Accessibility

Accessibility statement for www.harrow.gov.uk

This accessibility statement applies to www.harrow.gov.uk. The website is run by the London Borough of Harrow. 

We are always working to make sure our website is as accessible and usable as possible. We use Silktide to scan our entire website on a weekly basis. This is to make the website content as simple as possible to understand. Every page is scored against accessibility standards. Actions are made in response to the calls for improvements. 

This statement was prepared on 14 October 2019. It was last reviewed and updated on 8 April 2026.

We aim to operate a website that follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2.

Compliance status

The website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard.

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances, listed below.

  • Images without alt-text
    Some images do not have a text alternative. This fails certain success criteria in WCAG 2.2. When we publish new content, we will ensure our use of images meets accessibility standards.
  • Maps
    Interactive maps support keyboard navigation and use multiple indicators beyond colour such as symbols, labels, and popups to access key information. However, fully replicating all map content in non-visual form or via keyboard alone is currently a disproportionate burden and technically not possible at present.
  • PDF readability
    Some of our PDF content on the website is not fully accessible. This can make it difficult to access information for screen reader users. This fails certain success criteria in WCAG 2.2. We are working to replace or fix inaccessible PDFs as part of an ongoing programme.

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

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

Accessibility and user needs are at the core of our online experience. Our website allows you to:

  • Change colours, contrast levels, and fonts.
  • Zoom in to 300% without the text spilling off the screen.
  • Navigate most of the website using only a keyboard.
  • Navigate most of the website with speech recognition software.
  • Listen to most of the website using a screen reader. This includes recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver.

We support the following browsers:

  • Recent versions of Mozilla Firefox
  • Google Chrome
  • Microsoft Edge
  • iOS Safari
  • Android 2.3 and above

Our website works with most screen magnifiers. It's also compatible with speech recognition software. For example, Dragon Naturally Speaking. The website also works with speech packages, such as:

  • Jaws.
  • ZoomText.
  • NVDA.
  • VoiceOver.
  • Window Eyes.
  • Supernova screen readers.
  • MAGic.

Disproportionate burden

We are committed to improving the accessibility of our website. However, some areas of the site are not currently fully accessible and may not be fixed within the next year.

We believe that addressing all of these issues immediately would represent a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. This is due to the scale of the website, the volume of legacy content, and the technical complexity involved in making certain improvements.

Examples include:

  • Older PDF documents that are not fully accessible to screen reader users
  • Some interactive features, such as maps, which rely on third-party technologies
  • Historic content that would require significant manual remediation

We are actively working to improve accessibility over time. This includes prioritising high-traffic and essential service content, improving new content as it is published, and addressing issues identified through regular accessibility audits.

We will review this assessment on an ongoing basis as part of our accessibility roadmap.

Content not in scope

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

  • PDFs and other documents published before 23 September 2018, unless they are essential to providing our services
  • Third-party content, such as embedded maps or external systems, where we do not have control over accessibility
  • Archived content that is not required for active administrative processes

Feedback

If you experience any accessibility issues, or need information in a different format, please contact us using our accessibility feedback form

We will consider all requests and respond as soon as we can.

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