Accessibility statement

Accessibility statement for jobs.swindon.gov.uk

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

This accessibility statement applies to jobs.swindon.gov.uk.

The Careers website is run by Swindon Borough Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use the Careers website. For example, that means you should be able to:

• zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
• navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software
• listen to most of the website using a screen reader

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

How accessible this website is

We know that some elements of the Careers website are not fully accessible. For example:

Perceivable

• Some images that convey information do not have alternative text
• Some embedded YouTube videos do not have accurate captions
• Some text and background colour combinations do not meet recommended contrast ratios
• Some pages contain headings in an illogical order, or use heading tags only for styling

Operable

• Certain job application or search form fields are not properly labelled
• Some components may not be operable by keyboard alone
• Some headings do not accurately describe the content underneath

Understandable

• Some links use generic text like ‘Click here’ or ‘Read more’, which lacks descriptive context
• Not all pages and downloads are written in plain English

Robust

• Some PDF files are not fully accessible to screen reader software
• Some interactive controls may not clearly indicate their selected state

Other

• We have not done extensive testing with screen reader technologies or speech recognition software

Compliance status

The Careers website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliance(s) and/or the exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reason(s):

(a) non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

• Some images that convey information do not have alternative text. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).
• Some embedded YouTube videos do not have accurate captions. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.2 (Captions Prerecorded).
• Some pages contain headings in an illogical order, or use heading tags only for styling. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
• Some text and background colour combinations do not meet the 4.5:1 contrast ratio (for normal text) or 3:1 (for large text). This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum)).
• Some links use generic text like ‘Click here’ or ‘Read more’. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose – In Context).
• Some headings do not accurately describe the content underneath. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).
• Some interactive controls may have their focus indicators partially or fully obscured, hindering users ability to visually track their location during keyboard navigation. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.11 (Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)).
• Some interactive elements, particularly hyperlinks, are too small or too close together, making them difficult to activate accurately. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.5.8 (Target Size (Minimum)).
• Certain job application or search form fields are not properly associated with visible text labels or aria-label attributes. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions).
• Some interactive controls may not clearly indicate their selected state, potentially causing confusion for users who rely on assistive technologies. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).

(b) disproportionate burden

• At present, we have not identified any accessibility issues that would constitute a disproportionate burden to address. However, we remain committed to ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Should any potential burdens arise, we will conduct a formal assessment considering the financial costs and benefits, impact on users and available organisational resources. We will maintain transparency and regularly review any disproportionate burden claims.

(c) the content is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

• PDF and Word documents
  • While some of our older PDF and Word documents, particularly those published before 23 September 2018, may not fully meet accessibility standards, we are exempt from fixing them if they are not essential to providing our services. However, we are committed to improving the accessibility of essential documents, prioritising those viewed most often and ensuring all new PDF and Word documents meet accessibility standards.
  • We acknowledge that some of these documents may not be fully accessible to screen reader users, which does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value)
  • All new PDF and Word documents added to the Careers website are tested for accessibility before publication, ensuring they meet accessibility standards unless they are third-party provided and an accessible version is unavailable
• Videos
  • Our video content may have accessibility limitations, such as missing captions on live streams and some pre-recorded videos published before 23 September 2020
  • Although exempt from certain requirements, we are actively exploring solutions to improve accessibility, including adding captions where possible
  • All new video content will meet accessibility standards

What we are doing to improve accessibility

We actively monitor and address accessibility issues on the Careers website. Pages are audited for WCAG 2.1 AA and 2.2 AA compliance using Siteimprove (a third-party automated service and quality assurance tool). We also conduct manual checks on random pages regularly. We will continue to review the Careers website and update this statement accordingly.

Siteimprove provides three levels of accessibility warnings (A, AA, and AAA) based on WCAG 2.2 conformance. As of 23 December 2024, jobs.swindon.gov.uk was marked at:

• [Awaiting updated result]% for WCAG 2.2 accessibility compliance level A
• [Awaiting updated result]% for WCAG 2.2 accessibility compliance level AA

While we currently focus on meeting legal accessibility standards, we recognise the importance of exceeding them. Although we are not actively addressing AAA conformance at this time, continual improvement and achieving AAA compliance remain a long-term goal.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

Feedback and contact information

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact: accessibility@swindon.gov.uk.

If you need information on the Careers website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

• email accessibility@swindon.gov.uk
• call 01793 445500

We’ll consider your request and get back to you with an initial response within five working days.

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).