Accessibility statement for Gardening Chingford services
This Accessibility Statement explains how Gardening Chingford makes its services and online content accessible to people with disabilities. Our aim is that everyone seeking gardening in Chingford, whether they are residents or local businesses, can find and use our information with equal ease. We are committed to continually improving access to our gardening services in Chingford and to remove barriers wherever they exist.
We follow recognised standards for accessibility. Our goal is to conform to WCAG 2.1 AA. That means we design pages, documents and interactions so they are perceivable, operable, understandable and robust for people using a range of assistive technologies. As local Chingford gardeners and service providers, we test features that matter most to our community.
The scope of this statement covers the digital content we publish and the practical access to our in-person gardening work in the Chingford area. We evaluate content across desktop, tablet and mobile. We also consider common assistive technologies, including screen readers and keyboard-only navigation, and we monitor changes to standards to keep Chingford gardening content compliant.
How we support assistive technology: we design pages to be compatible with major screen readers and voice-over tools. Content structure uses clear headings, semantic markup, and descriptive link text so that people using screen readers to access Chingford gardening information can navigate efficiently. Labels and captions are provided where required to improve comprehension.
Keyboard navigation is a focus. All interactive elements on our site and scheduling tools are operable without a mouse. Users can reach menus, forms and contact options using the keyboard alone. We test for logical focus order and visible focus indicators, and we repair issues that prevent a smooth experience for people navigating via the keyboard.
We maintain accessible documents and images where possible. Photographs, diagrams and promotional materials for Gardening Chingford include descriptive alternative text and accessible file formats. When full accessibility cannot be achieved immediately, we provide an accessible summary or alternative that conveys the same information.
What we do to meet accessibility standards
To maintain accessible Chingford gardening content, we:
- carry out accessibility reviews against WCAG 2.1 AA criteria
- test pages with screen readers and keyboard-only workflows
- use semantic HTML, clear headings and consistent navigation
- ensure colour contrast meets recommended ratios and provide text alternatives
Continuous improvement
The service team and Chingford gardeners receive training on accessibility-aware practices so that on-site interactions and digital communications are inclusive. We keep an internal log of issues and fixes and prioritise improvements that affect the greatest number of users.
If you encounter barriers when accessing information about Gardening Chingford or our local gardening services, please get in touch using the contact methods published on this site so we can help. We will respond to accessibility requests and reasonable adjustments as soon as possible and outline the steps we will take to resolve the issue.
Reporting process: when you report an accessibility issue, we log it, assign a member of our accessibility team to investigate, and provide a timeline for resolution. We may offer alternative formats or personalised assistance to ensure you can access the information or book services from Chingford gardeners.
This statement is reviewed periodically and updated to reflect changes in our services, new accessibility improvements, and changes to technical standards. Gardening Chingford values input from the community and encourages people to notify us of problems so we can make timely fixes and continue to deliver inclusive gardening experiences across Chingford.