​ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

Hyndburn Connected wants www.hyndburnconnected.co.uk to be accessible and usable by as many people as possible.

We recognise that people access information in different ways and may use assistive technologies, alternative input methods, screen readers, magnification or other accessibility tools.

We are continuing to review and improve the website as it develops.

Accessibility standards

We aim to follow recognised good practice and work towards meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA wherever reasonably possible.

Accessibility is considered when we add new pages, features and content to Hyndburn Connected.

What we are working on

Hyndburn Connected is a developing website and some areas may not yet meet the accessibility standard we are working towards.

Current improvement work includes:

• improving heading structures and page hierarchy

• reviewing alternative text for images

• checking colour contrast

• improving link and button descriptions

• reviewing keyboard navigation

• improving the accessibility of dynamic and CMS-generated content

• making layouts easier to use across different screen sizes

• reviewing forms and interactive elements.

We will continue to address issues as they are identified.

Images and alternative text

We aim to provide meaningful alternative text for images that communicate important information.

Decorative images should not create unnecessary information for people using screen readers.

Some older images or community-submitted material may still require accessibility improvements and these will be reviewed over time.

Text and readability

We aim to:

• use clear language wherever possible

• structure pages using meaningful headings

• provide sufficient colour contrast

• avoid relying solely on colour to communicate information

• use readable text sizes and spacing.

Visitors can also use browser accessibility tools to increase text size, zoom pages or change display settings.

Links and buttons

We aim to make link and button wording clear enough that users can understand where a link will take them or what an action will do.

Because Hyndburn Connected contains a large number of external links, some content may lead to websites that have different accessibility standards.

We cannot control the accessibility of third-party websites.

Video, social media and external content

Some content linked from Hyndburn Connected may be hosted on external platforms such as Facebook, booking systems, public-sector websites or community organisation websites.

Accessibility of those services is managed by their respective providers.

Reporting an accessibility problem

If you experience difficulty using Hyndburn Connected, find information that you cannot access, or identify an accessibility issue, please contact us.

Email: hello@hyndburnconnected.co.uk

It is helpful if you can tell us:

• which page you were using

• what problem you experienced

• what device or browser you were using, if known

• what format or adjustment would help.

We will consider reasonable ways of providing the information or resolving the issue.

Alternative formats

If information published on Hyndburn Connected is difficult for you to access, contact us and we will consider whether it can reasonably be provided in another format.

Ongoing improvement

Accessibility is an ongoing process rather than a one-off exercise.

As Hyndburn Connected grows, we will continue reviewing existing content and consider accessibility when developing new features.

This statement will be updated when significant accessibility improvements or changes are made.