This accessibility statement applies to the Visit Barnsley website, which is run by Barnsley Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website and we will continuously work to support the accessibility and user-friendly needs that the website may have over time.
Should you have a query or find the website hard to use with the accessibility features that are available, please contact us at visitbarnsley@barnsley.gov.uk and we will review your requirements and how these could be improved on the website.
| Accessibility Standard | Status | Date of Review |
| WCAG 2.2 AA | Partially Compliant | 1st July 2024 |
As a user, you should be able to:
- - Access the website across devices and different screen sizes
- - Listen to most of the website using a screen reader and navigate to the majority of the website with speech recognition software.
- - Have the ability to tab and use a keyboard to navigate around the website
- - Change colours, contrast levels and fonts within your browser settings
- - Zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability. You can find out more about this by clicking here (link will open in a new tab).
Information about how our website works and specific features.
| Feature | Information |
| Carousels | We use carousels on our website to contain multiple selections of featured information for users. When carousels are used, tabbing features will go through the full list of items within the carousel before moving to the next section of the website, to ensure that users are provided all information within the section that the carousel exists. There are also navigation icons that can be actioned by the user to move between items sooner, if required. |
| Copy | Our website language is clear and simple to read for all types of user. We use keywords and local business/place names across core pages and link to third-party resources/websites where applicable. |
| Third-Party Links | Our third-party links will open in a new tab, so that users can view additional sites/resources, without losing their place on the Visit Barnsley website when they return. Users can toggle between tabs as normal browser practice, based on their browser settings. |
| Filters | The events, news and things do sections use filters to change the results of items based on a user’s preference. Results listings will always show the full results without filters applied – results will display in publish date order (events: next event first / News: latest article first / Results: latest item added to index). |
| Pagination | Results indexes will use pagination to navigate through pages of items. On certain pages, there will be a limit of results set to 8 results, before pagination is triggered. |
| Contact forms | The website’s contact forms use field entry and radio buttons/multiple selections for users to interact with before submitting their enquiry. |
| Business information | We have a business portal that live information is shared by Barnsley-based businesses to be published on the website. We do not explicitly control the content that is submitted by businesses; however, we do run an approval flow before listing information is published. Please note that the Visit Barnsley website is not responsible for any incorrect information posted by businesses. |
| PDF and resources | Our website includes PDF, Word and other documents for users to download/view in the browser. The content within the documents is not covered within this accessibility policy, however, accessibility users will be informed via ARIA labels and tags that there is an item link to open in a new tab in relation to the link/button that is actioned on the web page to access these resources. Resources may be designed as graphic design items that are not accessible. Where this occurs, we will aim to support accessible users with a web page alternate, where possible. If you cannot use one of our resources, please contact visitbarnsley@barnsley.gov.uk |
| Images | All images on the website that are input by the Visit Barnsley team will have suitable labels and alt tags in place for accessible users. Where third-party submissions of images are used (such as via our business portal), we cannot guarantee that ALT tags will be added by the content owner. |
| Tables | To present data or useful information, our website may use tables. On smaller screen sizes such as mobile, the table may require scrolling by the user, which should be manageable using keyboard functions. |
| Brand graphics and visuals | The Visit Barnsley brand uses shapes and graphics as part of its identity. These items will be used for decorative purposes only and are not designed as functional items. Therefore, these items will not be accompanied bybeen alt-text labels. |
Barnsley Council is committed to making this 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 2.2 AA standard due to the non-compliances listed below:
| Item | Information |
| Quotes required as blockquote element | Text input to the CMS uses a rich text editor and there is no functionality to control this. |
| Heading items in sequential order (page hero sections) | Some H4 and H3 items that are entered via the CMS into page hero sections are done so via rich text tools, and these instances cannot be controlled due to being liable to user input/choice. |
| Tables requiring figure label | Tables are input to the CMS using the rich text editor and there is no functionality to control this. |
We are aware of some violations on the website as follows:
| Item | Information | Action to be taken |
| Brand colour contrast above 3:1 minimum ratio on some page items | Across the website, the contrast has been carefully considered and selected across all pages to achieve WCAG standards. In most cases, the website achieves the 2.2 AA standard, however, some items do not reach the 2.2 AA standard, although they meet the 2.1 AA standard. As the colours used within the website are those selected from the Visit Barnsley brand, there are some areas where the contrast ratio of 3:1 cannot be guaranteed, especially where the section colours are controlled by user management in the website’s CMS. | These areas where the contrast is affected below the 3:1 threshold may be addressed and updated to black and white, or secondary colours may be introduced. Where users have issues with the contrast levels, they can control further contrast support us |
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).
Policy review
We will be reviewing and updating this policy by 1st August 2024, addressing any changes and improvements to the accessibility standards.
Contact information
Should you have a query or find the website hard to use with the accessibility features that are available, please contact us at visitbarnsley@barnsley.gov.uk and we will review your requirements and how these could be improved on the website.