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This accessibility statement applies to www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk.

This website is managed by East Ayrshire Council. 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 using the browser or mobile device
  • 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 and we are continually reviewing content on older pages.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this website is

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

  • to modify the line height or spacing you can attach your own stylesheet to do this
  • PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software - we are reviewing our current procedures for creating PDFs
  • live video streams and embedded videos do not have captions - closed captions can be switched on via YouTube
  • some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard -  this would also be the same of PDF forms
  • there’s a limit to how far you can magnify the maps on our website - the maps are embedded using third party software

Feedback and contact information

Find alternative ways to contact us.

Visit translation and interpretation services if you need information on this website in a different format such as:

  • accessible PDF
  • large print
  • easy read
  • audio recording
  • braille

Google translate

Translate our website into different languages by using Google Translate. You can enter:

  • text
  • address of a webpage
  • upload images or documents

Please note that not all text may be translated accurately or be translated at all. We are not responsible for incorrect or inaccurate translations.

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.pr@east-ayrshire.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 enquiry, 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.

Technical information about this website's accessibility

East Ayrshire Council is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Under the Equality Act 2010 we must ensure we do not unlawfully discriminate in our service delivery and make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities where necessary. We are constantly working to improve the accessibility and usability of our site.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the 'non-compliances' listed below.

Inaccessible content

The content listed below is inaccessible for the following reasons:

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Images

Some images contain text, so people with dyslexia or using a screen reader will not be able to read the information. We plan to review these and if still required on the website we will make sure they have alt text.

Any new images containing text will be reviewed before adding to the website.

Links

On some pages the same link text is used for different link destinations, for example, 'click here'. We plan to resolve this issue on all new pages.

Tables

On some pages tables do not have captions but show a descriptive heading. Where applicable, all new tables will have captions to ensure they meet accessibility standards.

PDFs and other documents

PDFs and other documents are not formatted so they’re accessible to a screen reader. 

We are reviewing all new documents submitted for publishing and working with services to make these accessible or replace the content with accessible HTML pages where possible.

We have also removed around 4,000 PDFs from our website.

Contrast

On some pages there may not be sufficient contrast between the colour of the text and the background, making it hard to read the information. If necessary, we will improve colour contrast.

Forms

Some of our online forms can be difficult to navigate using screen readers. The Our East Ayrshire Customer Service platform will gradually replace any forms that are not compliant.

Navigation

Due to the nature of content on some pages of our website there may be some issues with the order in which certain content is accessed when navigating using a keyboard. Where this is identified as an issue the pages in question will be analysed and redesigned in order to ensure that all content is fully accessible via the keyboard.

All new pages published after September 2020 will be designed in such a way that the content will be logically accessible via the keyboard. We will review this as required.

HTML

On some pages:

  • HTML has been used to format content rather than CSS
  • the iFrame has no 'title' attribute or the 'title' attribute is empty
  • the italics-tag 'i' is used to highlight text

We will review these as required.

Disproportionate burden

We've published a disproportionate burden assessment that explains:

  • review of existing documents
  • adjusting documents to meet accessibility standards
  • timescales for fixing documents
  • assessment of costs and benefits
  • organisational size and resource limitations
  • mitigating and other burdens 

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

  • Maps and plans
  • Third party content which is not in our control
  • GIS mapping system
  • Mapping
  • Mapping for Ayrshire Roads Alliance
  • Newsletter system
  • Payments portal
  • Planning consultations
  • Public transport mapping

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

To help improve website accessibility:

  • we have created accessibility guidance to help staff create accessible webpages and accessible PDFs
  • we are using accessibility software to scan our website and help with WCAG AA compliance
  • we have developed an accessibility action plan and accessibility roadmap
  • accessibility awareness training, and more specialised training where needed, will be rolled out to staff in 2024
  • we will develop an elearning training course on how to create accessible digital content - all web content authors and updaters will be asked to take this training course as mandatory, and eventually all staff
  • where possible, we'll make sure new content meets accessibility standards

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 11 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 28 February 2024.

This website is tested weekly with accessibility scanning software. It was last tested in February 2024.

Contact Information

Council Headquarters
London Road
Kilmarnock
East Ayrshire
KA3 7BU
Contact us online: www.eastayrshi.re/contactus
Save time, do it online: www.our.east-ayrshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01563 554400
Textphone: 01563 576167
24 Hour Emergency Helpline(local rate): 0345 724 0000