Accessibility Statement

Accessibility at Gardeners Hayes

Gardeners Hayes is committed to making gardening information and local Hayes gardening services as accessible and inclusive as possible. We want people of all abilities to be able to use our website, discover gardening resources, and find accessible support in the Gardeners Hayes area without barriers.

Our Accessibility Commitment

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines WCAG version 2.1, level AA. These guidelines explain how to make web content more usable and accessible for people with disabilities, and more user friendly for everyone, including new and experienced gardeners in Hayes.

Accessibility is an ongoing process. We regularly review our content and design so that people who use assistive technologies, people with temporary or situational impairments, and people using mobile devices in gardens and outdoor spaces can still access the information they need.

Screen Reader Support

The Gardeners Hayes website is designed to work with common screen readers. We use clear page titles, headings and text structure so that visitors using screen readers can understand the layout and move through content efficiently. Images that convey important gardening information or show features in the Gardeners Hayes area are given descriptive text where possible so that users who cannot see the images can still understand the content.

We avoid using images of text for essential information, and we aim to keep language plain and descriptive so that gardening tips, planting guidance and local Hayes information are easy to follow.

Keyboard Navigation

Our website is intended to be usable with only a keyboard. This supports people who cannot use a mouse and those who prefer to navigate using the keyboard while working in the garden or on the move around the Hayes area.

You should be able to use the Tab, Shift plus Tab, Enter and arrow keys to move between menus, links, forms and other interactive elements. We work to ensure there is a visible focus indicator so that you can clearly see which part of the page is currently selected when browsing Gardeners Hayes content using a keyboard.

Readable Design and Layout

We aim to present information about Gardeners Hayes and accessible gardening in a way that is clear and easy to read. This includes using sufficient colour contrast between text and backgrounds, using a legible font size, and avoiding long blocks of text without headings.

Where possible, we keep sentences and paragraphs short and focused on one topic at a time, such as garden maintenance in Hayes, seasonal planting, or accessibility improvements in local gardens. This is intended to support users with visual, cognitive or learning differences.

Supported Devices and Browsers

The Gardeners Hayes website is designed to be responsive so that it can be used on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. This helps visitors who are looking up gardening advice from home, at work, or outdoors in the Gardeners Hayes area.

We aim to support a wide range of modern web browsers and built in accessibility tools offered by operating systems and mobile devices. For the best accessible experience, we recommend keeping your browser and assistive technology up to date.

Ongoing Improvements

We recognise that accessibility is not a one time project. As we add new gardening content and information about Hayes, we review the website for potential accessibility issues and look for ways to improve usability. This may include refining heading structures, improving alternative text, and simplifying the way content is organised.

Contact for Accessibility Requests

If you experience any difficulty using the Gardeners Hayes website, encounter an accessibility barrier, or need information about our gardening content in a different format, you can contact us through our standard contact page on the website. Please include details of the page or feature you were using, the type of accessibility issue you faced, and any assistive technology you were using. This information helps us identify the problem and work on a solution.

We take accessibility feedback seriously and will review your request and respond as soon as we can. Our goal is to support an accessible Gardeners Hayes community where everyone can enjoy gardening and access reliable local information.