Accessibility statement for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) website
This accessibility statement applies to the npcc.police.uk website.
This website is run by the National Police Chiefs’ Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
- 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
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible is this website?
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- some of the text will not reflow in a single column when you change the size of the browser window
- you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text
- you cannot change the colour or contrast of the page
- video content does not have captions
- you cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader
- not all images have ALT text descriptions
We have a plan to achieve compliance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 by March 2021.
Feedback and contact information
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF:
- email press.office@npcc.pnn.police.uk
- call 020 3276 3803
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 7 working days.
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 and that we have not identified as part of our plan to improve the accessibility by January 2021, contact: Digital Communications Officer, Communications Department, NPCC press.office@npcc.pnn.police.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 complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
The National Police Chiefs’ 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 and exemptions listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
- the initial development of the website was in 2005 prior to the publication of WCAG 2.0 which was published in December 2008
- some remedial work to improve accessibility was undertaken in March 2020 to improve device compatibility, but it was recognised that the website needed to be redesigned
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
Images
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).
We plan to add text alternatives for all images by March 2021. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.
Pre-recorded audio and video
There are no alternatives for pre-recorded audio or video, so people cannot read closed captions or audio/video transcripts. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.1 [Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)], 1.2.2 [Captions (Prerecorded)], 1.2.3 [Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)], 1.2.5 [Audio Description (Prerecorded)].
We plan to add alternatives for audio and video content by March 2021. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure our use of captions and transcripts meet accessibility standards.
Keyboard
Not all content and functions are available using only the keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.1 (keyboard).
We plan to ensure all functionality is accessibly through a keyboard interface by March 2021.
Scrolling content
The scrolling slideshow used on the Home Page may not be paused or stopped. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.2.2 (pause, stop, hide).
We plan to ensure all scrolling content can be stopped, paused and/or hidden by March 2021.
Constant Navigation
There are inconsistencies in the navigation across pages. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.2.3 (consistent navigation).
We plan to ensure navigation will be consistent across all pages by March 2021.
Disproportionate burden
Navigation and accessing information
It’s not always possible to change the device orientation from horizontal to vertical without making it more difficult to view the content.
It is not possible for users to change text size other than in the browser which does not then display all page content.
Some of our pages are built and hosted through a third-party vendor and skinned to look like our website.
We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues with navigation and accessing information. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations in that the website is over 15 years old and the platform needs to be completely rebuilt to solve these and other issues. Requirements have been produced for a newly designed website using compliant and up-to-date technologies and it is anticipated this will be available by end of March 2021.
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 and for compliance with the Information Commissioner’s Office. For example, we have PDFs with information on how users can access our services, and minutes of meetings. By March 2021, we plan to either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.
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. For example, we do not plan to fix minutes of meetings, expenditure and expenses for this period.
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.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
As part of the overall redesign and redevelopment of the NPCC website we aim to be fully compliant with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 by March 2021.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 6 August 2020. The website was last reviewed on 2 February 2020.
This website was last tested on 6 August 2020. The test was carried out by the NPCC Digital Communications Officer.
We chose to test pages which had distinctive characteristics replicated throughout the site, including:
Home page has a mixture of images and text and includes a scrolling slideshow
https://www.npcc.police.uk/Home.aspx
Latest News is provided by PRGloo and incorporates the design of the NPCC website
Police Chiefs’ Blog has a mixture of text, images and video content
https://www.npcc.police.uk/ThePoliceChiefsBlog/Default.aspx
About Us is a simple page of text with a static image header
https://www.npcc.police.uk/About/AboutNPCC.aspx
National Police units is a page of links external and internal to the NPCC website
https://www.npcc.police.uk/NationalPolicing/Default.aspx
Chief Constables’ Council Minutes which has links to a number of PDFs
https://www.npcc.police.uk/FreedomofInformation/Meetingminutes.aspx