About accessibility

On this page you can find information on:

What accessibility means

Accessibility means we're taking into consideration how people with disabilities, both temporary and permanent, access our information and making sure there is equal access for everyone.

Accessibility is covered in several laws and standards we must follow. Each of the standards feed into the:

Why accessibility is important

As technology becomes an important part of our daily life, it's essential that we, as a council, make our information and services accessible to the largest possible audience.

This includes ensuring that everyone who uses our website can find, read and understand the information we publish. 

One in 5 people worldwide have a disability, and this number is expected to increase. 

As a public sector body, we have a legal responsibility to make our online content accessible. 

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • websites
  • software
  • intranets
  • extranets
  • apps
  • documents.

Accessibility is:

  • about more than just putting documents online
  • not a tick box exercise
  • about more than just visible disabilities.

It's about people. It’s about making your content and design clear and simple enough, so everyone can understand it. It's also about removing barriers to people trying to access us. 

Who is responsible for accessible

Accessibility is everyone's responsibility.

The legal requirement

Since September 2020, new web content accessibility guidelines have been enforceable by law.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) publish the legal guidelines that we are required to follow.

Accessibility includes documents:

  • for internal use
  • created and provided by partner organisations. 

GOV.UK explains the legal requirements for public sector bodies to help understand the regulations.

Each success criteria is assigned a level.

Level A

Refers to the lowest and minimal level of compliance. This is a basic requirement for some users with disabilities to be able to access and use web content.

Level AA

This includes all Level A and Level AA requirements. This level shows overall accessibility and removal of significant barriers to accessing and using web content.

Level AAA

This includes all Level A, AA and AAA requirements and is the highest level of compliance. This level provides improvements and enhancements to web accessibility.

View GOV.UK - Understanding accessibility requirements

Who accessibility applies to

All public sector organisations have to meet the requirements, unless exempt.

Public sector bodies include:

  • central government
  • local government
  • some charities
  • other non-government organisations. 

For third party providers

Third-party websites purchased or developed on behalf of us need to comply with the accessibility regulations. 

If we do not follow the regulations, we could be held in breach of the Equality Act 2010.

Anyone developing content needs to be fully accessible to all individuals, including people with disabilities, or people visually or hearing impaired. Content includes:

  • documents
  • images
  • video
  • websites
  • systems.