Council website made easier for all

We've introduced a new tool which aims to help make the Council's website accessible for all.

The new ReachDeck toolbar is now live on our website and will ensure our content is accessible, readable and usable for all audiences.

Before launching, we tested ReachDeck with staff and residents including holding a demonstration for Action Disability for Kensington and Chelsea (ADKC), who have welcomed the addition to our website.

Mariya Stoeva, ADKC access project co-ordinator and chair of ADKC access group said:

"Good access is not only about a physical accessibility, but it also is an ethos of the inclusion of everyone. We are so very pleased and grateful that the Council and Texthelp have launched this fantastic new accessibility tool ReachDeck on the Council's corporate website, which will enable easier access to important information and services, will break down barriers that many disabled people face, will make the Council's website more user-friendly and will be so very beneficial for all people."

The tool is particularly helpful for people who find reading challenging, those with visual impairments, or those who prefer to read in their native language.

It allows visitors to our website to translate content into 120 different languages including our most spoken languages in the borough. For those who are visually impaired, it can enlarge and read out content and also has the functionality to reduce glare with a tinted mask, remove clutter from the screen and display pictures related to text selected on the page.

How do you use the ReachDeck toolbar?

To use the tool, you will see the red symbol on the upper right-hand side of the website homepage. From there, you can click the first icon on the toolbar, represented by a pointed finger. Simply hover your mouse pointer over any text to hear it read aloud.

We are currently working with ADKC to put together a handy guide to introduce you to the toolbar and what each of the symbols mean. You will be able to find this on our homepage soon.

Cllr Johhny Thalassites, lead member for customer services said:
"Our goal is to ensure that everyone can access our information online, regardless of their abilities and ReachDeck is a brilliant tool that helps to achieve this.

"We know that not everyone is online and are working hard with our digital inclusion team to tackle this but for those who are, we need to make it as easy and as simple as possible. ReachDeck removes barriers for those with visual or hearing impairments, dyslexia, neurodiversity and those with limited digital skills. We'd love to hear your feedback via our website."

ADKC is an organisation with approximately one thousand members, which is run and controlled by local disabled people, and we support our members to live independently. Our ADKC Access Group works and campaigns to make our borough and society fully inclusive of disabled people and a more accessible place for everyone.