Making East Ham Gardens Accessible

Gardening East Ham is committed to ensuring that all members of our community can access our online information and physical activities. This statement describes our approach to website accessibility, how we implement accessibility in community gardening events across East Ham, and the standards we follow. We strive for inclusive garden spaces and an accessible online presence for everyone interested in community gardening in East Ham.

Our accessibility work covers the Gardening East Ham website, digital documents we publish, and the ways we present information at in-person activities. We aim to make content available regardless of device, assistive technology, or personal need, and to foster accessible gardening opportunities throughout the East Ham area, including raised beds, clear pathways, and inclusive outreach.

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the AA level across our web pages. That means we focus on four key principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Where full compliance is not yet achieved, we maintain a plan to remove barriers and to prioritize changes that most affect our community and the Gardening East Ham activities.

We design pages with screen-reader support in mind. Our content uses clear semantic structure, descriptive headings, and proper use of ARIA roles where necessary, to help assistive technologies interpret and navigate the site. We provide text alternatives for non-text content and ensure that images, diagrams, and event flyers used by the East Ham gardening network are accompanied by meaningful descriptions.

Keyboard navigation is a priority. Visitors should be able to move through menus, form fields, and event signup elements using only the keyboard. Key features include:

• Logical focus order and visible focus indicators
• Skip links to bypass repetitive content
• Accessible form labels and error messages

We pay attention to visual accessibility: sufficient color contrast, scalable text without loss of content or functionality, and careful use of color to convey information. Where we use video for community updates, we provide captions and transcripts. Documents such as PDFs are created with structure and tagged properly when possible to support screen readers and other assistive tools.

How we test and maintain accessibility

Testing includes automated evaluation tools, manual checks, and user testing with local participants. We review key pages regularly and update our content strategy for Gardening East Ham based on findings. Our aim is to keep the site robust across modern browsers and assistive devices commonly used by residents of East Ham and the surrounding borough.

Some pages include embedded content from third parties (maps, booking widgets, or social media embeds). We try to select providers that prioritize accessibility, and we document any known limitations so visitors understand potential issues. When we host sessions in physical East Ham gardens, we include accessibility notes for location, approachability, and available accommodations.

We recognize that accessibility is an ongoing process. If you discover a barrier or have a suggestion related to our online presence or community garden accessibility in East Ham, we welcome your input and will consider improvements in priority order.

To request an accommodation, report an accessibility issue, or ask about the accessibility of a specific resource or event, please contact us and describe the nature of the request. We will respond in a timely manner, discuss reasonable adjustments, and provide alternative formats when feasible. We do not publish direct contact details here, but we offer the option to request assistance through official contact channels listed on our site and event materials.

We provide training for staff and volunteers about inclusive practices for gardening and community engagement in East Ham. This includes how to communicate with people using different assistive technologies, arranging accessible transport or entry points for events, and maintaining clear, readable signage in public garden spaces.

Last updated: We review this accessibility statement regularly and revise it as our services and technologies evolve. Gardening East Ham is dedicated to continuous improvement so that everyone in the East Ham community can participate fully in gardening activities and access our online resources.