Free Accessibility Check

Request your free council website accessibility check below.

Every resident in your parish or town deserves to be able to access the information your council publishes online. Whether someone is looking for planning notices, meeting minutes, or contact details for their local councillor, your website needs to work for everyone — including people who use screen readers, navigate by keyboard, or have difficulty distinguishing certain colours. An inaccessible website does not just create frustration; it can exclude members of your community from participating in local democracy. That is why we offer every UK town and parish council a free, no-obligation accessibility check of their existing website.

What Is a Website Accessibility Check?

A website accessibility check is a thorough review of your council’s website against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at the AA level. These guidelines are the internationally recognised standard for making web content accessible to people with disabilities, and they are the benchmark that UK public sector websites are expected to meet.

During the check, we combine automated scanning tools with manual testing carried out by our experienced team. Automated tools are useful for catching certain types of issues quickly, but they cannot identify everything. Many accessibility problems — such as whether an image description actually makes sense, or whether a page is genuinely usable with a keyboard — require a real person to assess. Our check covers both, giving you a far more accurate picture of where your website stands than an automated scan alone would provide.

What We Test

Our free accessibility check examines the key areas that most commonly cause problems on council websites:

Colour contrast — We check that text is easy to read against its background. Low contrast can make content difficult or impossible to read for people with low vision or colour blindness.
Alternative text for images — Every meaningful image on your website should have a text description so that screen reader users understand what the image conveys. We check that alt text is present and that it is genuinely useful.
Keyboard navigation — Not everyone uses a mouse. Some visitors rely on a keyboard or assistive device to move through your website. We test that all links, buttons, menus, and forms can be reached and operated without a mouse.
Heading structure — Headings help screen reader users understand how a page is organised and jump to the section they need. We check that your headings follow a logical order and are not simply used for visual styling.
Form labels — If your website has contact forms, planning comment forms, or newsletter sign-ups, every field needs a proper label so that assistive technology can tell users what information is required.
Link text — Links that read “click here” or “read more” are unhelpful when taken out of context. We review your link text to make sure it clearly describes where each link leads.
Document accessibility — Many council websites host PDF agendas, minutes, and policy documents. We check whether these documents are accessible or whether they present barriers to residents using assistive technology.
Mobile responsiveness — A growing number of residents access council information on their phones. We check that your website works well on smaller screens and that interactive elements are easy to use on touch devices.

Why Your Council Should Check Now

Since September 2020, the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 have required public sector organisations — including town and parish councils — to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards and publish an accessibility statement on their website. The guidelines have since been updated to WCAG 2.2, and councils are expected to work towards meeting the current standard.

These are not optional recommendations. The regulations carry legal weight, and the Government Digital Service (GDS) actively monitors compliance. Councils whose websites fall short could face enforcement action, but more importantly, an inaccessible website means some of your residents simply cannot access the information and services they are entitled to.

Many councils are unaware of the specific issues on their website because the problems are not always visible to someone browsing without assistive technology. A page can look perfectly fine on your screen while being virtually unusable for a resident who depends on a screen reader. A free accessibility check gives you clarity on where you stand and what, if anything, needs attention.

What Happens After Your Free Check?

Once we have completed the review, we will send you a clear, written report summarising our findings. The report will outline any accessibility issues we have identified, explain why each one matters, and provide practical recommendations for addressing them.

There is absolutely no obligation attached to the free check. You are welcome to take the report and act on it in whatever way suits your council — whether that means making changes to your current website, raising the findings at your next council meeting, or exploring options for a new website altogether. If you would like our help to resolve the issues, we are happy to discuss that with you, but there is no pressure to do so.

We know that council clerks are busy people, often managing a wide range of responsibilities with limited time and resources. Our aim is simply to give you the information you need to make a well-informed decision about your council’s website.

Request Your Free Council Website Accessibility Check

Fill in the short form below and we will carry out a free accessibility review of your council’s current website. We typically complete checks within five working days, and you will receive your report by email. If you would prefer to discuss your requirements first, you are welcome to call us on 01225 667 977 or email councils@zonkey.co.uk.