Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement

Accessibility statement for darwentowncouncil.gov.uk
Prepared: 18 May 2026. Last reviewed: 6 October 2026.

This website is run by Darwen Town Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use it. This means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser settings
  • zoom in up to 300% without text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the website using a keyboard
  • use the website with a screen reader, including JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver

We have made the website text as clear as possible. AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

  • some older PDF documents, including scanned annual governance returns and historical minutes, are images rather than structured text
  • some PDFs do not have complete document tagging, titles or an accessible form structure
  • some older images may not have sufficiently descriptive alternative text
  • embedded third-party content, such as social media feeds, may not meet every part of WCAG 2.2 AA

Feedback and contact information

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

  • Email: info@darwentowncouncil.gov.uk
  • Phone: 07977 611947
  • Post: Rebecca Hay, Council Clerk, Darwen Town Council, 239 Red Lees Road, Cliviger, Nr. Burnley, BB10 4RF

We will consider your request and aim to respond within 10 working days.

Reporting accessibility problems

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find a problem that is not listed on this page, or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, contact us using the details above.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the accessibility regulations). If you are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Darwen Town Council is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

  • Scanned and incompletely tagged PDF documents: some documents do not provide text alternatives or a complete semantic structure. This may fail WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 2.4.2 (Page Titled). We will provide an accessible alternative to a specific document on request.
  • Older images: some images may not have sufficiently descriptive alternative text. This may fail WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content). We are reviewing and correcting these as pages are updated.
  • Third-party content: embedded social media feeds and some external widgets may not fully meet WCAG 2.2 AA. We do not control the accessibility of third-party platforms, but we will provide the same information in another format where reasonably possible.

Disproportionate burden

Darwen Town Council is a small parish-level council with limited resources. The Council has assessed that converting every historical scanned document into a fully accessible format would currently be a disproportionate burden. We will provide an accessible version of a specific document on request, within 10 working days where reasonably possible and at no cost.

Content not within scope of the regulations

PDFs and other documents published before 23 September 2018 may be exempt unless they are needed for active administrative processes. Pre-recorded time-based media published before 23 September 2020 and live video are also outside the scope of the accessibility regulations.

What we have done to improve accessibility

  • added a skip link and a clear main-content landmark
  • improved visible keyboard focus and colour contrast
  • added accessible names to search controls and previously unnamed image links
  • improved form control sizing and support for reduced-motion preferences
  • removed non-functional social links and corrected broken public links
  • updated this statement to WCAG 2.2 AA

What we are doing next

  • reviewing PDFs and replacing or remediating priority documents
  • checking new pages and documents before publication
  • reviewing third-party content and older images
  • retesting the website after significant changes and at least annually

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 18 May 2026 and last reviewed on 6 October 2026.

This website was last tested on 6 October 2026 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard. The review was a focused self-assessment carried out by Room Filler on behalf of Darwen Town Council. It included manual keyboard checks, inspection of headings, landmarks, forms and link names, colour-contrast checks on key templates, and a review of representative PDF documents. The homepage, Contact page and Community Links page were included in the review.

The next formal review is due by October 2027, or sooner after a substantial change to the website.