This accessibility statement applies to the website of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex).
We are committed to making this website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Using this website
This website is run by UHSussex. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
- zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible this website is
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.
Non-accessible content
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
PDFs and non-HTML documents
Some documents are not accessible in a number of ways including missing text alternatives and missing document structure. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 Non-text Content and 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.
We are reviewing PDF documents that are essential for our services and aim to convert these to accessible resource pages or accessible alternatives before 2025. Where relevant we are replacing any new PDFs or Word documents with HTML pages or an accessible PDF.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
PDFs and non-HTML documents
Some of our PDFs are essential to providing our services. For example, forms published as Word documents. By 2025, we will either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.
Please note that some of our governance documentation and PDFs created for clinical professionals are not yet accessible:
- some combined PDF documents aren’t fully accessible to screen reader software. This relates in particular to our board papers which are created by combining submissions in various formats from stakeholders. We are working to resolve this issue but if you need help to access the board papers in the meantime please email our Company Secretary.
- some policy PDF documents aren’t fully accessible. These will be made accessible when they are next reviewed. Please email our communications team if you require these in a different format.
- some resources for professionals are not yet accessible. Please contact our knowledge and libraries service if you require these in an alternative format.
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services. For example, we do not plan to fix past copies of reports and meeting papers.
Our new website went live in December 2022 with an objective to fully compliant to AA standard. However, many PDF documents published after September 2018 are required to be published on it. Where these are no longer being updated and are not essential to patient care, we do not intend to recreate them in accessible versions. We have assessed that recreating these documents would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations.
Read our disproportionate burden assessment
Feedback and contact information
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:
- email [email protected] or contact PALs
We’ll consider your request and get back to you as soon as possible.
If you cannot view the hospital maps on our location pages, call or email us for directions to your appointment.
Exclusions
Please note that microsites linked to from this site that have been created by third parties or 3rd party Apps, even if they carry our logo or the logos of our legacy organisations (Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust or Western Sussex NHS Foundation Trust) may not be accessible.
Feedback and reporting problems with this website
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please email our Communications team. We will respond to you within 2 working days.
Enforcement procedure
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person
We provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment. We also have SignLive at some of our sites. Find out about our translation services and what to do if you have any access concerns about visiting our hospitals.
More help and resources
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability:
- make your mouse easier to use
- use your keyboard instead of a mouse
- talk to your device
- make your device talk to you
- make text larger
- change your colours
- magnify the screen
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 30 January 2023. It was last reviewed on 21 June 2023.
When and how this website has been tested
- 4 January 2023. The test was carried out by MIXD (our digital agency)
If you would like a copy of the full accessibility test report, please email the communications team.