Create an accessibility statement for your parish council website
HugoFox automatically meets WCAG 2.2 AA at code level and keeps pace with new standards, so most of your site is already accessible. The parts you control—colours, images and uploaded documents—can still introduce issues, which is why UK law says you must publish an accessibility statement. This guide shows you the quickest route to compliance.
1 Know the legal basics
The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 require every public-sector website to:
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meet WCAG 2.2 AA or explain justified exemptions
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publish an accessibility statement in a specified format
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keep the statement up to date.
Important: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) can audit and enforce these rules, so accuracy matters.
2 Give it a clear label and place
Government guidance says the statement must be “prominent and easy to find”. A straightforward way to achieve this is to add a clearly labelled heading or sub-heading—Accessibility statement—in your main navigation or About section so users can reach it in one click.
Tip: Keep the page address short, for example /accessibility-statement, to make analytics and reporting easier.
3 Gather what you’ll need
Before you write anything, collect:
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Testing notes – record any WCAG 2.2 AA issues you find. HugoFox covers code-level compliance, but colour choices, images and documents are yours to test. For best-practice tips see our [accessibility] article.
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Contact details – an email or form so users can report problems or request alternative formats.
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Compliance status – fully, partially or not compliant.
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Planned fixes & timelines – realistic dates build trust.
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Preparation and review dates – today’s date and a reminder to review in 12 months.
4 Draft your accessibility statement
Create a new page in HugoFox and paste the GOV.UK model wording—click this link. Replace the square-bracket placeholders with:
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your council’s name and site URL
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a clear compliance status (fully, partially, not compliant)
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a short list of known issues (for instance, historic PDFs published before 23 September 2018)
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feedback contact details and the EHRC enforcement route
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preparation/review dates + your testing method (self-assessment or third-party audit).
Note: Anything HugoFox controls—templates, layout, code—is already compliant and kept up-to-date. Focus your statement on areas you control: colours, images and uploaded documents.
5 Publish it on your HugoFox site
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Publish the page and set its slug to
accessibility-statement. -
On the home or About page, add a clearly labelled link or sub-heading that points to
/accessibility-statement. -
Double-check the page’s colours: body text should reach a 4.5 : 1 contrast ratio against its background—use the free checker at click this link.
6 Review and update annually
Government Digital Service (GDS) monitoring expects statements to be reviewed “at least every 12 months”, and sooner after major redesigns. Update the preparation/review dates and note any improvements you make.
7 Tools and resources
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WAVE browser extension – spot colour-contrast and structural issues.
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HugoFox site preview – toggle keyboard focus outlines and zoom to 200 %.
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WCAG 2.2 quick reference – check success criteria; click this link.
Conclusion
A clear, honest accessibility statement shows residents you care about inclusion—and because HugoFox handles the technical standards, creating one takes minutes, not days.
Need a hand? Our support team is here 24/7:
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Email us at team@hugofox.com
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Use the contact page
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Silver or Gold customer? Call us on 01635 888 442