This accessibility statement applies to the online forms (elmbridge-self.achieveservice.com).
This website is run by Elmbridge Borough 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 using browser or device settings
- zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using a keyboard or 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 images do not have text descriptions, so people using screen readers may not understand what they show
- pages are not always structured clearly, which can make it harder for people using assistive technology to navigate and understand content
- it can be difficult to use the site with a keyboard, as some buttons and form fields do not respond as expected or cannot be easily accessed
- the current page focus (where you are on the page) is not always clearly visible, making navigation harder for keyboard users
- some text and interface elements do not have enough contrast, which can make them difficult to read, especially for people with visual impairments
- forms are not always clearly labelled, so it may not be obvious which fields are required or what information is needed
- some dropdown menus and controls do not work properly on mobile devices or with a keyboard
- status messages and updates can be hard to read or recognise due to layout and spacing issues
- most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
Feedback and contact information
If you need information on this website in a different format, contact the communications team:
- email communications@elmbridge.gov.uk
- call 01372 474 474
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact the communications team:
- email communications@elmbridge.gov.uk
- call 01372 474 474
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).
Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person
Find out how to contact us.
We have an audio induction loop in our main reception.
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
Elmbridge Borough Council is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
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.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
On the bin collection days and calendar form page:
- the the logo image is missing alt text. This fails WCAG 1.1.1: Non-text context (Level A)
- the page does not use a clear or consistent heading structure and the page lacks a programmatically defined hierarchy. This fails WCAG 1.3.1: Info and relationships (Level A) and WCAG 2.4.6: Headings and labels (Level A)
- when navigating via keyboard, there is no visible focus indicator on the 'Cancel' and 'Next' buttons. This fails WCAG 2.4.7: Focus visible (Level AA) and WCAG 2.4.11: Focus not obscured (Minimum) (Level AA)
- when navigating via keyboard, the 'your address' tab receives focus, but the focus indicator against the white background is too subtle to be clearly perceived. The visual difference between focused and unfocused states is minimal. This fails WCAG 2.4.11: Focus not obscured (Minimum) (Level AA) and WCAG 1.4.11: Non-text contrast (Level AA)
- when navigation via keyboard, the 'previous' and 'next' buttons do not display any visible focus indicator. This suggests that focus styles are either missing or have been overridden without a sufficient alternative. This fails WCAG 2.4.11: Focus not obscured (Minimum) (Level AA) and WCAG 1.4.11: Non-text contrast (Level AA)
- the required field indicator colour does not provide sufficient contrast against the white background making it hard to perceive. This fails WCAG 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA)
- required fields are only marked with an asterisk with no accompanying text label (for example, 'required'), making it unclear for users what is mandatory. This fails WCAG 3.3.2: Labels or instructions (Level A)
- when links are focused, the colour on a white background does not provide enough contrast, making the focus state difficult to see. This fails WCAG 2.4.7: Focus visible (Level AA) and WCAG 1.4.3: Contrast (minimum) (Level AA)
- the focus state may not be clearly visible for all users, making it hard to identify focused inputs. This fails WCAG 2.4.7: Focus visible (Level AA) and WCAG 1.4.11: Non-text contrast (Level AA)
- the status message uses low contrast foreground and background colours, making the text difficult to read, especially when combined with unclear or tight padding that reduces visual clarity. This fails WCAG 1.4.3: Contrast (minimum) (Level AA)
- the 'information loading' messages appears visually cramped, with unclear or insufficient padding around the text which reduces visual separation from surrounding content and may make the message harder to perceive as a distinct status update. This fails WCAG 1.4.12: Text spacing (Level AA) and WCAG 1.4.3: Contrast (minimum) (Level AA)
We plan to fix these issues by 30 November 2026.
On the contact us form:
- when navigating via keyboard, focus moves to the 'Select' dropdown, but pressing Enter does not open the list. This indicates the control does not respond to standard keyboard interaction. This fails WCAG 2.1.1: Keyboard (Level A)
- when navigating using the keyboard, the 'previous', 'cancel' and 'submit' buttons do not display any visible focus indicator. This fails WCAG 2.4.7: Focus visible (Level AA) and WCAG 2.4.11: Focus not obscured (Minimum) (Level AA)
- when navigating via keyboard to the 'Title' dropdown in the contact us form, pressing Enter (or Space) does not open the list of options. The control receives focus but does not respond to standard keyboard interaction. This fails WCAG 2.1.1: Keyboard (Level A)
- the 'Home' and 'Request' buttons use a colour combination for foreground and background colours that provides insufficient contrast for normal-sized text. This fails WCAG 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA)
We plan to fix these issues by 30 November 2026.
What we're doing to improve accessibility
We're improving accessibility by:
- fixing the non-compliance issues
- providing more training and guidance to web editors
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on Friday 5 June 2026. It was last reviewed on Tuesday 9 June 2026.
This website was last tested on 6 May 2026 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.
The test was carried out by Invuse. The most viewed pages and key user journeys were tested using automated and manual testing tools using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Apple Safari.