Accessibility

This accessibility statement applies to NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s website https://ngi.org.uk.

This website is run by NewcastleGateshead Initiative. We aim to make our website accessible to as many people as possible. For example, that means you should be able to:

• Change colours, contrast levels, and fonts using browser or device settings

• Zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen

• Navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software

• Listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver)

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

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

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

• You cannot modify the line height or spacing of text

• Most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software

• Some videos do not have captions

• You cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader

• There’s a limit to how far you can magnify the map on our ‘contact us’ page

Feedback and contact information

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact: info@ngi.org.uk

If you need information on this website in a different format, such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording, or braille:

• Email info@ngi.org.uk

• Call +44 (0)191 440 5761

We’ll consider your request and get back to you within 5 working days.

If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ page, call or email us for directions using the details listed above.

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).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

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

Compliance status

The website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard.

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons:

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

• H1 tags: Some pages do not include a single H1 tag, which may cause issues for screen reader users. We plan to add H1 tags for all pages by September 2024. New pages will meet accessibility standards.

• Alt text: Some images do not have a text alternative, making it difficult for screen reader users to access the information. We plan to add text alternatives for all images by September 2024. New content will adhere to accessibility standards.

• New tabs tagged for assistive technology: Links opening in new tabs or windows should have an “aria-label” attribute or a screen-reader-only element explaining that the link opens in a new tab.

• Keyboard focus should have a noticeable outline: Interactive elements navigable with the keyboard should be surrounded by a visual outline when focused.

• Non-functional icons/spacers: Font icons, SVGs, or images being used as spacers should include a “role” attribute indicating they are for presentation only.

Disproportionate burden

• Navigation and accessing information: Currently, there is no way to skip the repeated content in the page header (e.g., ‘skip to main content’). It is also not always possible to change device orientation without difficulty viewing the content, and text size cannot be changed without overlap. We believe that fixing these issues now would be a disproportionate burden. A reassessment will be made when the supplier contract is up for renewal, likely in February 2027.

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

• PDFs and other documents: The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they are not essential to providing our services. Any new PDFs or Word documents published will meet accessibility standards.

• Live video: We do not plan to add captions to live video streams as live video is exempt from the accessibility regulations.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 22 May 2025. It was last reviewed on 22 May 2025.

The website was last tested on 22 May 2025 against the WCAG 2.1 AA standard. The test was carried out by the AccessScan service by ReciteMe. The most viewed pages were tested using automated testing tools by our website team.