Updated 11 September 2020

Accessible documents on the Youth Justice Resource Hub
This statement applies to content published on the https://yjresourcehub.uk/. It does not apply to content on our GOV.UK website. This website is run by the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales. It is designed to be used by youth justice partners and stakeholders. The text should be clear and simple to understand. You should be able to:

  • zoom in up to 300% without problems
  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
  • use most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

How accessible our documents are
The structure and usability of this website is managed by the YJB, but most of the content that it hosts is material owned and produced by third parties (Such as Youth Offending Teams). We are unable to ensure that all of the third-party content is accessible, but we will do our best to find an alternative format if you ask us for one.

We will ensure that new documents that are YJB produced will 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 not marked up in a way that allows screen reader users to understand them
  • are not tagged up properly – for example, they do not contain proper headings
  • are not written in plain English
    This mostly applies to our research and reports. These types of documents are exempt from the regulations, so we do not currently have any plans to make them accessible. But if you need to access information in one of these document types, you can contact us and ask for an alternative format.

Using our documents
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

What to do if you cannot use one of our documents
If you need a document we’ve published in a different format:

Reporting accessibility problems with one of our documents
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of our documents. If you find any problems not listed on this page or you think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact: Resourcehub@yjb.gov.uk.

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 the accessibility of our documents
The YJB is committed to making our documents accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. Our documents are partially compliant with the requirements of the WCAG 2.1 AA standard. The documents the YJB publishes are partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 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

  • A few of our documents have diagrams. These images do not have a text alternative, so the information in them is not available to people using a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). When we publish new documents, we’ll make sure our use of diagrams meets accessibility standards.
  • Focused links and buttons sometimes do not have enough contrast. This fails WCAG 1.4.11 AA (Non-text Contrast).
  • Some links are not as clear as they could be when describing the link destination. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.4 (in context).
  • We currently do not have a site map. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.5 (Multiple Ways).

We plan to make corrections to these issues by September 2020 with the exception of the site map which might take us into Autumn 2020.

Disproportionate burden
Not applicable.

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
Many of our older PDFs and Word documents do not meet accessibility standards – for example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role value). Many of the PDFs and Word documents we host from third parties do not meet accessibility standards – for example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role value). 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. These Regulations do not apply to third-party content that is neither funded nor developed by, nor under the control of, the YJB. Any new PDFs or Word documents published by the YJB will meet accessibility standards.

How we tested our documents
We last tested a sample of our documents on 11 September 2020. The test was carried out internally by the YJB. We tested a sample of our documents and web pages across a range of accessibility criteria including: the use of headings and plain English, the use of alternate text for images and tables, compatibility with mobile devices, correct HTML styling, consistent navigation, content works when zoomed in, the color contrast.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We plan to identify and fix issues according to the timescale above. The YJB is putting guidance and procedures in place to ensure that all new documents that we produce are accessible, raising awareness across the organization on accessibility standards and encouraging the use of clear English in documents.

This statement was prepared on 11 September 2020. It was last updated on 11 September 2020.