Council Website Accessibility Statements: What to Include

Last updated 10 October 2026 · By Alex Wood

Every council website needs an accessibility statement. It tells residents how accessible the site is, what does not work yet, and how to get information in another format. It is a legal requirement, and because it is public, it is also one of the first things anyone checks when they want to know whether a council takes accessibility seriously.

Does Your Council Need One?

Yes. The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 apply to public sector bodies, including local government. Town, parish and community councils are public sector bodies, so their websites must meet the WCAG 2.2 AA standard and publish an accessibility statement, however small the council.

What an Accessibility Statement Must Include

• Compliance status: whether the website is fully, partially or not compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA
• Non-accessible content: which parts do not meet the standard and why, whether that is because they do not comply yet, because fixing them would be a disproportionate burden, or because they are outside the scope of the regulations
• Alternatives: how people can get information in an accessible format, such as large print, easy read or audio
• Feedback: how to report an accessibility problem, and how long you will take to respond
• Enforcement: what people can do if they are not happy with your response
• Preparation details: when the statement was prepared and last reviewed, and when and how the website was tested

Where to Publish It

Publish your statement as a web page, not a PDF, and link to it from every page of your website. The footer is the usual place. Residents should never have to search for it.

How Often to Review It

Review the statement at least once a year, and whenever you make a major change to the website, such as moving to a new platform or adding new features. Update the review date each time, so it is obvious the statement is current.

Disproportionate Burden

A council can argue that fixing a particular problem would be a disproportionate burden, meaning the cost or effort is too much for the organisation to reasonably cope with. To do this, you need to carry out an assessment that weighs the burden against the benefit to users, taking into account things like the council’s size and resources. Lack of time, lack of knowledge or not having prioritised accessibility do not count. Any claim must be explained in the statement and reviewed if circumstances change.

Content That Is Exempt

Some content is outside the scope of the regulations. It should still be listed in your statement:

• PDFs and other documents published before 23 September 2018, unless they are needed to use a service
• Pre-recorded audio and video published before 23 September 2020
• Live audio and video
• Maps, although essential information such as an address must be available in an accessible format
• Third-party content that you have not paid for or developed yourself

A Simple Structure You Can Adapt

The Government Digital Service publishes a sample accessibility statement that most public bodies base theirs on. A council statement usually follows this structure.

1. Introduction

Which website the statement covers, and a short commitment from the council: for example, that you want as many people as possible to be able to use the site, including people who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, speech recognition or magnification.

2. How accessible this website is

A plain-English list of known problems, written for residents rather than developers. For example: “some older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software”.

3. Feedback and contact information

How to request information in a different format, who to contact (usually the clerk), and how long you will take to reply.

4. Reporting accessibility problems

How to tell the council about a problem that is not already listed.

5. Enforcement procedure

In England, Scotland and Wales, the Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the regulations. If someone is not happy with how you respond to a complaint, they can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS). In Northern Ireland, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is responsible.

6. Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The formal compliance statement, such as “This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard”, followed by the non-accessible content, grouped under non-compliance with the regulations, disproportionate burden, and content that is not within the scope of the regulations.

7. What we are doing to improve accessibility

Your plan for fixing known issues, with realistic dates.

8. Preparation of this accessibility statement

When the statement was prepared and last reviewed, when the website was last tested, who tested it, and how you chose which pages to test.

Common Mistakes

• Copying another council’s statement, or a template, without testing your own website
• Claiming the site is “fully compliant” without an audit to back it up
• A review date more than a year old
• Vague wording such as “some content may not be accessible”, with no detail
• No contact details, or a statement that can only be found through the sitemap
• Publishing the statement as a PDF

How We Can Help

Every website we build comes with an accessibility statement prepared for that site. If you are not sure whether your current statement, or your current website, stands up, our free accessibility check will show you where you stand. You can also read more about accessible council websites and our complete guide to the public sector accessibility regulations.