Accessibility Statement for Tollesbury Parish Council

Summary

Tollesbury Parish Council is committed to ensuring that our website and digital services are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. We aim to meet the WCAG 2.2 AA standard and comply with UK accessibility regulations. While some older content may not yet be fully accessible, we are actively working to improve this. If you encounter any issues, please contact us and we will do our best to assist you.

Full Statement

Tollesbury Parish Council recognises the importance of providing a website that is inclusive and accessible to all users, regardless of ability, technology, or environment. We are committed to making our online content as accessible and usable as possible in line with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Accessibility Standards

We aim to:

• Comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA
• Ensure compatibility with assistive technologies such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and voice recognition software
• Provide content in alternative formats upon request
• Regularly review and update our website to maintain and improve accessibility

Technical Information About This Website’s Accessibility

This website is compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA except for the non-compliances listed below.

Non-Accessible Content

Some parts of the website may not be fully accessible:

• PDFs and other documents: Some older PDF documents may not be fully accessible to screen reader software
• Images: Some images may not have appropriate alternative text
• Navigation and structure: Some pages may have inconsistent heading structures or lack clear landmarks for screen reader users
• Forms: Some online forms may not be fully accessible or easy to navigate using a keyboard

Disproportionate Burden

While we are committed to improving the accessibility of our website, we believe that making some older documents fully accessible would be a disproportionate burden at this time due to limited resources. This applies particularly to historic PDF documents and files published before 23 September 2018 that are not essential to providing our services. However, we will provide accessible versions of these documents on request. Please contact us if you require any information in an alternative format.

Content That’s Not Within the Scope of the Accessibility Regulations

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services.

What We’re Doing to Improve Accessibility

We are continually working to improve accessibility by:

• Conducting regular accessibility audits
• Training staff and councillors on accessibility best practices
• Ensuring new content and documents meet accessibility standards
• Working with our website provider to implement technical improvements

Accessibility Tools

For help using your device, visit:

• AbilityNet: https://abilitynet.org.uk
• My Computer My Way: https://mcmw.abilitynet.org.uk

Testing Details

This website was last tested on 23 September 2025 using manual review and automated tools. The test was carried out by Tollesbury Parish Council in collaboration with our website provider.

British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreter

If you contact us before your visit, we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter to assist you.

Feedback and Contact Information

If you need information on this website in a different format, such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please contact us:

• Email: clerk@tollesburyparishcouncil.gov.uk
• Phone: 01621 869039
• Address: Tollesbury Parish Council, PO Box 13205, Maldon, Essex CM9 9FU

We’ll consider your request and respond within 5 working days.

Reporting Accessibility Problems

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please let us know using the contact details above.

Enforcement Procedure

If you’re not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) for further advice:

• Website: https://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com
• Phone: 0808 800 0082

Preparation of This Statement

This statement was prepared on 23 September 2025. It is reviewed annually or when significant changes are made to the website.