This accessibility statement applies to rochdaletownhall.co.uk
This website is run by Rochdale Borough Council.
We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, this means you should be able to:
- Understand the page name as our web pages have page titles that clearly describe their topic or purpose.
- Use the website easier as we have a logical navigation order.
- Use the content page structure as it's presented and maintained in a meaningful sequence.
- Use descriptive links on our website so they can be read out of context and users know where they will go next.
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 PDF documents are not fully accessible to assistive technologies.
- The cookie banner company Civic UK has dropped Internet Explorer 11 compatibility and the cookie tool will not show on any Internet Explorer 11 websites.
- Microsoft ends Internet Explorer 11 browser support on 15 June 2022, which may affect Google Maps on any Internet Explorer 11 websites.
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@rochdale.gov.uk
- Phone 01706 647474
- Write to: Customer Services, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU
When contacting us please tell us:
- The web address (URL) of the content.
- Your name and email address.
- The format you need, for example, audio CD, braille or large print.
We’ll consider your request and get back to you within 5 working days.
If you need directions, please call or email us
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, please
- Email web.team@rochdale.gov.uk
- Phone 01706 924836
- Write to: Rochdale Borough Council, Digital Services Team, Floor 3, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU.
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 deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.
If you contact us before your visit we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.
Call or email us to contact us.
Technical information about this website's accessibility
Rochdale 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
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
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons:
PDF files
The Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format for representing documents in a manner independent of the application software, hardware, and operating system used to create them, as well as of the output device on which they are to be displayed or printed. PDF files specify the appearance of pages in a document in a reliable, device-independent manner.
We aim to make all PDF documents we publish accessible.
To help make files more accessible we will be using Adobe Acrobat Pro which is an application that creates and edits PDF files. It has a number of tools for evaluating and repairing the accessibility of PDF files.
If you need to print a downloadable form on this website and don't have access to a printer, you can access our free printing facilities in your local library - find a local library.
Cookies
The cookie banner company Civic UK has dropped Internet Explorer 11 compatibility and the cookie tool will not show on any Internet Explorer 11 websites.
Google Maps
Microsoft ended Internet Explorer 11 browser support on 15 June 2022, which may affect Google Maps on any Internet Explorer 11 websites.
Disproportionate burden
We've assessed the cost of fixing the following issues. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations.
- There are no issues that are currently being listed as being assessed as a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations.
Content that's not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
The following types of content do not need to be fixed on the website because they are exempt from the accessibility regulations.
- PDFs and other documents - some of our PDFs and Word documents are essential to providing our services. For example, we have PDFs with information from external agencies. We plan to continue to link to the PDF, where possible, on the host website.
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 and audio video - we do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.
- Maps - we have added essential information in an accessible format like an address.
- Pre-recorded audio and video - we are not required to fix pre-recorded audio and video content published before 23 September 2020.
- Third-party content - content on social media sites that is under someone else's control.
What we're doing to improve accessibility
Our accessibility roadmap shows how and when we plan to improve accessibility on this website.
Our roadmap includes:
- Plain English - the language used on the site will where possible, be concise, easy to understand and free from jargon, abbreviations and technical terms.
- Information in other languages - although this website is written in English, where appropriate we may be able to translate information on this website or provide an interpreter.
- Audio downloads - in some circumstances we provide audio files such as mp3 audio files for download from this website. To listen to them you may need a media player, such as Windows Media Player or Quicktime. We aim to provide a text transcription of audio files. The recordings for download may be podcast programmes or interviews broadcast on the local community radio station. Where this is the case much of the information discussed is already available on this website so we will not always provide a full transcription.
Preparing this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on Wednesday, 13 September 2023. It was last reviewed on Tuesday, 16 January 2024.
A selection of pages on this website was last tested on Tuesday, 16 January 2024. We carried out the test using the Sitemorse tool.