Accessibility statement for Swanage Town Council

Using this website

This website is run by Swanage Town Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use it. For example, you should be able to:

Change colours, contrast levels and fonts.
Zoom in up to 250% without text spilling off the screen.
Navigate most of the website using just a keyboard.
Use speech recognition software.
Listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver).
Understand the content easily, as we aim to use plain language.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Swanage 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 version 2.1 standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-Accessible Content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Some images and maps do not have alternative text (WCAG 2.2 – 1.1.1).
Some HTML pages contain parsing errors such as stray end tags (WCAG 2.2 – 4.1.1).
Older PDF and Word documents may not be accessible to screen readers (WCAG 2.2 – 4.1.2).
Some links use vague text like “click here” (WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.4).
No “skip to main content” option is available (WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.1).
Some interactive forms lack proper labels (WCAG 2.2 – 3.3.2).
Some content does not support text spacing adjustments (WCAG 2.2 – 1.4.12).
Some content may not reflow properly on smaller screens (WCAG 2.2 – 1.4.10).
The beach hut booking system may be difficult to navigate using a keyboard (WCAG 2.2 – 2.1.1).

Content Not Within Scope of the Regulations

PDFs and Word documents published before 23 September 2018 that are not essential to services are exempt.
Live video streams are exempt from captioning requirements.

What We’re Doing to Improve Accessibility

We are working to fix content which fails to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard. This includes:

Ensuring new PDFs and Word documents meet accessibility standards
Adding descriptive alt text to all new images and maps
Improving form labels and navigation
Conducting regular accessibility audits using tools like WAVE.

Reporting Accessibility Problems with This Website

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page, or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact:

Niki Clark, Planning and Community Engagement Manager by emailing admin@swanage.gov.uk or calling 01929 423636.

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’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Feedback and contact information

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

Email admin@swanage.gov.uk
Call 01929 423636

We will consider your request, doing everything we can to help you, and get back to you within ten working days.

If you cannot view the maps on our Beach and Bay, Beach Huts, Boat Park, and Car Parks pages, please call or email us for directions: Swanage Town Hall.

Contacting Us by Phone or In Person

You can contact us by telephone, email or in-person. Find out how to contact us:

Contact Swanage Town Hall and Contact officers

Our front desk service has an audio induction loop, or if you contact us before your visit we may be able to arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter. We may also be able to provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

Preparation of This Accessibility Statement

This statement was prepared on 16 October 2025 using WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool: https://wave.webaim.org/. The test was carried out by Swanage Town Council. It replaces the previous version dated 21 September 2020. Accessibility testing is ongoing and will continue to cover the whole website. This is a living document and will be updated with any further issues found or reported to the Town Council.