Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement

This accessibility statement applies to www.ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk. This website is run by Ards and North Down Borough Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website.

Reachdeck - Accessibility Tool

This website includes Reachdeck (formerly BrowseAloud) accessibility software. Reachdeck adds speech, reading and translation support tools to online content. It works on all major browsers and platforms, including mobile phones and tablets. All features are accessed from an easy-to-use floating toolbar on all web pages.

This means you should be able to:

change colours, contrast levels and fonts
zoom in without the text spilling off the screen
navigate most of the pages using just a keyboard
navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
listen to most of the website using a screen reader

We've also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

The AbilityNet website has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability: read more at A digital world accessible to all. | AbilityNet

How accessible is this website

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

some images do not include alternative text
a number of PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software.
From April 2026 we all Council/Committee papers will be uploaded in Word doc. format which will have gone through accessibility checks prior to publishing.
The communications team will ensure that any new content added to the website will be checked/ adjusted to meet accessibility requirements as required.

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different accessible format, for example large print, easy read, audio recording or Braille:

Email enquiries@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk

Telephone 0300 013 3333

We'll consider your request and get back to you within 10 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 or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements, email our Customer Services team at enquiries@ardandnorthdown.gov.uk.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the 'accessibility regulations') in Northern Ireland. If you're not happy with how we respond to your request or complaint, please call ECNI on 028 9050 0600 and ask to speak with one of their Discrimination Advice Officers in their Legal Division, or email information@equalityni.org.

If you're not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the [Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) https://www.equalityni.org/

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

SignVideo provides our Deaf or Hard of Hearing customers who use British Sign Language (BSL) instant access to a SignVideo online BSL interpreter, in real time, on a video relay system. This service is free from your own home. It's simple, fast and secure.

At some Council venues, we can connect you to a fully qualified SignVideo interpreter using an iPad, so you can see them on the screen. They will assist you to communicate with our staff. If you need any help, a member of our reception team will be on hand. Please note this service is available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

Technical information about this website's accessibility

Ards and North Down Borough 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 2.2 AA standard due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

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

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 within by March 2027. When we publish new content we'll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.

We have noted issues issues with PDFs as follows:

WCAG 3.1.1 Language of Page
WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text content
WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships

From April 2026 we all Council/Committee papers will be uploaded in Word doc. format which will have gone through accessibility checks prior to publishing.

If you need any help with carrying out a task on our website, please contact enquiries@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk.

Third party tools

We use third party suppliers to deliver parts of the website. We have informed our suppliers that they need to meet the standards and we will review their compliance on a regular basis.

If you are having difficulties accessing any section of our website, please email enquiries@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk.

Disproportionate burden

Some of our PDFs are not accessible but would be a disproportionate burden to update, particularly those which are extremely long or used by a low number of people. However, requests can be made to make specific content accessible for those who need it.

Disproportionate Burden Assessment (Word doc, 20 KB) (opens new window)

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

Some of our older PDFs do not meet accessibility standards - for example, they may not be structured so they're accessible to a screen reader.

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. However, requests can be made to make specific content accessible for those who need it.

What we're doing to improve accessibility

We are going to ensure all future documents are published in accessible formats.

We will continue to use some automated checks to alert us if something falls below the standard.

The Council have committed to using an enhanced digital solution for automated web accessibility testing from April 2026. This will ensure that there is continuous monitoring, improved compliance and will enhance the user experience.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 1 April 2024.

It was last reviewed on 6 February 2026.

This statement was prepared following issues highlighted by the Cabinet Office's Government Digital Service team. It was reviewed by the Council's website contractor, along with simple manual checks to fix findings and recommendations. Issues raised by the public and the Cabinet Office have been rectified where possible.

Moving forward, the Council is committed to procuring an accessibility monitoring tool to perform regular audits of the site. It is hoped that this will be in place before June 2026.

We will continue to review our accessibility status and update this statement when needed.