southtynesidehomesearch.org.uk

This accessibility statement applies to content published on the southtynesidehomesearch.org.uk domain.

This website is run by South Tyneside Council.

How you should be able to use this website

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 browser or device settings 
• zoom in up to 200% without the text spilling off the screen 
• navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software 
• 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. 

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

How accessible this website is

Parts of this website are not fully accessible. For example:

• across the website, elements do not meet the minimum colour contrast ratio threshold
• on all pages, links are not distinguishable without colour or have discernible text
• pages and PDF documents are not written in plain English 
• some images do not have alternate text
• some documents are in PDF format and are not accessible

Feedback and contact information

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements,  

• email webteam@southtyneside.gov.uk  
• call: 0191 427 7000 

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

• email customerhelp@southtyneside.gov.uk
• call 0191 427 7000 

In your message, include:

• the web address (URL) of the content
• your email address and name
• the format you need - for example, plain text, braille, BSL, large print or audio CD

We'll consider your request and get back to you in 14 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).

Technical information about this website's accessibility

South Tyneside 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 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Links must be distinguishable without relying on colour

On all pages, links are not distinguishable without colour. Links must have a colour contrast difference so users who cannot distinguish the colours can still find the link. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.1: Use of colour.

Links do not have discernible text

,links do not have discernible text. Links must have discernible text so keyboard users and screen readers can navigate a webpage. Only links with inner link text can be accessed. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.4: Link Purpose and 4.1.2: Name, Role, Value.

Link text

Links use ‘click here’ or ‘link’. Links cannot be identified from their link text; this stops users from understanding the purpose of each link in the content. This does not follow best practice.

Elements must meet the minimum colour contrast ratio threshold

Across all pages, elements do not meet minimum colour contrast ratio thresholds. Some users might find it difficult to distinguish outlines, borders, edges and details. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3: Contrast.

Images must have alternate text

On the equal opportunities page, the image does not have alternate text. Images must have alternate text, so screen readers have a way of translating an image into words. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1: Non-text content.

Navigation

On all pages, text cannot be re-sized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.4: Resize Text.

Focus visible

On all pages, the keyboard focus is not fully visible on the logo. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.7: Focus Visible. 

On all pages, screens cannot be made smaller without loss of content or functionality. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.4: Resize text.

Certain ARIA roles must contain particular children

On the properties and recent lets search, certain ARIA roles do not contain particular children. Missing child roles means accessibility functions can’t be performed and assistive technology can’t convey the context to the user. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1: MUST: Info and relationships.

Certain ARIA roles must contain particular parents

On the properties and recent lets search, certain ARIA roles do not contain particular parents. Missing parent roles means assistive technology can’t perform it’s intended function. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1: MUST: Info and relationships.

<li> elements must be contained in a <ul> or <ol>

On the properties and recent lets search, elements must be wrapped inside of ul or ol parent elements. This is so screen readers notify users when they come to a list and tells them how many items are in a list. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1: MUST: Info and relationships.

When we plan to fix these issues 

We are urgently fixing content which fails to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard. We will update this page when issues are fixed. 

We are making sure any new content or digital services we build meet accessibility standards. 

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

PDFs and non-HTML documents

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they're not essential to providing our services.   

What we're doing to improve accessibility

We have reported the accessibility issues listed in this statement to our supplier. We will update this page when issues are fixed.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 13 December 2020. It was last reviewed on 25 November 2024.

This website was last tested on 25 November 2024. The test was carried out by South Tyneside Council.

We tested a sample of pages, including the following templates:

• Homepage
• Content pages
• Properties search page
• Login page

We carried out both manual checks, and automated tests using the axe accessibility checker.

It is possible to resize the text on this website by using the 'normal text size', 'Large text size' and 'Extra large text size' buttons below.