Accessibility Statement
Introduction
Accessibility statement for www.bedsfire.gov.uk
This accessibility statement applies to content published by Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service on the www.bedsfire.gov.uk domain.
How accessible this website is
Our commitment
We are committed to ensuring that our website is accessible to as many people as possible. We recognise the importance of providing an accessible and inclusive experience for all users, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.
We are continually working to improve the accessibility of our website and have taken the following steps to ensure that it is as accessible as possible:
- We have used an accessible content management system (CMS) to build our website
- We have trained our content creators to write content in an accessible way
- We have carried out an accessibility audit of our website and made
- improvements where necessary
We also understand that accessibility is an ongoing process and we are committed to continuously improving the accessibility of our website.
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
Accessibility features
We have incorporated a number of accessibility features into our website to ensure that it is as easy to use as possible for everyone. Some of these features include:
- Keyboard navigation: All areas of our website can be accessed using a keyboard
- Text resizing: Users can increase or decrease the size of text on our website to suit their needs
- High contrast mode: We have a high contrast mode that makes it easier for users with visual impairments to read our content
- Alternative text for images: All images on our website have alternative text descriptions that can be read by screen readers
- Captioned videos: All videos on our website have captions to ensure that they are accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing
We have also ensured that all of our web pages have a clear and consistent layout, with headings, subheadings, and links that are easy to navigate.
Technical information
Our website has been designed to be compatible with a wide range of devices and web browsers. We have tested our website on the following browsers:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Apple Safari
- Microsoft Edge
We have also ensured that our website is compatible with a range of assistive technologies, including screen readers and speech recognition software.
If you experience any issues accessing our website, please contact us at PRO@bedsfire.gov.uk and we will do our best to assist you.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 17 March 2023.
If you wish to contact us regarding any accessibility issues relating to this website, or indeed any such issue relating to our Service as a whole, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Compliance and Limitations
Compliance
We have made every effort to ensure that our website complies with the accessibility guidelines set out by the Government Digital Service. We have used the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 as the basis for our accessibility work.
We have carried out an accessibility audit of our website and identified any areas where we need to make improvements to ensure that we are fully compliant with the guidelines. We are committed to ensuring that our website is fully compliant with the WCAG 2.1 guidelines and will continue to work to improve the accessibility of our website.
Feedback and contact information
We welcome feedback from our users on the accessibility of our website. If you have any comments or suggestions on how we can improve the accessibility of our website, please contact us at PRO@bedsfire.gov.uk.
Write to us at: Press Office, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Spring Road, Kempston, Beds MK42 7NR
We aim to respond to all feedback within seven working days and will use your comments to improve the accessibility of our website.
If you are experiencing any difficulties using our website, please contact us and we will do our best to assist you.
Limitations
Despite our best efforts, there may be some areas of our website that are not fully accessible. This may be due to factors beyond our control, such as third-party content or technical limitations.
We are committed to ensuring that any areas of our website that are not fully accessible are identified and addressed as quickly as possible.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations.
- PDFs and other documents
- Some documents are not accessible in several ways including missing text alternatives and missing document structure. For example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader. This fails Guideline 4.1 Compatible / Success Criterion 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value. These documents are not essential to providing our services
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018.
Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.
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).
Disproportionate burden
Not applicable.
Our core values
We dare to be different
We are bold, we welcome challenge, and we are open to innovative ideas
Every contact counts
Making a positive difference each and every time, with respect and professionalism
We’ve got your back
Striving to keep us all safe, while being supportive and inclusive
We are accountable
We are transparent, trustworthy, and responsible for our actions