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Accessibility

Accessibility Statement

This accessibility statement applies to the Heart of Mercia Multi-Academy Trust website, located at www.heartofmercia.org.uk

This website is run by Heart of Mercia Multi-Academy Trust.  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
  • 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 (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

This accessibility statement outlines the work we have undertaken, rebuilding our website to make it as usable and accessible as possible – in addition to documenting areas we still need to improve.

Naturally we want to provide the best possible browsing experience for everyone, across all types of devices and assistive technologies.  There is some useful information from the organisation AbilityNet on making your devices easier to use which may be of interest.

Where we’ve made improvements

We know parts of our previous website were not accessible, which is why we have built our new website with accessibility, usability and inclusive design at the forefront, to aim to conform to the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA underpins these regulations, and compliance ensures websites are Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust (POUR).

On our new website:

  • ‘Skip to content’ links have been introduced to improve the navigation experience for all. You can now bypass the navigation and move straight to the main content.  
  • There are now distinguishable navigation landmarks (sections) that benefit those using assistive devices.
  • Breadcrumbs (which help signpost where users are on the website) are now present on all second-level and below pages.
  • Components such as accordions and forms can be navigated using just a keyboard and the descriptions/labeling for some input fields have been improved.

Feedback and contact information

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

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in five working days.

Please note that arranging for alternative formats may take longer.  However, we will respond to you within the above time frame to discuss your requirements.

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, please email info@heartofmercia.org.uk or call 01432 355166 and ask to speak to the website team.

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

Heart of Mercia Multi-Academy Trust 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.

Non-accessible content

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

PDFs

Some historic documents may not be accessible in a number of ways including missing titles, text alternatives and document structure. We are aiming to resolve this issue for all new future documents. If you have an issue relating to the accessibility of a document, please email info@heartofmercia.org.uk or call 01432 355166 and ask to speak to the website team.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

Accessibility and inclusivity are of paramount importance to Heart of Mercia Multi-Academy Trust. We continually evaluate our website – working closely with our external web development agency – to make sure it conforms to accessibility standards.

We are looking into potentially procuring an accessibility toolbar which has numerous useful features; such as the ability to simplify the page, text-to-speech, text enlargement, screen masking and translations.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared in May 2024.  It was last reviewed on 29 May 2024.

Our web development agency has previously used Axe to carry out tests of the website. They will be carrying out an accessibility audit in Q3 2024.

WCAG 2.1 compliance issues have been flagged previously have been worked on by our external web development agency.