Accessibility

Introduction:

This website is run by Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS).

HWFRS is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you can to:

• change colours, contrast levels and fonts
• zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
• navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
• navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
• listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

We have installed ReciteMe accessibility toolbar.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

Compliance status:

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliance listed below.

PDF documents are not all currently fully accessible to screen reader software. We are working with Recite Me to continually improve accessibility and to remediate PDF documents. The Core Strategies and the Community Risk Management Plan now accessible versions published.

Some externally provided videos do not have captions.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. This website aims to conform to WCAG 2.2 level AA. 

Known limitations

Whilst we try to maintain a high standard of accessibility on our website, there are some known limitations. These are documented below:

• The menu keyboard operation is not optimal
• Some external videos may not have captions
• We do not provide audio descriptions for all videos.

Non-accessible Content

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible. We may make use of third-party resources, including videos, that embed content on our website. Wherever possible, we will ensure these are conformant.

• PDF documents are not currently fully accessible to screen reader software
• Some externally provided videos do not have captions

We are working with Recite Me to continually improve accessibility and to remediate PDF documents.

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

Below, we will list where the website is reporting non-accessible issues regarding WCAG 2.2 AA criteria.

PDFs and other documents: 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.

Live video: We do not plan to add captions to live video streams (e.g., live event coverage) because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

Third-party content: We may use third-party content that is not under our control, such as social media feeds or embedded Google Maps.

Online Maps: While we try to make maps accessible, they are exempt from the regulations as long as essential information (like an address) is provided in an accessible format nearby.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service will actively process all errors throughout the website using the Recite Me Accessibility checker to resolve issues and mitigate new errors as content is changed and created.

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, please contact:

• corporatecommunications@hwfire.org.uk

We’ll respond to you within 10 working days.

If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ page, email us for directions.

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, contact:

• corporatecommunications@hwfire.org.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).

Recite Me assistive technology

We want as many people as possible to be able to use our website. To provide additional support to aid a more inclusive user experience, we provide the Recite Me assistive technology tool. This Toolbar enables all website visitors to customise their experience through a range of options to suit their online accessibility and language needs. 

The Recite Me toolbar provides text-to-speech functionality, fully customisable styling features, reading aids and a translation tool with over 100 languages, including 65 text-to-speech voices and many other features.

This means that when the toolbar is activated by the user, they can:

• View website pages in text-only mode
• Listen to the website using text-to-speech functionality
• Customise background, text and accessibility tool colours
• Modify the font, line height or spacing of text
• Zoom in up to 200% without text spilling off the screen
• The text will reflow in a single column when you change the size of your browser window
• Navigate the website using just a keyboard
• Translate the website into a different language
• Download MP3 files of the page text

Preparation of this accessibility statement

The statement was last reviewed on 26 February 2026.

The accessibility testing was carried out by Recite Me, using the Recite Me Accessibility Checker software.