Accessibility statement

Our site aims to meet the standards of World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C's) Web Accessibility Guidelines to Level AA and we are committed to further improving accessibility.

*This statement was last updated on 27.4.2023, and it will be regularly reviewed following an audit and site testing process.

Independent accessibility audit

To help us identify user accessibility issues, and to further improve our website's accessibility, we commissioned an independent accessibility audit of content on 14 September 2020 (shortly after our website's launch). We also work with external agencies regularly to ensure our website complies to government standards of accessibility.

Compliance status

This website is largely compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard. Some content might not be fully accessible as described below. We strive to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and review content against compliance guidelines regularly.

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

PDFs and other documents

We are aware that a number of our Patient Information leaflets are currently unreadable with ReachDeck toolbar (screen reader). We are working to rectify this issue.

Some of our PDFs and Word documents are essential to providing our services. For example, we have PDFs with information on how users can access our services, and forms published as Word 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. For example we do not plan to fix or replace Trust Board papers or press information published prior to September 2018.

We are working towards ensuring that any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards. Please contact us at  uhdb.digitalcomms@nhs.net to request an alternative version.

Video accessibility

We are aware that a small number of our videos do not currently have sub-titled captions. We are working to rectify this issue, however, we do not plan to add captions to existing videos that aren't essential to us providing a service. If you want to access a video that doesn't currently have captions, please get in touch and let us know by emailing  uhdb.digitalcomms@nhs.net.

We are working towards ensuring that any new videos we publish will meet accessibility standards.
 

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

If you encounter any accessibility issues with this website, or require information in a different format, please let us know at uhdb.digitalcomms@nhs.net. We cannot guarantee the accessibility of third party websites, documents and multimedia content that we may link to.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We strive to improve accessibility across as many sections of this website as possible. We are undertaking an audit and will update this statement to reflect further improvements.

Assistive software

ReachDeck toolbar is a web accessibility toolbar and provides instant access to supportive features that allow you to personalise how you access our content. The ReachDeck toolbar icon appears on most sections of our website. Just click on the icon and the toolbar appears. Read more about ReachDeck toolbar (opens in new window) >

 

 Click on the ReachDeck icon to reveal the ReachDeck toolbar (top right on a desktop, bottom right on a mobile phone).
 

  Starts reading the page out loud

  Starts reading the selected text or reads from the top of the page

  Provides written and spoken translations in multiple languages

  Converts selected text into an MP3

  Blocks distractions on screen with  tinted mask

  Enlarges text and reads it out loud

  Removes clutter from the screen, displaying only the text

  Customises options to suit individual needs or preferences

  Shows a simple help page that explains what the browsealoud toolbar does

Text size

How do you change the font size used on the website?

You can visit AbilityNet, their website explains to users how to make text larger on your computer. Visit the AbilityNet website (opens in new window) >

Text colour

How do you change the font colours used on the website?

You can change your contrast colours using the buttons at the top of this website on a desktop or laptop.
 

Alternatively, to ignore font and background colours in Internet Explorer on a PC, choose Internet options from the Tools menu at the top of the window. On the general tab of the window that appears, click the Accessibility button. This takes you to a menu where you can choose to ignore the way the page is formatted. To set your colour and font preferences, return to the Internet options menu and use the Colours and Fonts buttons.

Keyboard navigation

How do I navigate the site without a keyboard?

Use your arrow keys to scroll up or down the page. You can use your Tab key to move between links, and press Return or Enter to select one. To go back to the previous page, use the Backspace key.

Downloading documents

What formats are downloadable documents provided in?

Downloadable documents on the UHDB Trust site are provided in a variety of formats. The most common are PDF, Word and Excel. If you require a document in an alternative format, please contact us at uhdb.digitalcomms@nhs.uk.

What if I don’t have the software to open the document?

Most computers already have the software to open these document formats. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader (for reading PDFs), it is available from the Adobe site.
 

How do I save documents to my computer?

If you have a PC, right-click on the link to the document. If you use a Macintosh, hold down the mouse button over the link. In both cases, a popup menu will then appear. Scroll down the menu and click on ‘Save target as’. You will then be asked to choose a folder on your computer where you can save the document.

Some browsers such as Firefox and Chrome automatically download documents to your computer when you open them.