Gardeners Lee Online Accessibility Statement

Gardeners Lee is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive online experience for all visitors, including disabled people and those using assistive technologies. This accessibility statement explains the steps we take to support accessible use of our website, our alignment with recognised standards, and how you can contact us with any accessibility requests or feedback in the Gardeners Lee area.

Commitment to accessibility standards

Our aim is for the Gardeners Lee website to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1, at the AA level. These guidelines are an internationally recognised standard that describe how to make web content more accessible for people with a wide range of needs, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological differences.

We view accessibility as an ongoing process and regularly review our content and features to improve usability and inclusive access for everyone who wants to learn more about gardening, landscaping, or services in the Gardeners Lee area.

Screen-reader and assistive technology support

The Gardeners Lee website is designed to work with common screen readers and assistive technologies. We use clear heading structures, descriptive page titles, and informative alternative text for meaningful images where required. This helps users who rely on audio output, braille displays, or magnification tools to understand page content and navigate between sections.

Forms and interactive features are developed so that labels and instructions are available to screen readers wherever possible. We also aim to keep language simple and direct, making it easier to understand information about gardening guidance, seasonal updates, and services available in and around Gardeners Lee.

Keyboard navigation and focus

Our website is designed to be navigable using only a keyboard, without needing a mouse or touch input. Users should be able to move through interactive elements using the tab, shift plus tab, arrow keys, and other standard keyboard commands. Focus indicators are provided so users can see which element is currently selected.

Menus, forms, and other controls are structured so that keyboard users can move logically through all options, reach key areas of the site, and submit information. We continue to review components on the Gardeners Lee website to make sure they remain accessible as we update or add features.

Text, layout, and readability

We aim to use readable font sizes, sufficient colour contrast, and clear spacing to support visitors with low vision or visual stress. Content is presented in a logical order, with headings that reflect the structure of each page. Visitors can use browser tools to zoom or adjust text size, and the layout is designed to remain usable across a range of devices and screen sizes.

Where images are decorative and do not add essential information, we avoid unnecessary descriptions so that screen-reader users can focus on important gardening content and local Gardeners Lee information.

Ongoing improvements and limitations

While we work towards full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, there may be some areas of our website that are not yet fully accessible. These might include older documents, legacy components, or third party content that we cannot completely control. When we identify issues, we prioritise resolving them as part of our development and content updates.

We welcome feedback from people in the Gardeners Lee community and beyond to help us identify any practical barriers to access that we may have missed.

Contact for accessibility requests

If you experience any difficulty using the Gardeners Lee website, or if you need information in an alternative format such as large print, audio description, or a simplified text version, you can contact us using the contact form on our website or by writing to our postal address listed on the contact page. Please include details of the page or feature you were using, any assistive technology involved, and the nature of the problem.

We take all accessibility requests seriously and will do our best to respond and provide a suitable adjustment or alternative as quickly as we can. Your feedback helps us make the Gardeners Lee online experience more accessible for everyone.