This website is run by Merton Council. 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 using the options on your computer
  • 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)

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.

How accessible this website is

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

  • The HTML code on some pages is not strictly valid
  • Some menus are split into two lists instead of being one simple list
  • The same link text is used for multiple different destinations on some pages
  • Titles are missing from some iframes
  • Some PDF documents are not accessible in a number of ways including missing text alternatives and missing document structure

Further information about these problems and our plans to fix them are listed below.

Feedback and contact information

Please contact us if you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille.

Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

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, contact the Web 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

Merton Council is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

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.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

  • HTML is used to format content on some pages. This fails the criterion "1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A)". We plan to fix this by December 2020.
  • Some menus are split into two lists instead of being one simple list. This fails the criterion "1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A)". We plan to fix this by December 2020.
  • The same link text is used for multiple different destinations. This fails the criterion "2.4.4 Link Purpose In Context (Level A)". We plan to fix this by December 2020.
  • Titles are missing from some iframes. This fails the criterion "4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A)". We plan to fix this by December 2020.
  • Many documents are in less accessible formats, for example PDF. Non-HTML documents published on or after 23 September 2018 must have an accessible format.

Disproportionate burden

Not applicable.

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

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. Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

How we tested this website

This website was last tested in September 2020. The test was carried out by Merton Council.

We tested the site using the WebAIM WAVE and Deque Axe accessibility testing tools, SiteImprove automated testing service, and manual evaluation using the JAWS and NVDA screen readers.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 23 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 23 September 2020.