Accessibility at Waste Collection Richmond

Waste Collection Richmond is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive service for everyone in the Richmond area, including our online information, booking tools, and customer support. We want all residents, businesses, and visitors to be able to access information about waste collection, recycling, and related services in a way that meets their needs and preferences.

This accessibility statement explains the steps we take to support digital accessibility, how our website is designed to follow recognised standards, and how you can contact us if you experience any barriers or require waste collection information in an alternative format.

Our Accessibility Commitment

We aim for our website and digital content for Waste Collection Richmond to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 at level AA. These guidelines are recognised internationally as a benchmark for making web content more usable and accessible for everyone, including people with visual, hearing, cognitive, and motor impairments.

We are working to make our online waste collection information, such as collection days, service updates, recycling guidance, and bulky item booking, as accessible as possible on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices used across the Richmond area.

Using the Website with Assistive Technology

Our site is developed so that people using screen readers, text to speech software, and other assistive technologies can navigate and understand our content. We aim to use clear headings, descriptive page titles, and logical content structure so that the information is easy to follow, especially when using screen reader navigation by headings or landmarks.

Images used to explain waste collection processes or recycling instructions are given alternative text where appropriate so that the same information is available to users who cannot see the images. Where complex visual information is used, we aim to provide an equivalent text explanation.

Keyboard Navigation and Interaction

We recognise that many people access online waste services without a mouse. Our website is designed to be fully usable with a keyboard alone. You should be able to move through links, forms, and interactive elements using the Tab, Shift plus Tab, Enter, and arrow keys.

We aim to maintain a visible focus indicator so that it is easy to see which element on the page is currently selected. This is particularly important for booking waste collection services, completing contact forms, and checking Richmond collection dates without needing to use a mouse or touch screen.

Text, Colour, and Readability

We aim to use clear, plain language and consistent layouts for all pages about Waste Collection Richmond services. Colours are chosen to maintain sufficient contrast between text and background so that content remains legible for people with low vision or colour vision difficulties.

Where possible, users can adjust text size and zoom levels using their browser or device settings without loss of content or functionality. We avoid relying on colour alone to convey important information about waste collection services, such as changes to collection days or special recycling instructions.

Ongoing Improvements and Limitations

We continually review our website for accessibility issues and make improvements as part of our regular updates. While we strive to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, some older content or third party features used to support Richmond waste collection services may not yet fully meet these guidelines. When we identify an issue, we aim to resolve it as soon as reasonably possible.

Your feedback helps us prioritise improvements and focus on the areas that matter most to people using our services in Richmond and the surrounding area.

Contact for Accessibility Requests

If you experience any difficulty accessing information or services on our Waste Collection Richmond website, or if you need information in a different format, please contact our customer service team. You can request information such as collection schedules, service changes, or guidance on recycling in formats including large print, audio, or easy read, wherever reasonably possible.

When you contact us, please include details of the page or service you were trying to use, what went wrong, and what device and assistive technology you were using if relevant. This helps us investigate the issue and work with you on a suitable solution. We aim to acknowledge accessibility requests promptly and provide a response within a reasonable time frame.

We are committed to making Waste Collection Richmond services as accessible and inclusive as we can and we value all feedback that helps us improve.