Accessible documents policy

This accessible documents policy applies to information on gov.uk that is published by the SSRO.

This policy explains how accessible the documents that the SSRO publishes on GOV.UK are.

It covers PDFs, spreadsheets, presentations and other types of document. It does not cover content published on GOV.UK as HTML: the main GOV.UK accessibility statement will cover that.

Using our documents

The SSRO publishes documents in a range of formats, including PDF, CSV and OpenDocument format.

We want as many people as possible to be able to use those documents. For example, when we produce a document we make sure to:

  • provide an HTML option where possible
  • tag headings and other parts of the document properly, so screen readers can understand the page structure
  • make sure we include alt text alongside non-decorative images, so people who cannot see them understand what they’re there for
  • avoid using tables, except when we’re presenting data
  • write in plain English

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability:

How accessible our documents are

New documents we publish should be fully accessible.

However, we know that some of our older documents (published before 23 September 2018) are not accessible.

For example, some of them:

  • are third party pdfs that may not be fully accessible
  • are not marked up in a way that allows screen reader users to understand them
  • are not tagged up properly - for example, tables may not be a format that allows screen reader users to understand them
  • are not written in plain English

This mostly applies to our Freedom of Information responses and external feedback to our consultations. These types of documents are exempt from the regulations, so we do not currently have any plans to make them accessible.

However, if you need to access information in one of these document types, you can contact us and ask for an alternative format.

We aim to meet international accessibility guidelines, however this may not always be possible, or we may have missed a problem.

What to do if you cannot use one of our documents

If you need a document we’ve published in a different format please email enquiries@ssro.gov.uk.

Please tell us:

  • the web address (URL) of the content
  • your name and email address
  • the format you require.

We will consider your request and get back to you within 10 working days of receipt.

Read tips on contacting organisations about inaccessible websites from AbilityNet.

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 SSRO is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard. The non-compliances and exemptions are listed below.

Non compliance with the accessibility regulations

Some people may find parts of our websites and services difficult to use because:

  • some pages and document attachments are not clearly written in Plain English
  • some older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • some of our PDFs contain complex tables with merged cells
  • some images do not have alt text included in them
  • that everything may not work for keyboard users only.

A few of the documents we publish are produced by third parties. We are not always able to make these fully compliant, for example by adding the appropriate heading structure or alternative text for images.

These issues mean that our websites and services may not meet some WCAG AA 2.1 success criteria. We are working on identifying and resolving as many of these issues soon as possible.

PDFs and other documents

Some documents are not accessible in a number of ways including missing text alternatives and missing document structure.

Some of our older PDFs do not meet accessibility standards, for example, they may be missing text alternatives for images and may not be tagged correctly so they are accessible to a screen reader.

Disproportionate burden

There are a small selection of SSRO pages that fall under the disproportionate burden category. We consider that it would be a disproportionate burden to update PDFs that are 25 pages or more and any that originate from old scanned documentation.

Accessible versions will be provided if needed and can be requested by emailing enquiries@ssro.gov.uk.

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

We understand that the regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018, if they are not essential to providing our services.

Furthermore, the accessibility regulations do not apply to:

  • pre-recorded time-based media such as video and audio
  • third-party content that is neither funded nor developed by, nor under the control of the SSRO
  • reproductions of items in heritage collections that cannot be made fully accessible
  • archived content.

We do not plan to fix this content. However, requests can be made to make specific content accessible for those who need it.

How we tested

We last tested a sample of our documents on 15 September 2020. The test was carried out by staff in the organisation.

We tested a sample of our pages prioritising our most viewed and popular pages first.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are reviewing our approach and working towards meeting the regulations by:

  • developing guidance and processes to make sure that all new documents we produce are accessible
  • reviewing and editing older documents to add features to make them more accessible to people using screen readers.

We will continue to make our site accessible and will have the majority of our content, published since September 2018, fully accessible by 23 September 2020.

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements please do get in contact with us.

This page was prepared on 15 September 2020. It was last updated on 15 September 2020.

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