Accessibility Statement

Deep Rooted Community Gardens CIC (DRCG) is committed to making our website accessible to everyone, regardless of disability, age, or the technology they use to browse the internet. We believe that community resources — including digital ones — should be open and usable for all.

We are working to ensure our website meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 at Level AA, which is the recognised standard for accessibility in the UK.

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. The non-compliances and known limitations are listed in section 4 below.

We are a small Community Interest Company and are continuously working to improve the accessibility of our site as resources allow.

We have taken the following steps to improve accessibility on our website:

• Used clear, plain English throughout the site to make content easy to understand.
• Structured pages with proper headings so that screen reader users can navigate easily.
• Ensured that form fields on our contact, support, and partnership forms are clearly labelled.
• Aimed for sufficient colour contrast between text and background throughout the site.
• Ensured links are descriptive so users understand where they lead without relying on surrounding context.
• Designed the site to be responsive so it works on mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.
• Avoided using flashing or strobing content that could affect people with photosensitive conditions.

We are aware of the following areas where our site may not yet fully meet accessibility standards. We are working to address these:

• Images — some images may not yet have fully descriptive alternative text. We are reviewing and updating these.
• PDFs and documents — any downloadable documents on the site may not be fully accessible to screen reader users. Where possible, we aim to provide the same information in an accessible web page format.
• Third-party content — some content or functionality provided by third-party tools (such as embedded maps or external forms) may not meet accessibility standards. We have limited control over these but will raise issues with providers where possible.
• Keyboard navigation — while we aim for full keyboard accessibility, some interactive elements may not yet be fully optimised for keyboard-only users. We are reviewing this as part of ongoing improvements.

If you encounter an accessibility barrier not listed here, please let us know using the contact details in section 6.

If you need information from our website in a different format — such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording, or braille — please contact us. We will do our best to provide the information you need in a way that works for you.

We aim to respond to accessibility requests within 5 working days.

You can also contact us if you find an accessibility problem we have not listed, or if you feel we are not meeting the requirements of this statement. We take all feedback seriously and use it to continuously improve.

To report an accessibility issue, request content in an alternative format, or give feedback on the accessibility of our site, please contact us:

If you contact us about an accessibility issue and are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to escalate the matter to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which enforces the Equality Act 2010 in Great Britain.

You can contact the EHRC at equalityhumanrights.com or by calling their helpline on 0808 800 0082.

You can also contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) at equalityadvisoryservice.com or by calling 0808 800 0082.

This accessibility statement applies to the Deep Rooted Community Gardens CIC website. Our site is built and hosted using Base44, SiteGround, and Cloudflare. We rely on these platforms to deliver a technically accessible foundation and work within their capabilities to improve our own accessibility.

The technologies our content relies on include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. We aim to ensure these are implemented in a way that supports assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnification software, and voice input tools.

We are committed to making ongoing improvements to the accessibility of our site. Our current priorities include:

• Auditing all existing images and adding or improving alternative text descriptions.
• Reviewing all forms for full keyboard accessibility and screen reader compatibility.
• Ensuring any new content added to the site meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA before publication.
• Conducting a fuller accessibility audit as our site develops and resources allow.

This accessibility statement was prepared in May 2025 and will be reviewed annually, or sooner if significant changes are made to the website. We welcome feedback at any time to help us improve.

This statement is provided in line with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018. As a CIC rather than a public sector body, DRCG may not be legally required to publish this statement, but we do so voluntarily as part of our commitment to inclusion and equal access.