Accessibility

Accessibility statement for Ofwat.gov.uk

Published on 14 October 2020

This accessibility statement applies to www.ofwat.gov.uk and none of the other associated websites or subdomains.

This website is run and managed by Ofwat and we want everyone to be able to use this website. This means that as a user 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
  • Use the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
  • understand the content as it is written in simple and plain English

 

Background information

Over the last year, the website has been audited and we have become aware of many issues in regards to accessibility. Ongoing work on the website to ensure that we are improving the website experience for all users is in progress.

Currently, the website partially conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.

However, we are in the process of making significant improvements to the website and are planning on addressing various accessibility issues by the end of 2021.

 

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Ofwat 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. The non-compliances and exemptions are listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

  • some images might not have relevant alternative text
  • the navigation and page layout is not always clear when using a keyboard
  • the majority of the PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
  • some of the written content is technical and is not in plain English
  • some of the videos do not have accompanying introductions, video captions or transcripts

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

Any documents published on the website pages before 23rd September 2018 are exempt from Accessibility Regulation. For example, we do not plan to fix all consultations and publications published prior to this date.  New PDF documents we publish will meet accessibility standards, or can be available upon request for technical documents.

Any pre-recorded time-based media (videos) published across the website on or before 22nd September 2020 are exempt from Accessibility Regulation.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

There is a phased approach to ensure we are making continuous accessibility improvements. Further changes are planned by December 2021 and these changes are outlined below:

  • Provide HTML versions of new publications and consultations
  • Provide drop-down options for publication and consultation types to improve keyboard accessibility
  • Redesign of key templates to improve accessibility for those with cognitive disabilities
  • Review and redesign of the content presented in tables
  • Improve language on all pages across the website

In addition, we have a series of internal training programmes running to educate all departments as to how Ofwat can produce more accessible digital content.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 14 October 2020. It was last reviewed on 29 June 2021. This website was last tested in May 2020. The test was carried out by JBi Digital and included:

  • A manual audit covering vision, hearing, mobility, and thinking and understanding.
    • this audit covered key pages: homepage, publications, our strategy, residential and price review sections
  • An automated audit covering perceivable, operable, understandable and robust
    • a variety of tools were used, covering over 17,000 web pages

Feedback and contact information

If you require any of the content from our website in a different format eg. accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please email: [email protected]

Please include:

  • the title of the document or web page
  • the URL if possible (this may help us get back to you quicker)
  • which format you require

We’ll consider your request and get back to you within 14 working days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking at the ways 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 contact via email: [email protected]

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).