Accessibility statement for Gardening Whitechapel services

Our organisation is committed to making gardening in Whitechapel accessible to everyone. This accessibility statement explains how Gardening Whitechapel approaches inclusive design, the standards we aim to meet, and how we support residents and visitors in the Whitechapel gardening area. We have designed this statement to be readable, clear and useful for people who rely on assistive technology, keyboard navigation, or alternate input methods.

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard across content describing our Whitechapel garden maintenance and Whitechapel garden services. Where we say we meet WCAG 2.1 AA, this covers text alternatives, clear structure, consistent navigation and sufficient contrast so that information about Whitechapel gardening and local garden projects is perceivable and operable for many users.

To support screen-reader users and people using adaptive browsers, our pages include semantic markup, meaningful headings, and clear link text for content about the Gardening Whitechapel area. We test with multiple screen readers and update content when needed to improve navigation, reading order and ARIA usage so that descriptions of Whitechapel gardens are announced in a logical way.

Keyboard navigation is a priority for our Whitechapel gardening content. All interactive controls used in pages about gardening in Whitechapel are reachable using the keyboard alone, with a visible focus indicator. We use logical tab order, skip links where appropriate, and ensure modal dialogs and overlays can be opened and closed with keyboard controls so people can access event listings, volunteer sign-ups and accessibility information without requiring a mouse.

We also provide alternatives for complex content. For example, where visual schedules or planting maps appear, we include text summaries and downloadable accessible documents so that people with different needs can understand the same information about Whitechapel garden locations and accessibility features. Where multimedia is used, captions, transcripts and audio descriptions are provided or planned.

Our approach to accessibility is ongoing. We regularly run automated and manual checks, include people with lived experience in review panels, and prioritise fixes that improve access to Whitechapel garden resources. Known limitations are listed below, and we publish an update schedule for work to address any gaps between current practice and WCAG 2.1 AA.

Known issues: some third-party content or embedded maps used to show Whitechapel garden locations may not fully meet our accessibility standard. We work with providers to improve compatibility or provide accessible alternatives. If you encounter a specific barrier on a page about gardening in Whitechapel, please let us know so we can investigate and prioritise a fix.

How we test and maintain accessibility

Our testing methodology includes automated tools and manual checks with screen readers, keyboard-only navigation tests and colour contrast verification. We also keep an accessibility log and use it to drive training for content authors who publish descriptions of Whitechapel gardens and services. When updates are made, we re-run checks before publishing to reduce regressions.

If you need content in a different format or require assistance with any of the materials about Whitechapel gardens, we welcome accessibility requests. Please contact our accessibility team through the dedicated accessibility contact options on our site or through official channels provided where Gardening Whitechapel information is published. We will acknowledge requests promptly, provide an estimated response time, and deliver information in an alternative format when reasonably possible.

Accessibility features at a glance:

• WCAG 2.1 AA conformance goals for core content about the Whitechapel gardening area
• Screen-reader support and semantic structure for clear reading order
• Full keyboard navigation and visible focus styles for interactive elements
• Alternatives for multimedia, maps and downloadable resources

We review this statement at least annually and update it to reflect improvements in accessibility for Whitechapel garden information. Gardening Whitechapel is dedicated to continuous improvement and to involving users with diverse accessibility needs in our development process.

For further information about this statement or to raise an accessibility concern, please use the accessibility contact options provided alongside our Whitechapel garden content. We will work with you to resolve issues and ensure our Whitechapel garden services are usable and welcoming for everyone.