This accessibility statement applies to the NHS Essex Integrated Care Board website (www.essex.icb.nhs.uk).
This website is run by NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB). We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
- change colours, contrast levels and fonts using your browser or device settings
- zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
- navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
We have also made the website text as clear and simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet provides advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- some text may not reflow into a single column when you resize the browser window
- users may not be able to modify line height or spacing of text
- some older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
- live video streams do not currently include captions
- some online forms may be difficult to navigate using only a keyboard
- there may not always be a ‘skip to main content’ option available
- there is a limit to how far maps can be magnified on the ‘contact us’ page
Feedback and contact information
If you need information on this website in a different format such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please contact us:
- Email: [email protected]
- Alternative formats request: via our contact page
We will consider your request and aim to respond within 5 working days.
If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ page, please contact us for directions.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or believe we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact:
Communications and Engagement Team
Email: [email protected]
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.
If you are not satisfied with how we respond to your complaint, you can 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.
Our offices have audio induction loops. If you contact us before your visit, we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.
Find out how to contact us on our contact page.
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
NHS Essex Integrated Care Board is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Compliance status
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the exemptions and disproportionate burden described below.
All core website pages and functionality are compliant with accessibility standards. Non-compliance is limited to certain documents, including Board papers and supporting materials, which are not fully accessible.
We have assessed that making all such documents fully accessible at this time would be a disproportionate burden. We are taking steps to improve accessibility over time, including improving document formats and providing alternative accessible versions on request.
Disproportionate burden
Documents
Some of the documents published on our website are not fully accessible. This includes issues such as missing text alternatives for images and a lack of clear document structure. As a result, these documents may not be fully compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies.
For example, our Board papers may not always meet accessibility standards because they are not consistently structured in a way that enables effective navigation for screen reader users. This means they may not meet WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role, value), and in some cases 1.3.1 (info and relationships).
Board papers are often compiled from multiple source documents and systems within short timeframes to support statutory governance processes. Retrofitting these documents to meet full accessibility standards would require significant additional resource and may delay publication.
We have assessed this and consider it to be a disproportionate burden to remediate all existing documents at this time.
However, we are committed to improving accessibility where possible. We will:
- provide alternative formats on request
- work towards improving the accessibility of future documents
Interactive tools and transactions
Some of our online forms are provided through third-party systems and may not fully meet accessibility standards.
We have assessed the cost and resource required to resolve these issues and believe that doing so at this time would be a disproportionate burden. We will review this position when contracts are renewed or systems are replaced.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
Live video
We broadcast our Board meetings held in public via our YouTube channel.
Live video streams are exempt from the accessibility regulations and we do not provide live captions directly.
However, users can enable the automatic captions feature within YouTube. Please note that these captions are generated automatically and we cannot guarantee their accuracy, as they depend on YouTube’s speech recognition technology.
Where recordings of meetings are published after the event, we will review opportunities to improve accessibility, including the provision of supporting information or alternative formats where appropriate.
What we are doing to improve accessibility
We are committed to continuous improvement and are:
- reviewing and updating content to meet accessibility standards
- working with our digital partners to resolve technical accessibility issues
- improving document formats by replacing PDFs with accessible web pages where possible
- embedding accessibility into our content creation processes and staff training
We have invested in a digital accessibility platform, Silktide, to help us monitor, test and improve the accessibility of our website on an ongoing basis.
Silktide enables us to identify and address accessibility issues, ensure compliance with recognised standards, and support continuous improvement across the site.
Members of the public can also view our accessibility performance via the Silktide Index, which provides a transparent comparison of how our website performs against other NHS organisations.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 18 March 2026.
It was last reviewed on 18 March 2026.
This website was last tested on 1 March 2026. The test was carried out by internal testing and our digital delivery partner Mixd.
We tested a representative sample of pages across the website, including key user journeys such as homepage, service pages, forms and contact pages.