Accessibility Statement for Planning Search

This website is managed by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and the technical solution is provided by an external 3rd party supplier. 

This accessibility statement for the Dudley web site and sub-domains contains full details on feedback, how to report issues and the enforcement procedure. Below covers specific technical information and compliance status for the Planning Search.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough 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 listed below;

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons on the Planning Search.

The site is provided to us by an external 3rd party supplier.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

• A 1.1.1 Image with no alt attribute
  1 instance - System to be reviewed and 3rd party supplier consulted.
• A 1.3.1 Input field has no description
  1 instance - System to be reviewed and 3rd party supplier consulted.
• A 1.3.1 "Bold" tag used to format text
  1 instance - System to be reviewed and 3rd party supplier consulted.
• A 2.4.4 Image link is missing alternative text
  1 instance - System to be reviewed and 3rd party supplier consulted.
• A 3.1.1 Language of page has not been set
  1 instance - System to be reviewed and 3rd party supplier consulted.
• A 3.3.2 Input field has no description
  1 instance - System to be reviewed and 3rd party supplier consulted.
• A 4.1.2 Input field has no description
  1 instance - System to be reviewed and 3rd party supplier consulted.
• AA 2.4.7 Element not highlighted on focus
  1 instance - System to be reviewed and 3rd party supplier consulted.

Disproportionate burden

With the exception of those listed below, none of the existing issues on the Planning Search are classed as a disproportionate burden to solve.

• Existing office documentation such as Microsoft Word (.DOC or .DOCX) and Adobe Acrobat (.PDF).
  This is a failure of 4.1.2 Name, Role Value.
  We are reviewing procedures for creating accessible office documentation. Part of the documentation included on the Planning Search is submitted by members of the public or companies/organisations acting on their behalf.

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

• The regulations do not require us to fix office documentation published before 23rd September 2018 if they are not essential. 

The Planning Search site is monitored for accessibility by an automated tool;

• SiteImprove - a subscription service that also includes analytics, quality assurance for all pages. SiteImprove provides three levels of accessibility warnings based on the WCAG 2.1 Criterions are divided into errors, warnings and reviews.
  Planning Search is currently marked at 90.1/100 for accessibility compliance.

This tool is regularly monitored.

This statement was prepared 14th September 2020.

The Planning Search is tested weekly using the SiteImprove subscription service.