Accessibility
Victims First is committed to ensuring this website is accessible.
My Computer My Way provided by Ability Net has a range of resources to help you adapt your computer settings to help meet your needs. The website has a search function which allows you to tailor the advice according to your operating system. Some helpful resources include:
Mouse settings - making your mouse easier to use
Keyboard settings - such as using your keyboard to control your mouse
Caption settings - how to enable and customise subtitles and captions
Text settings - such as changing fonts and increasing the size of the text in your web browser
Colour settings - changing and adapting website colours
Zoom and magnify settings - make text easier to read
Voice output setting - screen readers and talking browsers
Victims First have designed this website with accessibility as a key focus and wish to ensure that their online products and services are accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability. Providing an accessible website has a positive effect on general usability and we believe that websites that are accessible and usable benefit everyone.
The Law
As a public sector organisation we have to comply with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, this is enforced by The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
The 2018 regulations build on the existing obligations to people who have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 (or the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland).
W3C Compliance
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) provides Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for people who create and maintain websites.
As a public sector organisation we adhere to these guidelines and target "AA" compliance through the following tenants,
Perceivable
- Text Alternatives: Provide text alternatives for any non-text content
- Time-based Media: Provide alternatives for time-based media e.g. video or audio
- Adaptable: Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.
- Distinguishable: Make it easier for users to see content, including separating foreground from background
Operable
- Device Accessible: Make functionality operable via keyboard/mouse/screen reader
- Enough Time: Provide users enough time to read and use content
- Seizures: Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures
- Navigable: Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are
Understandable
- Readable: Make text content readable and understandable
- Predictable: Make web pages appear and operate in predictable ways
- Input Assistance: Help users avoid and correct mistakes
Robust
- Compatible: Maximise compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies
Compatibility with tools
The site should be compatible with recent versions of the following screen readers:
- Jaws
- ZoomText
- NVDA
- VoiceOver
- Window Eyes
- Supernova screen readers
- Magicetc
The site should also be compatible with:
- basic operating system screen magnifiers
- speech recognition software, e.g. Dragon Naturally Speaking
- operating system speech packages
How we tested this website
This website was last tested in September 2020. The test was carried out externally by a third party.
They checked a broad sample of pages on the website, including the homepage and a selection of other pages utilising the various different templates. They used a free-to-use developer tool (https://www.deque.com/axe) which checks each page against standard accessibility issues. A manual audit was also conducted. Each issue was logged, and an action plan formed and implemented for the website.
What we have done to improve accessibility
We made the following improvements in September 2020:
- increased the colour contrast of some text
- fixed a number of issues with W3C validation
- ensured all form elements are using the correct mark-up and are compatible with assistive technologies
- added a ‘skip to main content’ and ‘skip to navigation’ function on the header of every page
- reviewed labels and attributes to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies
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
- the accessibility of embedded video content is dependent on the standards reached by the third-party provider. Where possible we will make use of features such as subtitles to ensure our content is accessible
- Our forms are built and hosted through third party software and the accessibility is dependent on the standards reached by the third-party provider
If you need information on this website in a different format:
- email victimsfirstcomms@thamesvalley.police.uk
- call 01865 541957
- write to us at:
Oxon, OX5 2NX
We will consider your request and get back to you.
Reporting Accessibility Problems
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact the Victims First team by email victimsfirstcomms@thamesvalley.police.uk
Whilst we ensure that links are tested before they are made available online we would appreciate your help in bringing any broken links to our attention. The best way to report an error or technical fault is to email the team at victimsfirstcomms@thamesvalley.police.uk, and upon receipt of the information, we will ensure the fault is amended as quickly as we are able.
Please note: We are not responsible for links or content on external website(s).
Here you can find information in an easy read format. Easy Read is an accessible format designed for people with a learning disability. It is easy to understand because it uses simple, jargon free language, shorter sentences and supporting images.
This website can be translated using the Google Translate button at the top left of your screen. To translate the site, please select your chosen language from the drop down menu.
We are committed to supporting all victims of crime and, on contacting us, can provide translation services to enable you to get the support you need.