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Welcome back to my 3-part series on Assertion 10 Compliance.
I'm Mark Tomkins, Creative Director and Founder at Aubergine - leaders in providing accessible and compliant websites and .gov.uk services to parish, town and community councils.
In Part 1 of this Assertion 10 Compliance series, we discussed council domains and emails. Now we are moving onto Part 2 - Website Accessibility Compliance.
👮 Website Accessibility Regulations
Website accessibility is now a firm part of your audit. Under Assertion 10 (1.49), all websites must meet the WCAG 2.2 AA standards. This isn't new legislation - it has been in place since 2018 - but it is now being reinforced through the AGAR process. If your website blocks people from reading your agendas or contacting you, you aren't just failing a regulation; you're failing your community.
👀 The "Living" Accessibility Statement
One of the most common failures I see is the "Zombie Accessibility Statement."
Back in 2019, most councils adopted an accessibility statement. They uploaded it, patted themselves on the back, and haven't touched it since. If your statement is dated 2019 or 2020, you are likely non-compliant.
Why? Because you have spent the last four years adding new minutes, agendas, photos, and PDFs. Your statement is your declaration of what you know works and what doesn't. It must be reviewed annually, just like your Standing Orders or Financial Regs.
❌ The "Overlay" Trap
Please, avoid using accessibility overlays or "pop-up plugins." You might know them as the little blue symbol in the corner of a website - sometimes an outline of a person or a wheelchair.
These plugins often create more barriers than they solve. They can interfere with the assistive technology that people with disabilities actually use, like screen readers. Do not rely on a £10/month plugin to tick your compliance box; it doesn't work that way.
👇 Some Quick Web Accessibility Tips
You don't need to be a web developer to improve your accessibility. Most barriers are created by how we upload content. Here are three changes you can make today:
Ban "Click Here"
When creating links, never use "Click Here," "Read More," or "Download."
- Bad: "To read the minutes, click here."
- Good: "Read the January 2025 Full Council Minutes."
Why? Assistive technology often allows users to skip through a page reading only the links. If a user hears "Click here, Click here, Click here," they have no idea where they are going.
Descriptive link text is essential. Also, avoid pasting full raw URLs (like https://www...) as screen readers will read out every single character, which is an awful experience.
Use Sequential Headings (H1, H2, H3)
In your Word documents and on your web pages, headings are for structure, not style.
- H1: The main title (used once).
- H2: Major sections.
- H3: Sub-sections.
Screen reader users navigate by headings. If you just bold text to make it look like a heading without using the "Heading" style, a blind user has to listen to the entire nine-page document to find the "Planning" section.
Mobile-First Forms
More than 75% of your website visitors are viewing your site on a mobile phone. They are likely sitting on their sofa at 9:42 PM, frustrated about a missed bin collection or a pothole.
If your "Report a Problem" form is a Word document they have to download, print, write on, scan, and email back... you have lost them. They don't have a scanner. They are on a phone.
- Stop: Uploading Word/PDF forms for interaction.
- Start: Using web-based HTML forms that can be filled out directly on a screen.
✅ How to Check Your Work
If you are worried about your current status, there is a brilliant free tool called WAVE by WebAIM. It is a browser extension for Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
You can install it, go to your council website, and click the button. It will instantly flag errors (like low contrast or missing image descriptions) on that page. It’s a great way to spot-check your minutes page or your homepage.
If this feels overwhelming, consider commissioning a professional accessibility audit to get a baseline report. But remember: accessibility is a journey, not a destination. You are never "done", but you must be "doing".
Conclusion
Meeting accessibility standards is not just a regulatory hurdle; it is about upholding the inclusivity of local government. By removing digital barriers and ensuring our content is readable by all, we protect the democratic right of every resident to participate in their community.
📖 Read Next: Assertion 10 for Town & Parish Councils (Part 3 of 3): IT Policy
Resources
Mark Tomkins, Aubergine
Aubergine are the UK’s leading experts in purpose-built, WCAG 2.2 AA compliant, accessible websites for Town & Parish Councils, including .gov.uk domain registration, email hosting, and website compliance. If you have specific questions about your council's compliance needs, feel free to get in touch.
Visit: https://www.aubergine262.com/
Contact: thestudio@aubergine262.com
