Accessibility Statement for the Visit East Lothian (VEL) Mobile Application

Website accessibility statement inline with Public Sector Body (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018

The Visit East Lothian (VEL) system is a prototype system looking at the use of live sensor data to assist visitors decide if they wish to visit a particular East Lothian beach car park depending upon the busyness of the car park. The mobile application also contains information on other points of interest across the region. The mobile application has been developed using Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal Data Driven Innovation funding and is a partnership between The University of Edinburgh and East Lothian Council. The system comprises of three elements:

  1. a mobile application for the general public;
  2. a web based 'dashboard' which will only be accessible to East Lothian Council (ELC) staff so that they can easily monitor the situation at each car park;
  3. a mobile based web form allowing ELC rangers to update the information in the field if they notice a significant discrepancy between the automatic (sensor) data and the situation on the ground in the car park. For example, the sensor data may be reporting a car park is quiet, but it the car park could be closed because of an event.

This accessibility statement applies to the Visit East Lothian (VEL) mobile application. Separate Accessibility Statements are available for the Mobile Form that will be used by Rangers and the Dashboard. This prototype system is run by EDINA, Information Services Group, University of Edinburgh and is a partnership between The University of Edinburgh and East Lothian Council. The Mobile App is only available on iOS (beach parking app) and Android (beach parking app) mobile devices; it is not available for desktop devices such as PCs or Macs. The mobile app can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices via the following URLs:

We want as many people as possible to be able to use this application. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • Zoom in up to 200% via an inbuilt magnifier
  • The mobile application can be used without specific touchscreen or device manipulation gestures
  • Use the application without encountering any flashing, scrolling or moving text
  • Use with both Android and Apple devices and requisite other options
  • Use without encountering any time limits

Customising the mobile application

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability. This is an external site with suggestions to make your device more accessible:

How accessible this mobile application is

We know some parts of this mobile application are not fully accessible:

  • The mobile application is not fully compatible with iPhone speak / voice over accessibility features
  • The mobile application is not fully compatible with Android screen reader and voice assistant accessibility features
  • The mobile application is not compatible with either iPhone or Android bold, larger and font type text accessibility features
  • Colour is used to convey information on the map
  • Not all functionality is usable in landscape mode on some Android devices (those with lower screen resolutions)
  • You cannot use pinch and expand to magnify the application content
  • Some text size is small
  • Some touch targets are small

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format, including accessible PDF, large print, audio recording or braille please contact EDINA helpdesk:

We'll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this mobile application

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this mobile application. If you find any problems not listed on this page, or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact EDINA helpdesk:

We'll consider your request and get back to you in 5 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, please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) directly: Contact details for the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) The government has produced information on how to report accessibility issues: Reporting an accessibility problem on a public sector website

Technical information about this mobile application's accessibility

The University of Edinburgh is committed to making its websites and applications accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. This mobile application is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below. The full guidelines are available at: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard

Non accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons. Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations The following items to not comply with the WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria:

  • Some functions are unavailable in landscape mode on some Android devices 3.4 - Orientation
  • Colour is used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element 4.1 - Use of Color
  • Text cannot be resized without using an accessibility feature within the device 4.4 - Resize Text
  • Foreground and background colours cannot all be changed by the user 4.8 - Visual Presentation
  • Some touch targets could be made larger 5.5 - Target Size
  • The mobile application is not fully compatible with iOS and Android screen reader accessibility features 1.1 - Parsing

The VEL app is prototype application that is to be run for a 12-month trial period. We will re-evaluate the issues raised in this report with each update during the 12-month trial period and at the conclusion of the trial period.

Disproportionate burden

We are not currently claiming that any accessibility problems would be a disproportionate burden to fix.

Content that's not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

There is a mapping element to this mobile application. Currently, online mapping and mapping services sit outwith the 2018 accessibility regulations. "These Regulations do not apply to the following content of a website or mobile application of a public sector body--- (d)online maps and mapping services, as long as essential information is provided in an accessible digital manner for maps intended for navigational use;" (The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018)" The mapping service is not fully accessible, as it is not possible to interact with individual map features using assistive technologies. Although maps are currently not within the scope of the regulations, we will continue to strive to make the app as accessible as possible.

What we're doing to improve accessibility

The VEL app is a prototype application that is to be run for a 12-month trial period. During the trial period we anticipate that we will be making a number of updates to the app. With each update we will address the issues identified in this report where practical. At the conclusion of the trial period we will re-evaluate the issues raised in this report with a view to resolving those which are within our control by May 2023. During the 12-month trial period, where a user is unable to access the system and we are unable to rectify this, we will ensure reasonable adjustments are in place to make sure no user is disadvantaged. As changes are made, we will continue to review accessibility and retest the accessibility of this mobile application.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 10th March 2022. It was last reviewed on 13th May 2022 This mobile application was last tested by the EDINA Services team in March 2022, using an Apple iPhone SE and Android Galaxy S10. We tested:

  • Spellcheck functionality
  • Magnification and zoom functionality
  • Options to customise the interface (font, background colour etc.)
  • The need for timed keystrokes
  • Data validation
  • Warning of links opening in a new tab or window
  • Information conveyed in colour or sound only
  • Flashing or scrolling text
  • Use with inbuilt mobile screen reading software: iOS VoiceOver and Android TalkBack
  • Time limits
  • Ability to view in portrait and landscape mode

Accessibility change log

  • May 2022: initial release