Our Commitment to Accessibility

Your Council is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards.

This website provides access to democratic services including:

  • Council meeting agendas, minutes, and webcasts
  • Councillor information and contact details
  • Committee membership and decisions
  • Public petitions and consultations
  • Electoral information by ward

As a public sector body, we have a legal duty under the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 to make our website accessible.

Conformance Status

AA

WCAG 2.1 Level AA

This website is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard.

Standard

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1

Level

AA (Double-A)

Last Tested

July 2026

Testing Method

Automated + Manual testing

Accessibility Features

We have implemented the following features to make this website accessible:

Navigation

  • Skip to main content link at the top of each page
  • Consistent navigation throughout the site
  • Breadcrumb trails for orientation
  • Logical heading structure (H1-H6)
  • Keyboard-accessible menus and interactive elements

Visual Design

  • Colour contrast ratios meeting WCAG AA standards (4.5:1 minimum)
  • Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of functionality
  • No content relies solely on colour to convey information
  • Focus indicators visible on interactive elements
  • Responsive design works on all screen sizes

Content

  • Plain language used throughout
  • Alternative text for all meaningful images
  • Captions and transcripts for video content
  • Tables have proper headers and structure
  • Links have descriptive text

Forms

  • All form fields have associated labels
  • Error messages are clear and specific
  • Required fields are clearly marked
  • Form validation does not rely on colour alone

Assistive Technology Support

  • Compatible with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
  • ARIA landmarks and roles used appropriately
  • Works with speech recognition software
  • Compatible with browser zoom and text-only zoom

Known Accessibility Issues

We are aware of the following accessibility issues and are working to resolve them:

PDF Documents

Some older PDF documents may not be fully accessible. We are working to remediate these documents or provide accessible alternatives.

Workaround: Contact us to request an accessible version of any document.

Live Webcast Player

The embedded video player for live meeting webcasts has some keyboard navigation limitations.

Workaround: Use the direct link to view webcasts in the provider's accessible player.

Third-Party Content

Some embedded content from third-party services may not meet accessibility standards.

Note: We are reviewing third-party integrations and will replace non-compliant services where possible.

Disproportionate Burden: We have not claimed disproportionate burden for any accessibility issues at this time.

How to Get Help

If you need information in a different format, we can provide:

  • Large print documents
  • Audio recordings
  • Braille (with advance notice)
  • Easy Read versions of key documents
  • British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation for meetings

Please contact us at to request alternative formats. We aim to respond within 5 working days.

Feedback and Contact

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of this website. Please let us know if you encounter any barriers or have suggestions for improvement.

Contact our Accessibility Team

Response time: Within 5 working days

When contacting us about accessibility issues, please include:

  • The web address (URL) of the page
  • A description of the problem
  • The device and browser you were using
  • Any assistive technology you use

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're not happy with how we respond to your complaint, you can contact the Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS):

Equality Advisory Support Service

Website: equalityadvisoryservice.com

Phone: 0808 800 0082

Textphone: 0808 800 0084

Email: enquiry@equalityadvisoryservice.com

Technical Information

This website is built using:

  • HTML5 with semantic markup
  • CSS3 with responsive design
  • WAI-ARIA for enhanced accessibility
  • Progressive enhancement principles

This website has been tested with the following browsers and assistive technologies:

  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (latest versions)
  • NVDA screen reader
  • JAWS screen reader
  • VoiceOver (macOS and iOS)
  • Dragon NaturallySpeaking