Web update to help disability access

By JAKE CLOTHIER jclothier@rdg.today

READING Borough Council has updated its online services to better suit residents with disabilities.

After taking feedback, the council has added a page to its website dedicated to providing information about services for disabled people.

It has also seen a revamp of the layout and user experience to make it easier to use for people with specific physical needs.

Information for services such as wheelchair-accessible taxis, disabled parking, and assisted bin collections have now been collated onto a single page.

The improvements were tested by representatives of the Access and Disabilities Working Group before they went live in January.

It followed the roll-out of navigation updates which were put into effect last summer that made the website easier to use without a mouse and on mobile devices.

The council’s website recently scored 92% for website accessibility by SiteImprove, an industrystandard measuring tool.

Around one-in-five people in the UK have some form of disability.

Cllr Liz Terry, lead councillor for corporate services and resources,