- Updated: 21 November 2023
Accessibility statement
This accessibility statement applies to nhsdg.co.uk.
This website is run by NHS Dumfries and Galloway and is designed to follow Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines and standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website and are committed to making it as accessible, readable and usable as possible. For example, that means you should be able to:
- Change colours, contrast levels and fonts using the browser or mobile device
- Zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
- Navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
- Navigate most of the website using 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 also 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.
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- Some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
- Some tables do not have associated row headers
- Some frames do not have readable names
- Some images, including images of text, do not have good alternative text
- Our older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
Feedback and contact information/reporting accessibility problems with this website
Please get in touch if you have an accessibility query including:
- If you experience barriers, you can request alternative formats, such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille
- If you are having problems with accessing information or using the website
- If you have positive feedback on any of the accessibility improvements we have made or any suggestions for things we could do better
Email: dgcommunications@nhs.scot
Telephone: 01387 241061 and ask for the web team.
British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us by using Contact Scotland.
We will consider your request and get back to you within 10 working days.
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
NHS Dumfries and Galloway is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Under the Equality Act 2010 we must ensure we do not unlawfully discriminate in our service delivery and make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities where necessary. We are constantly working to improve the accessibility and usability of our site.
Compliance status
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.
Below are issues that we know about that we either need to fix and will do, can’t fix or don’t need to fix at the moment. If you find something that isn’t listed below but would help improve our website’s accessibility, please contact dgcommunications@nhs.scot
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
(We have not included any problem where we are claiming disproportionate burden or where the problem is outside the scope of the accessibility regulations.)
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
- Keyboard accessibility
The ‘Privacy and Cookies policy’ button is not accessible using the keyboard. Keyboard users are also unable to select ‘Cookie settings’ or ‘Accept’. The list under ‘Departments A – Z’ is not accessible using the keyboard. The keyboard focus is not visible for 8 keyboard tabs after tabbing from ‘Skip to content’ at the top of the webpage and becomes lost when tabbing from ‘Contact by email’ title. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.1.1 ‘Keyboard’ and 2.4.7 ‘Focus Visible’.
As of 10 August 2023 we are working on changes to the website template that will correct this issue. We expect that this will take 4-6 weeks to implement. We will provide updates below on our progress.
As of 25 October 2023 this change has been implemented and all content should be accessible to keyboard users. If you find that this is not the case, please let us know at the address above.
- Zoom limit
At 400% zoom, the recaptcha and ‘Privacy & Cookies Policy’ buttons cover content in the footer. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.4.10, ‘Reflow’.
As of 10 August 2023 we are working on changes to the website template that will correct this issue. We expect that this will take 4-6 weeks to implement. We will provide updates below on our progress.
As of 25 October 2023 this change has been implemented and all content should be accessible at 400% zoom. If you find that this is not the case, please let us know at the address above.
- Tables (outstanding issue)
There are tables in PDF documents that do not have correctly marked up headers. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.3.1, ‘Info and Relationships: Tables’.
We are working on making the most heavily-used legacy PDF documents, and all future PDG documents, fully accessible by correcting this issue. For more details, please see our disproportionate burden statement.
- Frames
Some frames do not have readable names. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.1, ‘ Bypass Blocks” and 4.1.2 “Name, Role Value”.
As of 10 August 2023 we are working on changes to the website template that will correct this issue. We expect that this will take 4-6 weeks to implement. We will provide updates below on our progress.
As of 25 October 2023 this change has been implemented. If you find that this is not the case, please let us know at the address above.
- Alternative text (outstanding issue)
Some images, including images of text, on our website and hosted documents do not have good alternative text (alt text). This fails WCAG success criterion 1.1.1, ‘Non-Text Content’, 1.4.5, ‘Images of Text’ and 2.4.4, ‘Link Purpose’.
We will continue to review all images used on our website and add alt text, and to do the same to images included in our most heavily-used legacy PDF documents and all future PDF documents, with guidance from document authors. For more details, please see our disproportionate burden statement.
- Language (outstanding issue)
Some PDF documents do not have a specified language. This fails WCAG success criterion 3.1.1, ‘Language of Page’.
We plan to review all our most heavily-used PDF documents and correct this. For more details, please see our disproportionate burden statement.
- Animations
There is no way to pause some animations on the website, such as the animation in the title bar. This fails WCAB criterion 2.2.2 ‘Pause, Stop, Hide’.
As of 10 August 2023 we are working on changes to the website template that will correct this issue. We expect that this will take 4-6 weeks to implement. We will provide updates below on our progress.
As of 25 October 2023 this change has been implemented. If you find that this is not the case, please let us know at the address above.
- Colour contrast
Some pages have poor colour contrast. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.4.3, ‘Contrast (minimum).
As of 10 August 2023 we are working on changes to the website template that will correct this issue. We expect that this will take 4-6 weeks to implement. We will provide updates below on our progress.
As of 25 October 2023 this change has been implemented. If you find that this is not the case, please let us know at the address above.
- Drop-down menus
The menu along the top of the webpage fails WCAG 1.4.13, ‘Content on Hover or focus’. When hovering over the navigation bar dropdown menus, there is no mechanism to dismiss the additional content triggered without moving pointer hover or keyboard focus.
As of 21 November 2023 we are working on changes to the website template that will correct this issue. We expect that this will take 4-6 weeks to implement. We will provide updates below on our progress.
Disproportionate burden
We’ve published a disproportionate burden assessment where you can find out the accessibility problems we are claiming would be a disproportionate burden to fix. It looks at:
- How we check our website
- What work we have done to improve our website’s accessibility
- Why we think the cost of commissioning external audits and diverting scarce resource to fixing older non-essential documents that no or few people view is a disproportionate burden on our organisation
- Timescales
- Assessment of costs and benefits
- Organisational size and resource limitations
- Documents supplied to us by outside organisations
Many of the accessibility issues are site-wide and we have acted to address them on a site-wide basis. We will continue to work on these issues to ensure that new pages are produced in a compliant manner in future.
However, there are two areas where we believe that the burden associated with addressing accessibility issues would be disproportionate to the benefit:
- Additional detailed accessibility checks on the website
- Fixing PDF documents
issues with PDF documents cannot be so easily put right, as each document requires revision separately, and revising hundreds of published PDF documents would be extremely costly. We have therefore decided to do two things:
- Ensure that all PDF documents created in future are accessible
- Revise existing documents only if they have been accessed by humans in the year to August 2023
For more details, please see our disproportionate burden statement.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
- Maps and plans
- Pre-recorded and live videos
- PDFs and other documents published before 23 September 2018
- Third party content that is not in our control
- Planning consultations
- Live and pre-recorded video
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We will create accessibility guidance for all NHS Dumfries and Galloway staff on creating accessible webpages and PDFs, where appropriate.
The communications team will continue to improve their skills around creating accessible digital content and speak to peers in order to share best practice.
When working with third parties for online content we will require accessibility standards to be met and tested.
Where possible, we’ll make sure all new content meets accessibility standards.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 10 August 2023 based on a sample statement and guidance provided by the UK government’s Central Digital and Data Office. It was based on an assessment of the website carried out by the communications team, with support from an outside contractor, and on an accessibility report provided by the Government Digital Office. It will be reviewed on the last working day of each month and this page updated to reflect further accessibility improvements. It was last updated on 21 November 2023.