Accessible Gardener Hoxton: commitments and features

Gardener Hoxton is committed to making its digital information and in-person services accessible to everyone in the area. This accessibility statement explains how we approach inclusion for residents, visitors and community gardeners in the Hoxton neighbourhood. It describes the standards we aim to meet, the main accessibility features we provide, and how you can request assistance or alternative formats.

We design our resources with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA level in mind. Our goal is to ensure content is perceivable, operable, understandable and robust for a wide range of users, including people using assistive technologies. We review and update our materials to align with these standards and to reflect the needs of the local Gardener Hoxton community.

We provide enhanced support for screen readers and other assistive tools. Pages and documents are structured with clear headings, semantic markup and descriptive link text so that screen-reading software can navigate and present information accurately. Alt text is used for decorative and informational images where appropriate, and multimedia is captioned or transcribed as needed.

Keyboard accessibility is a priority: all interactive elements are operable via keyboard and focus order is logical and visible. We test forms, menus and dialogs to ensure they work without a mouse so that people who rely on keyboard navigation, switch devices or alternative input methods can access our services.

In addition to technical measures, we adopt practical design choices that improve readability and usability. These include consistent layouts, adequate color contrast, resizable text and clear, plain-language content. Visual markers and landmarks support orientation for users with low vision or cognitive differences.

Our local accessibility efforts also extend offline in Gardener Hoxton: printed materials are available in alternative formats on request and community events are reviewed for physical access and sensory considerations. We work with local partners to ensure venues and outdoor spaces supporting gardening activities are as accessible as possible.

Known limitations and planned improvements are documented and addressed on an ongoing basis. Where we identify shortcomings—such as complex interactive tools, legacy documents or third-party content—we strive to provide accessible alternatives and work with vendors and creators to improve compatibility with assistive technologies.

To help everyone navigate our content, we also provide clear help resources and a simple structure for accessibility requests. Typical support options include:

• alternative formats such as large print or accessible PDFs,
• assisted reads or plain-language summaries,
• on-site help or guidance for local community sessions.

If you encounter a barrier or require an accommodation, please get in touch with our accessibility team using the usual contact channels you have for Gardener Hoxton communications, or speak to a staff member in person at community locations. We aim to respond promptly and to provide practical solutions; where appropriate, we will provide timelines for remediation and temporary workarounds. We do not publish direct contact details in this statement but will make them available through our regular community information points.