Recite me link

Back to previous page

Accessibility

Accessibility statement 

This accessibility statement applies to www.mtw.nhs.uk

We are a Public Sector Body and answerable to The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). They are responsible for making sure that we comply with the latest law related to Public Sector websites.

Therefore, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is committed to making our website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

We have tried to make it as easy as possible for everyone to use our website regardless of disability. This means that you should be able to:

  • use contrast buttons to view the website using soft or high colour contrasts
  • zoom in up to 300% without problems
  • navigate the website using only a keyboard
  • navigate the website using speech recognition software
  • listen to 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.

  • content is structured logically and can be navigated and read by a screen reader
  • we do not use colour as the only way to explain or distinguish something
  • web pages use text colours that show up clearly against the background colour
  • web pages use descriptive links so users know where a link will take them, or what downloadable linked content is
  • we explain all abbreviations and acronyms, unless they are well known and in common use – for example UK, EU, VAT.

We use plain English whenever possible to make our content clear and easy to understand.

We have also included a text-to-speech assistive technology toolbar called ReciteMe so that you can listen to the content on our website without needing special software.

You can also get help by visiting “My Computer My Way” published by AbilityNet. They have prepared a simple guide to make it easier for you to use your computer, laptop, tablet, or smart phone.

How accessible this website is

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 Level AA due to the exemptions. As of October 2023, the non-compliances and exemptions are listed here:

 

  • If you cannot see very well and use a screen reader to help you, some of our older versions of PDF and Word documents published before 23 September 2018 cannot be read by a screen reader. Providing they are not essential (in relation to our services) they are exempt.
  • If you cannot hear very well, some of our older videos (that include speech) published before 23 September 2020 do not have captions to tell you what is being said. However, these are exempt.
  • The keyboard focus is not visible on elements across the webpage.
  • At 200% zoom and more, the accessibility ‘Recite’ button partially covers the privacy ‘Recaptcha’ button.
  • At 200% zoom, links at the bottom of the menu are not fully visible.
  • At 400% zoom and in mobile view (320 x 256) , the menu does not reflow to fit the webpage correctly as the bottom of the menu is partially cut off.
  • There is no pause button for the carousel at the top of the webpage
  • The webpage has elements that do not have sufficient colour contrast.
  • Zooming and scaling disabled on mobile devices.
  • ARIA hidden element focusable or contains focusable elements.
  • Not all link names are accessible by a screen reader and descriptive enough to tell a user where that link will take them.
  • Not all form elements have labels.
  • Some images include text.
  • PDF documents with elements that are missing alternative text.

Beyond the Scope of WCAG Level AA

  • Because of their formal content some web pages and downloadable documents are not written in plain English.

Feedback and contact information

If you experience difficulty with anything on our website (for instance you would like some content to be sent to you in a different format) we would like to hear from you so that we can help you. If you contact us to let us know about the problem we will do our best to help you within ten working days.

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

  • email mtw-tr.communications@nhs.net
  • call 01622 228658
  • in person: Communications, Trust Management, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent ME16 9QQ

If you are coming in person and cannot view the map on our How to get here page, please call 01622 228658 or email us at mtw-tr.communications@nhs.net for directions.

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, contact the Communications team at mtw-tr.communications@nhs.net.

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

We provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment. Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

Find out how to contact us.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 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

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

 

Non-compliance with regulations

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. We are working to change these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.

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. Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

Live video

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

 

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

  • Some of older versions of PDF and Word documents published before 23 September 2018 cannot be read by a screen reader. Providing they are not essential (in relation to our services) they are exempt.
  • Some of our older videos (that include speech) published before 23 September 2020 do not have captions to tell you what is being said. However, these are exempt.

There are hundreds of historic documents and videos created by the Trust. Each item would require several hours of work to be recreated in a fully accessible version (estimated to take between two and 40 hours per document, depending on length and complexity, plus additional sign off)

These documents are all officially published and publishing new versions would require detailed checking and a lengthy formal sign off process. Most of these documents contain complex elements which are difficult to convert, such as tables, graphs, and diagrams. However we will always assist with requests for our publications to be provided in different formats on a case-by-case basis.

 

Disproportionate burden

We acknowledge the above non-compliances and are in the process of commissioning a new Trust website, which will be in place by the end of the 2023-4 financial year at the latest. Therefore, it would not represent good value for money to resolve each of the above non-compliance issues, as work is already under way to procure and develop the new site. We are working closely with our chosen provider to ensure the new site is fully compliant with all current accessibility legislation and best practice guidance.

We have reviewed the cost of improving the accessibility of our website and fixing the navigation and colour contrast issues, as well as creating accessible pdf documents, and assessed that doing so now, when we are developing a new website, would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. Investing in a new site is a more effective way to achieve full compliance within our resource constraints.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

The new Trust website will use a new content management system. The new system will improve many of our non-compliances and give us the functionality for our site to be more accessible.

This website’s accessibility will be re-tested in April 2024 or when the new website is published, whichever comes first.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 16 August 2023. It was last reviewed on 16 August 2023. This website was last tested on 16 August 2023. The test was carried out by The Communications team at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. New content is checked against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 as it is published.

We tested a sample batch of pages based on those identified in the Government Digital Service’s accessibility report, dated June 2023. Names and URLs of the pages we checked:

We test pages using manual tests to find issues such as keyboard functionality, visibility of keyboard focus and reflow which are some of the most common barriers to users with accessibility needs and are not likely to be picked up in automated tests. Our manual tests included:

  • Tabbing through each page without a mouse
  • Viewing the page at different zoom settings
  • Simulating viewing the page on a small screen.