Accessibility statement

This accessibility statement applies to Humberside Fire and Rescue Service website www.humbersidefire.gov.uk

This website is run by Humberside Fire and Rescue Service. 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 browser or device settings
• Zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
• Navigate most of the website using a keyboard or 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 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.

We also have installed ReciteMe so you can tailor how the information is presented for your needs.

How accessible is this website

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

• Some pages have an unexpected focus order when using a keyboard to navigate
• Screen reader users are not informed of status messages
• Speech recognition users are not presented with status messages
• Changing the text size or zooming causes issues with content visibility
• Some PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software

Feedback and contact information

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact: Corporate Communication team:

email corporatecommunication@humbersidefire.gov.uk

call 01482 565333 and ask for Corporate Communications Team

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

email corporatecommunication@humbersidefire.gov.uk

call 01482 565333 and ask for Corporate Communications Team

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in seven days.

If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ page, call or email us for directions.

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

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

Compliance status

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:

• WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard – this issue relates to the cookie banner feature which is third-party software
• WCAG 1.4.10 Reflow – this issue relates to the cookie banner and accessibility ReciteMe icon features when at 400% zoom, these are third-party software.
• WCAG 2.4.3 Focus Order - tab order is not logical across some pages when using a keyboard or mobile screen reader to navigate.
• WCAG 4.1.3 Status Messages - when using a screen reader, status messages after submission are not consistently announced to users. When using a screen reader, the correct reading sequence is not consistent. Using speech recognition software prevents status messages from displaying.
• WCAG 1.1.1 PDFs - some PDF documents are not fully accessible as they are not machine-readable.
• WCAG 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus - some pages users cannot dismiss the additional content triggered without moving pointer hover or keyboard focus.
• WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose and WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value - some links do not have discernible text.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

WCAG 1.1.1 PDFs - some PDF documents are not fully accessible as they are not machine-readable.

We are working towards amending the existing PDFs and ensuring processes are in place to make sure newly published PDFs meet accessibility standards by January 2025.

WCAG 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus - some pages users cannot dismiss the additional content triggered without moving pointer hover or keyboard focus.

We are currently working on fixing this and aim to have it addressed by January 2025.

WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose and WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value - some links do not have discernible text.

We are working towards amending existing links in content and ensuring processes are in place to make sure newly publish content containing links meet accessibility standards by January 2025

Disproportionate burden

Navigation and Accessing Information:

WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard, WCAG 2.4.3 Focus Order and WCAG 1.4.10 Reflow:

• Tab order is not logical across some pages when using a keyboard or mobile screen reader to navigate, this also includes the cookie banner.
• On high zoom with a small browser window, the content does not reflow into one column.

Assistive Technology:

WCAG 4.1.3 Status Messages:

• When using a screen reader, status messages after submission are not consistently announced to users.
• When using a screen reader the correct reading sequence is not consistent.
• Using speech recognition software prevents status messages from displaying.

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues with navigation and accessing information, and assistive technology. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will make another assessment when the supplier contract is up for renewal in 2025/26.

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

PDFs and other documents

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.

Live video

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

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 10 December 2021. This website was tested in November 2022. The test was carried out by Zounou, a third party organisation.

It was last reviewed on 10 September 2024.

This website was last tested in September 2024 against the WCAG 2.1 AA standard.

A structured sample of 9 pages were tested using Recite Me Accessibility Checker.

Using Recite Me

Recite Me is innovative cloud-based software that lets visitors to our website view and use it in the way that works best for them.

We have added the Recite Me web accessibility and language toolbar to our website to make it accessible and inclusive for as many people as possible.

It helps the one in five people in the UK who have a disability, including those with common conditions like sight loss and dyslexia, to access this website in the way that suits them best.

It also meets the needs of the one in ten people in the UK who don’t speak English as their first language, by being able to translate our web content into over 100 different languages.

How do I access the Recite Me toolbar?

You can open the Recite Me language and accessibility toolbar by clicking on the round floating button in top right corner of every page of our website.

After you click on the round button, the Recite Me toolbar opens and displays a range of different options for customising how the website looks and how you can access the content.

How does Recite Me help me access this website?

Recite Me helps people to access our website to do the things they need to do, like find information about how to access our service by making complaints, access publications and read news.

The Recite Me toolbar has a unique range of functions. You can use it to:

• Have the text on our website read aloud (including PDFs)
• Download the text as an MP3 file to play it where and when it suits you
• Change font sizes and colours
• Customise background colour
• Translate text into more than 100 different languages (including PDFs)
• Access a fully integrated dictionary and thesaurus

How to translate a PDF using Recite Me

• First open the Recite Me toolbar on the webpage containing the PDF document
• Next click to open the PDF, this will open into a new webpage tab
• A version of the Recite Me toolbar will be available at the top of the PDF on the webpage where you can adjust settings, including translating the document

You can find out more about how Recite Me works from the Recite Me user guide.

We hope that this feature is easy to use and means you can access all of the information you require.

Recite Me Keyboard Shortcuts

Tab to move to the next toolbar button.

Shift+Tab to go backwards

Spacebar to select a button and to change toggles

ctrl+right - play next element

ctrl+left - Play previous element

ctrl+alt+p - play the current element

ctrl+alt+f - show font menu

ctrl+alt+c - show theme menu

ctrl+r - Enable/Disable ruler

ctrl+d - Enable/Disable dictionary

ctrl+l - Show translation languages

ctrl+x - Enable/Disable text-only mode

ctrl+m - Show page margin settings

ctrl+shift+o - Show/Disable settings menu

ctrl+s - Save settings

The website uses cascade style sheets (CSS) to help improve download speeds and usability and the font size of each page can be altered as required.

Mac Web Browsers

You can increase the size of the text by holding down ‘command’ (CMD) and then using the plus (+) and minus (-) keys to zoom in or out. CMD 0 will reset the text size to default.

Windows Web Browsers

You can increase the size of the text by holding down ‘control’ (CTRL) and then using the plus (+) and minus (-) keys to zoom in or out. CTRL 0 will reset the text size to default.

Access Keys

Access keys can be used to navigate the website without the use of a mouse. They allow you to jump to a specific part of a web page via the keyword.
To use an access key, hold down the ‘ALT’ key and then press one of the following numbers: