New NALC guide helps parish and town councils meet latest website accessibility standards
We have published a fully updated edition of The Good Councillor's Guide to Website Accessibility, offering parish and town councils practical, up-to-date support to meet their legal responsibilities and ensure their websites are accessible to all.
The new guide reflects significant developments in accessibility standards, legislation and best practice. Most notably, it responds to the transition from WCAG 2.1 AA to WCAG 2.2 AA, now the expected standard for UK public bodies, and its relevance to Assertion 10 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR). It ensures the guidance is not only current but directly aligned with the compliance requirements parish and town councils are already working to meet.
Developed in collaboration with website specialists Aubergine, the guide takes a clear, practical approach. It cuts through technical complexity to explain what website accessibility means in a parish and town council context, why it matters for residents and communities, and, crucially, what councils need to do to stay compliant. The focus throughout is on proportionate, achievable actions, making it accessible and relevant for councils of all sizes and levels of digital maturity.
The guide provides step-by-step support on maintaining an accessible website, from writing user-friendly, inclusive content to carrying out regular compliance checks. It also offers clear advice on publishing and maintaining accessibility statements and managing ongoing updates as websites evolve, helping parish and town councils embed accessibility as part of their day-to-day processes rather than a one-off task.
Practicality is at the heart of the new edition. Expanded appendices give straightforward guidance on common publishing challenges, including how to handle document formats, images, links and tables, as well as the benefits and limitations of PDFs, Word documents and HTML. These sections will help parish and town councils avoid common pitfalls and make informed decisions about how they present information online.
The Good Councillor's Guide series reinforces our commitment to supporting councillors and clerks to operate professionally, transparently and in line with statutory requirements. By equipping parish and town councils with the knowledge and tools they need, the guide will help strengthen digital accessibility across the sector, ensuring that local information and services are open and usable for everyone.
