website looks and how you can access the content.
For more information on using the ReciteMe toolbar watch our guidance video.
How does Recite Me help me access this website?
The Recite Me toolbar has a unique range of functions. You can use it to:
- Have the text on our website read aloud (including PDFs) in 35 languages
- Translate the text into more than 100 languages
- Download the text as an MP3 file to play it where and when it suits you
- Change font styles, sizes and colours, apply a screen mask or ruler
- Use a magnifier tool
- Access a fully integrated dictionary and thesaurus
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text
- 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
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, please contact:
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Webmonitor@aberdeencity.gov.uk
We will consider your request and get back to you in 14 days.
If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ page, email us 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 webmonitor@aberdeencity.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 are 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
Aberdeen City Council 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).
Some of our PDFs have non text content such as maps without any text alternative. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text content). We are working to ensure that where possible we have text alternatives and/or contact details for alternative formats.
Some of our PDF documents do not have descriptive enough titles for users to quickly and easily identify whether the information contained in the documents is relevant to their needs. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.2 (page titled) We plan to review all of our current PDF documents by March 2023. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our document titles meet accessibility standards.
Disproportionate burden
Interactive tools and transactions
Some of our online forms are built and hosted through third party software so we don't have total control over them.
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.
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they are not essential to providing our services.
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 18 February 2020. It was last reviewed on 24 April 2023.
This website was last tested in February 2023. The test was carried out by Aberdeen City Council.
This is done using The Silktide Index to sample 125 pages and by manually testing at least two pages of each content type.