Accessibility Statement for the Municipality of Turnhout

The Municipality of Turnhout aims to be digitally accessible to ensure that everyone has user-friendly access to online information and good quality services in accordance with the administrative decree of 7th December 2018, implementing Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and the Council. 

An accessible website means that the website is usable and understandable for everyone with or without a disability. Everyone must be able to see and use information on the website easily, including people who are partially sighted, blind, hard of hearing, deaf or people who have another disability. Europe has laid down rules about accessibility which local and national governments have to abide by. 

This accessibility statement explains the degree to which our websites satisfy these rules. The accessibility statement applies to the website www.turnhout.be and related sites run on the same CMS platform (eGo by Tobania.Public). Related sites run on a different CMS platform have not been screened yet. They are, however, in the process of being screened and optimised.

Steps to improve accessibility

In order to improve accessibility, the Municipality of Turnhout has taken the following steps:

• Accessibility is an element in all stages of the development, construction and editing of our website. The platform with which our website has been built (eGo by Tobania.Public) was developed with accessibility in mind.
• We had the website tested for accessibility in terms of functionally technical elements and editorial aspects by independent experts. We endeavour to resolve any problems encountered as quickly as possible.
• We keep our editors and webmasters as well informed as possible about accessibility so that they are able to maintain it. We provide continuous training in accessibility standards.
• Web accessibility is included in our communication strategy and in our internal and external guidelines.
• We endeavour to include technical optimisation in every update of the website.
• When creating a new website, all accessibility requirements are taken into account.

Conformity with accessibility standards

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set out the accessibility standards for people with a disability. 

The Municipality of Turnhout’s websites partially conform to version 2.1 level AA of the guidelines. 

The qualification ‘partially conform’ is because some parts of our website are not yet fully compliant. We are, however, doing our very best to ensure that all parts are as accessible as possible. A number of problems can be overcome with relative ease. Some have to be addressed by our website builder. He is working on a durable and forward-looking solution. Our aim is to resolve the problems by the end of 2021.

Inaccessible content

The following elements are not, or not fully, accessible:

• Web forms: 
  When completing web forms, people who have to make use of a screen reader may experience difficulties.
• Images: 
  Not all of our images contain a usable alternative text.
• Online maps:
  Online maps are not accessible. However, the information is also available in the form of text so that you do not miss anything.
• Text pages: 
  A number of text pages are only partially, or not, structured with titles. These pages may be more difficult for the user to understand. Also, the destination of certain ‘see more’ buttons can only be inferred from the surrounding text.
• Visual representation of the text: 
  The contrast ratio of some elements is below the threshold value.
• Searching newsletters and activities: 
  Not all functionality is accessible via a keyboard. The keyboard focus is not always visible. 

Disproportionate burden

Certain information is offered in the form of a pdf. The Municipality of Turnhout cannot guarantee that all of these files satisfy the web guidelines. We are currently reducing the number of files that are non-compliant by replacing them as far as possible by good pdf files (type A1A) or providing an alternative, such as a separate text page. If you need an accessible version of a file, please submit a request by means of the web form. We will endeavour to provide an accessible version within 30 work days.

Basis of the accessibility statement

This accessibility statement was drawn up on 1st December 2020. It was last amended on 1st December 2020.

The statements set down in this accessibility statement are correct and based on a factual assessment by the independent company Eleven Ways of the websites’ satisfaction of the requirements of Directive (EU) 2016/2102.

Feedback and enforcement

If you encounter a problem with the website’s accessibility, have a question about web accessibility or require information that is, in your opinion, insufficiently accessible, get in touch by means of the web form.

If you are unsatisfied with an answer to your question or request, please contact the complaints co-ordinator.