Lostock Gralam Parish Council

Accessibility Policy

 

This website is run by Lostock Gralam Parish Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • Change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings.
  • Zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen.
  • Navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software.
  • Listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver).

We have made the website text as clear and simple as possible to understand.

 

Compliance Status

 

This website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.2 AA standard.

This website is not compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA. The areas of non-compliance are listed below.

 

Non-Accessible Content

 

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons:

  • Some images do not have appropriate alternative text (WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 – Non-text Content).
  • There is currently no 'skip to main content' link for screen reader users.
  • Text spacing (line height and paragraph spacing) cannot always be adjusted by users.
  • Some content overlaps when text size is increased significantly.
  • It is not always possible to change device orientation without affecting usability.
  • Most PDF documents published before 23 September 2018 are not fully accessible to screen reader software.

We are reviewing these issues and intend to address them as part of a future website upgrade.

 

Use of a .gov Domain and Website Platform

 

Lostock Gralam Parish Council has not yet migrated to a fully compliant .gov.uk domain website platform.

 

The Council recognises the benefits of using a .gov.uk domain and a fully WCAG 2.2 AA compliant hosting solution. However, due to the disproportionate financial burden on a small parish council with a limited precept, and increased staffing costs including the recent rise in Employer National Insurance contributions, the Council has not yet been in a position to fund a complete website replacement and hosting transition during the current financial year.

 

The Council has resolved to review this position during the next financial year and will seek to budget for a compliant website platform and domain migration at that time. In the meantime, we will make reasonable adjustments upon request and will continue to improve accessibility within the constraints of the current system.

 

Content Not Within Scope of the Regulations

 

PDFs and other documents published before 23 September 2018 are not required to be fixed if they are not essential to providing our services.

Any new PDFs or documents we publish will aim to meet accessibility standards wherever possible.

 

Live video streams are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

Feedback and Contact Information

 

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact:

 

Parish Clerk

Email: Clerk@lostockgralamparishcouncil.co.uk

Telephone: 07739 926 025

 

If you need information on this website in a different format (for example, an accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille), please contact the Parish Clerk. We will consider your request and respond within 7 working days.

 

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.

 

If you are not satisfied with how we respond to your complaint, you may contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

 

Preparation of This Accessibility Statement

 

This website was last tested on 7 April 2025 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

 

This statement was last reviewed on  2nd March  2026.

This statement will be reviewed annually.