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Accessibility

This accessibility statement applies to the website www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk.

This website is run by Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council. 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
  • 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:

  • most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard only
  • some pages contain heading tags with no text content
  • we have links to some of our systems operated by third party suppliers which are not fully accessible at this time

Feedback and contact information

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

  • email: council@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk
  • freephone: 08003 896 109

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 10 working days.

If you cannot plan your journey using the google maps link on our ‘contact us’ page, call or email us for directions.

Information about contacting Broadland District Council or South Norfolk Council can be found on this page: Find out how to contact us.

Our office reception and Yare Rooms (council chamber) both have audio induction loops

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, you can contact us by:

  • email: council@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk
  • or select the 'website' option on our general enquiry form

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

Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council are committed to making their 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 2.2 AA standard due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below

Non accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Microsoft Forms

Microsoft Forms is currently used for our:

  • Website satisfaction survey
  • Broadland missed bin form
  • Assisted bin collection form
  • Requesting a smaller bin/to reduce number of bins
  • Broadland District Council Sharps Collection

The forms above are partially compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA standards due to the non-compliances listed below:

  • Some forms do not include a “skip to main content” link. This can make it slower and more difficult for people who use a keyboard or screen reader to navigate the page. (WCAG 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks)
  • Some technical labels used by screen readers (ARIA attributes) are missing, incorrect or unsupported. This may mean screen reader users do not receive accurate information about form controls or their purpose. (WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value)
  • On some forms, the visible label does not match the label read out by screen readers. This can be confusing for people using assistive technology, as the question they hear does not match what is shown on screen. (WCAG 2.5.3 Label in Name)
  • Some checkbox and radio button groups do not have an accessible group name. This makes it harder for screen reader users to understand how options are related. (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
  • Some tables used within forms are not structured correctly. This may cause screen readers to read information in the wrong order or miss information entirely. (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships)

These forms are supplied by Microsoft and cannot currently be fully fixed by the councils. Microsoft publishes Accessibility Conformance Reports describing how their products meet WCAG standards.

We are actively developing new in‑house forms which will provide a more accessible experience for all users.

If you need these forms in an alternative format, please contact:

  • Website satisfaction survey: council@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk
  • Broadland bin queries: wasteadmin.bdc@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk
  • South Norfolk bin queries: wasteadmin.snc@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

Bin collection calendars (PDFs)

Our bin collection calendars are provided as PDF documents. We have improved these files by adding document titles, tags and better heading structure. However, the layout may still make it difficult to navigate with screen readers and could impact how the information is read out or navigated using assistive technology. (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships, 2.4.6 Headings and Labels).

Customers can request their bin collection calendar in an alternative format by contacting: wasteadmin.bdc@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

My Area

My Area is partially compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA, due to following non-compliances:

  • Some pages contain heading structures that are not in a meaningful order. This may make it harder for screen reader users to understand the structure of the page and move between sections. (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
  • “View services and amenities on a map” and “View dashboard” are styled within a table but they should be styled as buttons/links. This can cause assistive technologies to announce them incorrectly. (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships, 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence)
  • Some decorative icons are announced to screen readers when they should not be. This may result in unnecessary or confusing information being read aloud. (WCAG 1.1.1 Non‑text Content)
  • When users resize text (rather than zooming), some content overlaps or becomes hidden. This can make text difficult or impossible to read for users with low vision. (WCAG 1.4.4 Resize Text)
  • Some help text relies on instructions such as “click the help icon”. This relies on a specific input method and may not work well for keyboard or screen reader users. (WCAG 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics)
  • Social links in the footer appear highlighted as if focused when they are not. This can make keyboard navigation confusing for users who rely on focus styling to move around a page. (WCAG 2.4.7 Focus Visible, 3.2.1 On Focus)
  • Header and footer logos use the same link text but lead to different destinations. This makes it confusing for users as they don’t know what to expect when they click the logo. (WCAG criteria 2.4.4 Link Purpose)

Course bookings

Bookwhen is partially compliant to WCAG 2.2 AA standards due to the non-compliances listed below.

  • Colour contrast is not sufficient on error messages, some buttons and links, and the 'Cost' table heading. This fails WCAG criteria: 1.4.1 Use of Color, 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum).

We are working to manually change colours where we have control of this. For the non-compliances that we can’t change, we will provide Bookwhen with the details. If any course details are required in an alternative format, please contact us by email carrowbreck@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk or phone 01603 788950.

Bookwhen has replaced the course bookings system, which was on the legacy 'Toplevel' product. The previous system was partially compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA standards but failed on nine areas across several different WCAG criteria. After conducting an accessibility check on Bookwhen, using a combination of manual and automated testing tools, Bookwhen is much more accessible and provides a far better user experience.

Public Access

The Public Access system at info.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk is partially compliant to WCAG 2.2 AA standards due to the non-compliances listed below:

  • On some map pages, users can become trapped when navigating with a keyboard. This means keyboard‑only users may be unable to move away from the map component. (WCAG 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap)
  • Some pages contain invalid or duplicated technical identifiers (non-unique HTML IDs). This may cause screen readers to read information in the wrong order or miss content. (WCAG 4.1.1 Parsing)
  • Some headings are not in a logical order. This can make it harder for screen reader users to understand and navigate the page. (WCAG 2.4.6 Headings and Labels)
  • In the top navigation for “simple / advanced / weekly–monthly lists / property / map”, keyboard focus does not always move in a logical sequence. This can cause confusion for users navigating by keyboard. (WCAG 2.4.3 Focus Order)
  • Header/footer logos use same link text for different destinations. This can make it unclear where a link will take screen reader users. (WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose)
  • Social media link names are not unique (announces “Facebook/Twitter/YouTube” twice, rather than unique to each Council). This can make it unclear for screen reader users. (WCAG 1.1.1 Non‑text Content)
  • On the 'documents' table, the action icons all have the same alternative text/titles, which means screen-reader users will not be able to distinguish between individual items. (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
  • Our third-party reCAPTCHA widget does not use sufficient colour contrast for some elements and may be difficult to use with the keyboard. (WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) and 2.1.1 Keyboard)
  • Our third-party map component uses some tables for layout and its controls do not always receive focus and are not accessible by keyboard navigation. Some functions (e.g. measuring distance and area) require a mouse or touch screen. This may prevent some users from being able to use certain features on the map. (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships, 2.1.1 Keyboard and 2.5.7 Dragging Movements
  • When adjusting the zoom (up to 200%), the desktop version of some pages will not adjust without content scrolling both vertically and horizontally. Text does not resize (except footer). At 200–300% zoom, map and signed‑in views obscure menus/labels and make scrolling difficult. This will make it more difficult for some users to use the content. (WCAG 1.4.4 Resize Text, 1.4.10 Reflow, 2.4.11 Focus not obscured (Minimum))
  • The integrated online measuring tool has various issues - these include missing form labels, heading levels and alternative text for images/icons; empty elements (i.e. with no text content); and low colour contrast. (WCAG success criteria 3.3.2 - Labels or Instructions, 2.4.4 - Link Purpose (In Context), 1.4.3 – Contrast (Minimum))
  • Some technical labels used by screen readers (ARIA attributes) are missing, incorrect, or unsupported. The footer content is not within technical labels (ARIA landmarks). Data protection alert list announces additional “black square” markers. This may mean screen reader users do not receive accurate information about form controls or their purpose. (WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value)

We are working with the supplier, Idox, to address these issues. We are awaiting an upgrade from the provider and working with them to ensure accessibility improvements are implemented in future upgrades.

If you require any information in an alternative format, please contact our Planning Team by email planning@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk or phone 01508 53383.

Public Access Land Charges

The Public Access Land Charges system at info.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/osm is partially compliant to WCAG 2.2 AA standards due to the non-compliances listed below.

  • Buttons and links across the site do not meet the minimum size requirement, for example 'Login', 'Register', 'Forgotten password', and 'Save & exit'. This fails WCAG criterion 2.5.8 Target size (minimum).
  • On the registration page, if you submit the form with missing information the error message is not clear. It will only say that no password has been entered, which may not be true. This fails WCAG criterion 3.3.3 Error Suggestion.
  • Across the site, when zoomed in to 300% the content isn't responsive so users have to scroll horizontally. This fails WCAG criterion 1.4.10 Reflow.
  • No page regions or ARIA landmarks exist, which fails WCAG criteria 1.3.1 Info and Relationships and 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks.
  • There is no page language which fails WCAG criteria 3.1.1 Language of Page.
  • On the Search Request Online Form, the 'Welcome' heading does not meet the colour contrast ratio requirement. This fails WCAG criteria 1.4.1 Use of Color and 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum).
  • On the My Searches page, the delete icon/button does not meet the minimum 3.1 contrast ratio when it is not in focus/on hover. This fails WCAG criteria 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) and 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast.

We are working with the supplier, Idox, to address the other issues which have been logged, and we are waiting for confirmation of a timescale for when they will be fixed.

If you require any information in an alternative format, please contact our Land Charges Team by phone 01603 430586 or email:

  • Broadland: landcharges.bdc@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk
  • South Norfolk: landcharges.snc@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

Webforms, including front-end forms to third party systems

We are aware of accessibility issues across several Broadland and South Norfolk forms. We are addressing these through the new forms platform, template updates and targeted fixes:

  • Some form fields (such as text inputs, drop‑downs and date pickers) are missing clear labels or are not correctly linked to their labels. This may make it difficult for screen reader users to understand what information is being requested. (WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value)
  • Some groups of related options (such as radio buttons or checkboxes) do not have an accessible group name. This can make it hard for screen reader users to understand how options relate to each other. (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
  • Some pages have missing, empty or incorrectly ordered headings. This can make it harder for users of assistive technology to understand the structure of the page and navigate between sections. (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
  • Some Broadland forms do not include a “skip to main content” link. This means keyboard and screen reader users may have to navigate through repeated content before reaching the main page content. (Best practice supporting WCAG 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks)
  • When text is resized to 200%, some content or controls overlap or become hidden. This can make content difficult or impossible to read for users with low vision. (WCAG 1.4.4 Resize Text)
  • Some interactive elements or scrollable areas are not fully accessible using a keyboard. This may prevent keyboard‑only users from completing tasks on the form. (WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard)
  • Some images do not have appropriate text alternatives, or decorative images are not correctly marked as decorative. This can cause screen readers to miss important information or announce unnecessary content. (WCAG 1.1.1 Non‑text Content)
  • Some forms or pages do not correctly declare the language being used. This can affect how screen readers pronounce and read out the content. (WCAG 3.1.1 Language of Page)
  • Some pages include unsupported or unnecessary ARIA attributes. This can cause assistive technologies to misinterpret content or controls. (WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value)

Disproportionate burden

PDFs and other documents

Some of our PDFs do not have document titles, do not have the language set, are not tagged and do not contain headings. This fails WCAG criteria: 2.4.2 Page Titled, 3.1.1 Language of Page, 1.3.1 Info and Relationships, 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence, 2.4.3 Focus Order, 2.4.6 Headings and Labels and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value.

We have undertaken a detailed assessment and estimate in total for both councils (Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council) that approximately 2,102 PDF documents are non-compliant. It takes approximately 3 hours to review and make a document accessible. To fix the 2,102 documents that are within scope would take approximately 852 working days at a cost of approximately £83,400 in staff costs.

The majority of these documents have not been viewed by a member of the public or have received very few views, however we keep them on the website for public transparency and will provide alternative versions upon request.

We believe that the cost of retrospectively fixing these documents would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the Accessibility Regulations 2018, ie, to fix all documents on www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk that have a publication date from 23 September 2018. Furthermore, we believe the benefit to the public in assigning staff or procuring external support to fix these documents would not be justifiable use of the public purse and users would instead benefit most from us focusing on fixing more recent most used documents and ensuring that new documents are accessible.

Therefore we will prioritise ensuring new documents we add to our website are accessible and ensuring that all documents (PDF, Word format etc) that are used for active administrative processes are made compliant within our review cycles.

Web forms, including front-end forms to third party systems

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues with the electronic forms. We believe that fixing these issues would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We have instead invested all our time and resources into building a new forms solution to meet all our accessibility needs for the future. We are actively redeveloping our forms into the new platform focusing on those forms which are most frequently used by our customers. For specific form non-compliances please see below.

Third party software and systems

Some online services we offer use software that is built and maintained by third party suppliers on our behalf. We have been working with suppliers to establish timescales and costs for compliance. The following outlines the current status of what has been done and what we believe would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations to fix at this time. We will make another assessment as supplier contracts come up for renewal. We are also reviewing systems as part of a corporate-wide programme of work to align IT systems across Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council.

Payment portal

We’ve fixed the issues with interactive tools and transactions on our Payment Portal but there are some remaining issues around missing labels and headings, which we are addressing with our supplier. We are aware the Visa and Mastercard verification service used when processing payments remains non-compliant and we are working with our current software provider to understand how this can be addressed.

Other systems

  • Planning Portal and Local Land Charges: The third party suppliers do not currently have an accessible version of the software. These systems are in the scope of our review on aligning IT systems across both councils
  • Council Tax: The supplier has confirmed their version is compliant but our checks have found otherwise, possibly due to customisation for our site. We are investigating this currently.

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

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 Joint Core Strategy (adopted 2011, amendments adopted 2014). However, we want to keep PDFs and other documents on the website for public transparency and will provide alternative versions upon request.

We are also not required by the regulations to fix documents provided by third-parties that are neither funded nor developed by, nor under the control of the Council.

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

We are not required to fix third party content that’s under someone else’s control, if we did not pay for it or develop it ourselves. For example, social media ‘like’ buttons.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We have worked with our website supplier to ensure that templates used by web content editors are accessible and responsive.

We have trained web content editors on accessible content with bespoke training by AbilityNet and Hassell Inclusion in accessibility awareness and accessible document production for all staff across the council.

We have set up processes so that this website is continually tested.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 27 May 2021. It was last updated on 06 March 2026.

This website was last tested on 02 September 2025. The test assessed this website against WCAG 2.2 Level A and Level AA, WAI-ARIA authoring practices and accessibility best practices. The test was carried out by South Norfolk and Broadland District Council.

Description of the review process carried out:

  • An automated report was run on SiteImprove to give an overview.
  • The SiteImprove browser plugin was used to support manual checks of colour contrast on key pages e.g. homepage, search, landing pages and a sample of content pages.
  • Manual testing was carried out to validate the automated results and check performance against WCAG 2.2 Level AA requirements.
  • Keyboard navigation checks and screen reader testing with NVDA was carried out.

We test: