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gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":5,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship">Citizenship and living in the UK</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":6,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/justice">Crime, justice and the law</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":7,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/disabilities">Disabled people</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":8,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving">Driving and transport</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":9,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/education">Education and learning</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":10,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/employing-people">Employing people</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":11,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/environment-countryside">Environment and countryside</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":12,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/housing-local-services">Housing and local services</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":13,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/tax">Money and tax</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":14,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad">Passports, travel and living abroad</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":15,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration">Visas and immigration</a> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":1,"index_link":16,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":16,"section":"Services and information"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/browse/working">Working, jobs and pensions</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="govuk-grid-column-one-third-from-desktop gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__column--government-activity"> <h3 class="govuk-heading-m gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__column-header"> Government activity </h3> <ul class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-items gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-items--government-activity"> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link--with-description" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":2,"index_link":1,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":6,"section":"Government activity"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations">Departments</a> <p class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-description">Departments, agencies and public bodies</p> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link--with-description" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":2,"index_link":2,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":6,"section":"Government activity"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/search/news-and-communications">News</a> <p class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-description">News stories, speeches, letters and notices</p> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link--with-description" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":2,"index_link":3,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":6,"section":"Government activity"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/search/guidance-and-regulation">Guidance and regulation</a> <p class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-description">Detailed guidance, regulations and rules</p> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link--with-description" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":2,"index_link":4,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":6,"section":"Government activity"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics">Research and statistics</a> <p class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-description">Reports, analysis and official statistics</p> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link--with-description" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":2,"index_link":5,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":6,"section":"Government activity"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/search/policy-papers-and-consultations">Policy papers and consultations</a> <p class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-description">Consultations and strategy</p> </li> <li class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__dropdown-list-item"> <a class="govuk-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-link--with-description" data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"header menu bar","index_section":2,"index_link":6,"index_section_count":3,"index_total":6,"section":"Government activity"}" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases">Transparency</a> <p class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-second-item-description">Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports</p> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="super-search-menu" hidden="hidden" class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__navigation-dropdown-menu"> <div class="govuk-width-container gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__search-container gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__search-items"> <h3 class="govuk-visually-hidden"> Search </h3> <div class="govuk-grid-row"> <div class="govuk-grid-column-full"> <form class="gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__search-form" id="search" data-module="ga4-form-tracker" data-ga4-form="{"event_name":"search","type":"header menu bar","section":"Search GOV.UK","action":"search","url":"/search/all","index_section":3,"index_section_count":3}" data-ga4-form-include-text data-ga4-form-no-answer-undefined action="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/search" method="get" role="search" aria-label="Site-wide"> <div class="gem-c-search govuk-!-display-none-print govuk-!-margin-bottom-0 gem-c-search--large gem-c-search--on-white gem-c-search--separate-label" data-module="gem-toggle-input-class-on-focus"> <label for="search-main-8d54559e" class="govuk-label govuk-label--m gem-c-layout-super-navigation-header__search-label--large-navbar">Search GOV.UK</label> <div class="gem-c-search__item-wrapper"> <input enterkeyhint="search" class="gem-c-search__item gem-c-search__input js-class-toggle" id="search-main-8d54559e" name="q" title="Search" type="search" value="" autocorrect="off" autocapitalize="off"> <div class="gem-c-search__item gem-c-search__submit-wrapper"> <button class="gem-c-search__submit" type="submit" enterkeyhint="search"> Search <svg class="gem-c-search__icon" width="27" height="27" viewbox="0 0 27 27" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"> <circle cx="12.0161" cy="11.0161" r="8.51613" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="3"></circle> <line x1="17.8668" y1="17.3587" x2="26.4475" y2="25.9393" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="3"></line> </svg> </button> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> <div class=""> <div class="gem-c-layout-for-public__blue-bar govuk-width-container"></div> </div> <div id="wrapper" class="direction-ltr govuk-width-container"> <div class="gem-c-contextual-breadcrumbs"> <div class="govuk-!-display-none-print"> <nav data-module="ga4-link-tracker" aria-label="Breadcrumb" class="gem-c-breadcrumbs govuk-breadcrumbs govuk-breadcrumbs--collapse-on-mobile"> <ol class="govuk-breadcrumbs__list"> <li class="govuk-breadcrumbs__list-item"> <a data-ga4-link="{"event_name":"navigation","type":"breadcrumb","index_link":"1","index_total":"1"}" class="govuk-breadcrumbs__link" href="/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/">Home</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <main role="main" id="content" class="help-page" lang="en"> <span id="Top"></span> <div class="govuk-grid-row"> <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds"> <div class="gem-c-title govuk-!-margin-top-8 govuk-!-margin-bottom-8"> <h1 class="gem-c-title__text govuk-heading-xl"> Accessibility statement for www.gov.uk </h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="govuk-grid-row"> <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds"> <div class="responsive-bottom-margin"> <div class="gem-c-govspeak govuk-govspeak direction-ltr disable-youtube" data-module="govspeak"> <p>This accessibility statement applies to the www.gov.uk website. It does not cover other GOV.UK subdomains such as service subdomains (for example design-system.service.gov.uk) or the blog subdomain (www.blog.gov.uk), which have their own accessibility statements.</p> <p>This website is run by the Government Digital Service. Other government departments and agencies publish content on www.gov.uk.</p> <h2 id="how-you-should-be-able-to-use-this-website">How you should be able to use this website</h2> <p>We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. You should be able to:</p> <ul> <li>change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings</li> <li>zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen</li> <li>navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software</li> <li>listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)</li> </ul> <p>We also make the website text as simple as possible to understand.</p> <p>AbilityNet has advice on <a rel="external" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://mcmw.abilitynet.org.uk/">making your device easier to use</a> if you have a disability.</p> <h2 id="how-accessible-this-website-is">How accessible this website is</h2> <p>Parts of this website are not fully accessible. For example:</p> <ul> <li>some pages and document attachments are not written in plain English</li> <li>some tables do not have row or column headers</li> <li>some documents have poor colour contrast</li> <li>some heading elements are not consistent</li> <li>some images do not have image descriptions</li> <li>some images used to convey information have poor colour contrast </li> <li>some information in tables cannot be reached with a keyboard</li> <li>many documents are in <abbr title="Portable Document Format">PDF</abbr> format and are not accessible</li> </ul> <h2 id="govuk-services">GOV.UK services</h2> <p>Each service has its own accessibility page, with details of how accessible the service is, how to report problems and how to request information in an alternative format. You can access these pages from the footer inside the service.</p> <h2 id="feedback-and-contact-information">Feedback and contact information</h2> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/contact/govuk">Tell us if you need information in a different format</a>.</p> <p>In your message, include:</p> <ul> <li>the web address (URL) of the content</li> <li>your email address and name</li> <li>the format you need - for example, plain text, braille, <abbr title="British Sign Language">BSL</abbr>, large print or audio CD</li> </ul> <p>You can request a <abbr title="Portable Document Format">PDF</abbr> in an accessible format from its page. Click ‘Request an accessible format’ to contact the organisation that published the document.</p> <p>You can also view the organisation’s <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/search/all?parent=&keywords=%22accessible+document+policy%22&level_one_taxon=a544d48b-1e9e-47fb-b427-7a987c658c14&level_two_taxon=&manual=&public_timestamp%5Bfrom%5D=&public_timestamp%5Bto%5D=&topical_events=&order=relevance">accessible document policy</a> to report any problems or request documents in an alternative format.</p> <h2 id="reporting-accessibility-problems-with-this-website">Reporting accessibility problems with this website</h2> <p>If you find any problems that are not listed on this page or you think we’re not meeting the accessibility requirements, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/contact/govuk">contact us</a>.</p> <h2 id="enforcement-procedure">Enforcement procedure</h2> <p>The Equality and Human Rights Commission (<abbr title="Equality and Human Rights Commission">EHRC</abbr>) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’).</p> <p>If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, <a rel="external" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/">contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (<abbr title="Equality Advisory and Support Service">EASS</abbr>)</a>.</p> <h2 id="technical-information-about-this-websites-accessibility">Technical information about this website’s accessibility</h2> <p>The Government Digital Service is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.</p> <h2 id="compliance-status">Compliance status</h2> <p>This website is partially compliant with the <a rel="external" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/">Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2</a> AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.</p> <h2 id="non-accessible-content">Non-accessible content</h2> <p>The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.</p> <h3 id="non-compliance-with-the-accessibility-regulations">Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations</h3> <ol> <li>Images on some pages do not always have suitable image descriptions. Users of assistive technologies may not have access to information conveyed in images. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).</li> <li>Some tables do not have table row or column headers. This means assistive technologies will not read the tables correctly. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).</li> <li>Some tables are structured incorrectly, so screen readers cannot understand the relationships between information in the table. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).</li> <li>Some headings do not display correctly. They may look like normal text or a different type of heading. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).</li> <li>Some images use colour as the only way to convey meaning. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 1.4.1 (Use of Color).</li> <li>Some images include text with poor colour contrast to its background. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum)).</li> <li>Some pages use images of text instead of text. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 1.4.5 (Images of Text).</li> <li>Some images include elements with poor colour contrast to the background. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 1.4.11 (Non-text Contrast).</li> <li>If a table is too wide to fit on the screen, the hidden information cannot be reached with a keyboard. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 2.1.1 (Keyboard).</li> <li>On some pages, skip to main content links don’t skip straight to the main content. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks).</li> <li>Some pages have duplicate titles. This may make it difficult for users to orient themselves and find the right content. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled).</li> <li>Some headings don’t accurately describe the content underneath. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).</li> <li>The text on some buttons doesn’t accurately describe what the button does. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).</li> <li>On some pages the back to top link at the bottom of the page can hide focussed elements. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 2.4.11 (Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)).</li> <li>Some images of text that are used as links have image descriptions that don’t include all of the text. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name).</li> <li>The change in the default written language is not correctly identified on some pages. This means screen readers will not read content correctly. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 3.1.2 (Language of Parts).</li> <li>Some pages have inconsistently-placed language navigation. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 3.2.3 (Consistent Navigation).</li> <li>Translation Navigation is inconsistently named. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 3.2.4 (Consistent Identification).</li> <li>Some links that reveal more content can cause some screen reader users to lose their position on the page. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).</li> <li>The feedback buttons at the bottom of each page behave in an unexpected way that could be confusing for screen reader users. This fails <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).</li> </ol> <p>Many documents are in non-HTML formats, for example <abbr title="Portable Document Format">PDF</abbr>. They are not accessible in a number of ways including missing text alternatives and missing document structure.</p> <p>View the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/search/all?parent=&keywords=%22accessible+document+policy%22&level_one_taxon=a544d48b-1e9e-47fb-b427-7a987c658c14&level_two_taxon=&manual=&public_timestamp%5Bfrom%5D=&public_timestamp%5Bto%5D=&topical_events=&order=relevance">accessible document policy</a> of the organisation that published the document to report any problems or request documents in an alternative format. If more than one organisation is listed, view the accessible document policy of the first.</p> <h3 id="disproportionate-burden">Disproportionate burden</h3> <p>Some of the content used to apply for some types of licence is non-accessible. The non-accessible content is published through platforms which we are transitioning to new arrangements. We believe that fixing the problems causing content to be non-accessible on the old platforms would be disproportionate.</p> <h3 id="content-thats-not-within-the-scope-of-the-accessibility-regulations">Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations</h3> <p>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.</p> <h2 id="what-were-doing-to-improve-accessibility">What we’re doing to improve accessibility</h2> <p>We are working alongside other government departments and agencies to fix content which fails to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.</p> <h2 id="preparation-of-this-accessibility-statement">Preparation of this accessibility statement</h2> <p>This statement was prepared on 23 September 2019. It was last reviewed on 3 April 2024.</p> <p>This website was last tested in November 2023 against the <abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr> 2.2 AA standard. 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"https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/assets/government-frontend/govuk_publishing_components/govuk-logo-b15a4d254746d1642b8187217576d1e8fe50b51352d352fda13eee55d3c1c80a.png" } }, "image": [ "https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/assets/government-frontend/govuk_publishing_components/govuk-schema-placeholder-1x1-c3d38c0d4fc00005df38a71e1db7097276681d6917bca58f0dc8336a252e1bb3.png", "https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/assets/government-frontend/govuk_publishing_components/govuk-schema-placeholder-4x3-edc38c137a14ecfc3fc83f404090e20dab806dad345c96a1df6a163ee2d1e3aa.png", "https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/assets/government-frontend/govuk_publishing_components/govuk-schema-placeholder-16x9-5dc2d0ea1eb72cd94e66db210ef41b22ce364e7ed09d63a3acc28fda09e27864.png" ], "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Government Digital Service", "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-digital-service" }, "headLine": "Accessibility statement for www.gov.uk", "description": "Find out how accessible www.gov.uk is and how to tell us about accessibility problems.", "articleBody": "\u003cp\u003eThis accessibility statement applies to the www.gov.uk website. It does not cover other GOV.UK subdomains such as service subdomains (for example design-system.service.gov.uk) or the blog subdomain (www.blog.gov.uk), which have their own accessibility statements.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis website is run by the Government Digital Service. Other government departments and agencies publish content on www.gov.uk.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-you-should-be-able-to-use-this-website\"\u003eHow you should be able to use this website\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. You should be able to:\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003echange colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ezoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003enavigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003elisten to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe also make the website text as simple as possible to understand.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAbilityNet has advice on \u003ca rel=\"external\" href=\"https://mcmw.abilitynet.org.uk/\"\u003emaking your device easier to use\u003c/a\u003e if you have a disability.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-accessible-this-website-is\"\u003eHow accessible this website is\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eParts of this website are not fully accessible. For example:\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003esome pages and document attachments are not written in plain English\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003esome tables do not have row or column headers\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003esome documents have poor colour contrast\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003esome heading elements are not consistent\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003esome images do not have image descriptions\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003esome images used to convey information have poor colour contrast \u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003esome information in tables cannot be reached with a keyboard\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003emany documents are in \u003cabbr title=\"Portable Document Format\"\u003ePDF\u003c/abbr\u003e format and are not accessible\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"govuk-services\"\u003eGOV.UK services\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach service has its own accessibility page, with details of how accessible the service is, how to report problems and how to request information in an alternative format. You can access these pages from the footer inside the service.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"feedback-and-contact-information\"\u003eFeedback and contact information\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.uk/contact/govuk\"\u003eTell us if you need information in a different format\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn your message, include:\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ethe web address (URL) of the content\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eyour email address and name\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ethe format you need - for example, plain text, braille, \u003cabbr title=\"British Sign Language\"\u003eBSL\u003c/abbr\u003e, large print or audio CD\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYou can request a \u003cabbr title=\"Portable Document Format\"\u003ePDF\u003c/abbr\u003e in an accessible format from its page. Click ‘Request an accessible format’ to contact the organisation that published the document.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYou can also view the organisation’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.uk/search/all?parent=\u0026amp;keywords=%22accessible+document+policy%22\u0026amp;level_one_taxon=a544d48b-1e9e-47fb-b427-7a987c658c14\u0026amp;level_two_taxon=\u0026amp;manual=\u0026amp;public_timestamp%5Bfrom%5D=\u0026amp;public_timestamp%5Bto%5D=\u0026amp;topical_events=\u0026amp;order=relevance\"\u003eaccessible document policy\u003c/a\u003e to report any problems or request documents in an alternative format.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"reporting-accessibility-problems-with-this-website\"\u003eReporting accessibility problems with this website\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you find any problems that are not listed on this page or you think we’re not meeting the accessibility requirements, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.uk/contact/govuk\"\u003econtact us\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"enforcement-procedure\"\u003eEnforcement procedure\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Equality and Human Rights Commission (\u003cabbr title=\"Equality and Human Rights Commission\"\u003eEHRC\u003c/abbr\u003e) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’).\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, \u003ca rel=\"external\" href=\"https://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/\"\u003econtact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (\u003cabbr title=\"Equality Advisory and Support Service\"\u003eEASS\u003c/abbr\u003e)\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"technical-information-about-this-websites-accessibility\"\u003eTechnical information about this website’s accessibility\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Government Digital Service is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"compliance-status\"\u003eCompliance status\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis website is partially compliant with the \u003ca rel=\"external\" href=\"https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/\"\u003eWeb Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2\u003c/a\u003e AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"non-accessible-content\"\u003eNon-accessible content\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 id=\"non-compliance-with-the-accessibility-regulations\"\u003eNon-compliance with the accessibility regulations\u003c/h3\u003e\n\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eImages on some pages do not always have suitable image descriptions. Users of assistive technologies may not have access to information conveyed in images. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome tables do not have table row or column headers. This means assistive technologies will not read the tables correctly. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome tables are structured incorrectly, so screen readers cannot understand the relationships between information in the table. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome headings do not display correctly. They may look like normal text or a different type of heading. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome images use colour as the only way to convey meaning. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 1.4.1 (Use of Color).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome images include text with poor colour contrast to its background. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum)).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome pages use images of text instead of text. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 1.4.5 (Images of Text).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome images include elements with poor colour contrast to the background. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 1.4.11 (Non-text Contrast).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eIf a table is too wide to fit on the screen, the hidden information cannot be reached with a keyboard. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 2.1.1 (Keyboard).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOn some pages, skip to main content links don’t skip straight to the main content. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome pages have duplicate titles. This may make it difficult for users to orient themselves and find the right content. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome headings don’t accurately describe the content underneath. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eThe text on some buttons doesn’t accurately describe what the button does. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOn some pages the back to top link at the bottom of the page can hide focussed elements. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 2.4.11 (Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome images of text that are used as links have image descriptions that don’t include all of the text. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eThe change in the default written language is not correctly identified on some pages. This means screen readers will not read content correctly. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 3.1.2 (Language of Parts).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome pages have inconsistently-placed language navigation. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 3.2.3 (Consistent Navigation).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eTranslation Navigation is inconsistently named. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 3.2.4 (Consistent Identification).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSome links that reveal more content can cause some screen reader users to lose their position on the page. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eThe feedback buttons at the bottom of each page behave in an unexpected way that could be confusing for screen reader users. This fails \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMany documents are in non-HTML formats, for example \u003cabbr title=\"Portable Document Format\"\u003ePDF\u003c/abbr\u003e. They are not accessible in a number of ways including missing text alternatives and missing document structure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eView the \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.uk/search/all?parent=\u0026amp;keywords=%22accessible+document+policy%22\u0026amp;level_one_taxon=a544d48b-1e9e-47fb-b427-7a987c658c14\u0026amp;level_two_taxon=\u0026amp;manual=\u0026amp;public_timestamp%5Bfrom%5D=\u0026amp;public_timestamp%5Bto%5D=\u0026amp;topical_events=\u0026amp;order=relevance\"\u003eaccessible document policy\u003c/a\u003e of the organisation that published the document to report any problems or request documents in an alternative format. If more than one organisation is listed, view the accessible document policy of the first.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 id=\"disproportionate-burden\"\u003eDisproportionate burden\u003c/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSome of the content used to apply for some types of licence is non-accessible. The non-accessible content is published through platforms which we are transitioning to new arrangements. We believe that fixing the problems causing content to be non-accessible on the old platforms would be disproportionate.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 id=\"content-thats-not-within-the-scope-of-the-accessibility-regulations\"\u003eContent that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations\u003c/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-were-doing-to-improve-accessibility\"\u003eWhat we’re doing to improve accessibility\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe are working alongside other government departments and agencies to fix content which fails to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"preparation-of-this-accessibility-statement\"\u003ePreparation of this accessibility statement\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis statement was prepared on 23 September 2019. It was last reviewed on 3 April 2024.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis website was last tested in November 2023 against the \u003cabbr title=\"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines\"\u003eWCAG\u003c/abbr\u003e 2.2 AA standard. This test of a representative sample of pages was carried out by the Digital Accessibility Centre (\u003cabbr title=\"Digital Accessibility Centre\"\u003eDAC\u003c/abbr\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe also used findings from our own testing when preparing this accessibility statement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n" } </script><script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/http://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "name": "Home", "@id": "https://web.archive.org/web/20240904210233/https://www.gov.uk/" } } ] } </script> </body> </html>

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