Accessibility statement

This accessibility statement currently applies to:

The London Borough of Hounslow is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Using this website

We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website.

You should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • zoom in up to 400% without text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the website using only a keyboard
  • navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader, including the latest versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver

We have also tried to make the text on our website as simple as possible to understand.

We have developed a website accessibility tools page where you can:

  • change text size
  • adjust letter spacing
  • change colours and contrast
  • select alternative fonts
  • save your preferences for future visits

AbilityNet provides advice about making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

You can find out how to: 

  • make your mouse easier to use 
  • use your keyboard instead of a mouse 
  • talk to your device 
  • make your device talk to you 
  • make text larger 
  • change your colours; and 
  • magnify the screen. 

How accessible this website is

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

For example:

  • many PDF and Word documents are not fully accessible
  • some content tables do not have row headers, which can make them difficult to understand using assistive technology
  • the search function on search results pages may be difficult to use on some devices
  • some third-party systems and applications do not fully meet accessibility standards

We are continually working to improve accessibility and will update this statement as issues are resolved.

Feedback and contact information

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of our website.

If you need information on this website in a different format, such as:

  • accessible PDF
  • large print
  • easy read
  • audio recording
  • braille

or if you experience an accessibility problem, please contact us:

You can also use the feedback form available on our website or make a complaint.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

If you find any accessibility issues that are not described on this page or believe we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact the Web Services Team:

You can also view tips on contacting organisation about inaccessible websites.

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.

If you are not satisfied with how we respond to your complaint, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Technical information about this website's accessibility

The London Borough of Hounslow is committed to making its websites accessible in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

These websites are partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 AA standard because of the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-compliance content with the accessibility regulations

PDF and Word documents

Many of our PDF and Word documents do not fully meet accessibility standards.

Issues may include:

  • missing document structure and headings
  • missing page titles
  • incorrect document language settings
  • content that is difficult to navigate using assistive technology

This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria:

  • 1.3.1 Information and Relationships
  • 2.4.2 Page Titled
  • 3.1.1 Language of Page

We are reviewing our document library and replacing documents with accessible HTML content where possible.

Content tables

Some tables do not include row headers.

This means screen readers may not correctly identify relationships between table data and headings.

This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Information and Relationships).

Third-party systems and applications

Some third-party services used on our websites do not fully meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

These include:

  • using online forms
  • Public Access applications (planning, parking, jobs, councillor information and council tax services)
  • Family Service Directory

The Family Service Directory currently fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.7 (Focus Visible).

We are working with suppliers to improve accessibility in these services.

Council meetings and agendas system

Our council meetings and agendas system contains links to many PDF documents that are not fully accessible.

These documents have similar accessibility issues to those outlined above.

We aim to continue reviewing and improving this content, with further improvements planned through to 2028.

Disproportionate burden

Historic PDF and Word documents

Many PDF and Word documents published between 2018 and 2022 do not meet accessibility standards.

The council has completed a disproportionate burden assessment and determined that fully remediating all historic documents would place a disproportionate burden on the organisation.

Factors considered include:

  • the volume of documents published
  • limited staff resources available for remediation
  • prioritising improvements to higher-use content
  • investing in staff training to reduce future accessibility issues

If you need any of these documents in an alternative format, please contact us using the information provided in the Feedback and contact information section.

Content not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

Documents published before 23 September 2018

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they are not essential to providing our services.

Examples include:

  • cabinet meeting papers and agendas published before 2018
  • consultation letters
  • press notices published before 2018
  • Brentford Towers construction documents
  • Brentford West CPZ layouts
  • housing allocations policy documents
  • street trading fees and charges documents
  • Local Plan documents
  • draft statements of accounts

Third-party content

Some services contain third-party content that we do not control, such as documents submitted through planning applications.

These documents are exempt from the accessibility regulations.

If you experience difficulties accessing this content, please contact us and we will try to provide the information in an alternative format.

Live video

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

Older video content

Some pre-recorded videos published before 23 September 2020 are exempt from the regulations.

All new video content we produce will include captions, and where appropriate transcripts and audio descriptions.

Online maps

Some services use online maps to display geographic information.

Because these maps are not used for navigation purposes, they are exempt from the accessibility regulations.

If you need information from a map in another format, please contact us.

Archived content

Some content within Planning, Building Control, Licensing and Transport services is classified as archived content and is exempt from the accessibility regulations.

If you need accessible versions of archived content, please contact us.

What we're doing to improve accessibility

We are committed to continuous improvement and accessibility monitoring.

Our current priorities include:

  • converting suitable PDF documents into accessible HTML pages
  • ensuring all new PDF documents meet accessibility standards before publication
  • providing training and guidance for staff who create content
  • reviewing PDF accessibility reports every month
  • working with suppliers to improve the accessibility of third-party services
  • identifying and resolving issues reported through monitoring and user feedback

Improvements made since the last statement

Since the previous version of this statement was published, we have:

  • improved colour contrast on the vacancies search page
  • ensured vacancy listings are correctly labelled
  • added alternative text to website images
  • improved filtering functionality on news and events pages
  • improved visible keyboard focus in most third-party online forms
  • corrected file download link labels
  • improved heading structures and content organisation for screen reader users

Accessibility monitoring and reviews

From July 2026 we will:

  • review Acquia Web Governance reports every month
  • undertake annual manual accessibility reviews of key user journeys
  • prioritise fixing identified accessibility issues
  • continue replacing appropriate PDF documents with accessible HTML content

How we monitor accessibility

We use Acquia Web Governance to automatically identify accessibility issues across our websites.

We also use:

  • Accessibility Insights for Web
  • Axe
  • browser developer tools
  • NVDA
  • WebAIM Contrast Checker
  • WAVE

We carry out manual accessibility testing to identify issues that automated tools cannot detect.

The website was previously audited by Government Digital Service in January 2022.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was first prepared on 23 September 2020.

It was last reviewed on 20 May 2026.

The website was last tested on 20 May 2026 using the Acquia Web Governance Accessibility Checker, which scans all pages across the website.

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