Menu

Accessibility Statement

Website Accessibility Statement 

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

This accessibility statement applies to to Cherwell District Council’s website www.cherwell.gov.uk. 

This website is run by by Cherwell District Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. You should be able to:

  • Change colours, contrast levels and fonts 
  • Zoom in up to 300 per cent without the text spilling off the screen
  • Navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • Navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
  • Listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and Voiceover)

We also make the website text as simple as possible to understand.

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

Compliance status

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

How accessible this website is

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

  • you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text
  • most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • there are some issues with colour contrast and page structure
  • some content may not be fully usable with a keyboard
  • some third-party tools and transactions are not fully accessible
  • there are limitations when magnifying some map content

Non-accessible content

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

Issues with interactive tools and transactions

These systems are not under our control, but we are working with suppliers and reviewing options to improve accessibility where possible. We are aware that:

  • Google Recaptcha: We use Google reCAPTCHA to protect against spammers on our website feedback form and are aware this can cause accessibility barriers, particularly for people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, or assistive technologies. Because reCAPTCHA is a third-party service, we have limited control over how it works, which means this is not compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA.
  • Some parts of this site link to, or use, content provided by other websites. These are not always as accessible as our site. Examples include YouTube videos and Google Map embeds.
  • Some forms are not possible to replace with electronic forms as they are third party forms not under the control of Cherwell District Council, known forms in this category are:
    • Register of Interests form - for new town or parish councillors
    • Acceptance of Office form - for new and returning Parish Councillors

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations  

The content listed below is not accessible for the following reasons. These issues were identified during testing carried out by the Government Digital Service (GDS) in May 2026.

  • Images of text are used in some areas, such as the homepage carousel, which prevents users from adjusting text display (WCAG 1.4.5).
  • Some interactive elements are not fully keyboard accessible, including accordion components on the Contact Us page and submenu items on the Accessibility page (WCAG 2.1.1). 
  • Keyboard focus can become obscured when navigating the site, particularly when menus are expanded or at higher zoom levels (WCAG 2.4.11).
  • Some text does not meet minimum colour contrast requirements, including elements within navigation menus and within PDF documents (e.g. Air Quality Action Plan 2024) (WCAG 1.4.3).

Some of our PDF and Word documents do not meet accessibility standards. For example, they may not be properly structured for screen readers, may contain missing text alternatives or may contain colour contrast issues. We are working to improve the accessibility of documents, prioritising those most frequently used or required to access services.

If you find any problems with any documents that you think are not meeting accessibility requirements, please email webteam@cherwell-dc.gov.uk. 

If we are claiming a disproportionate burden for the document we will share our assessment.

Disproportionate burden 

Issues with PDFs and other documents

Due to the high volume and complexity of documents published on this website, it is not currently possible to make all existing non-HTML documents fully accessible.

We assess requests for accessible versions of documents on a case-by-case basis and will provide an accessible alternative where reasonably practicable.

We will continue to review this position as part of our ongoing accessibility work.

Navigation and accessing information

  • No ‘skip to main content’ option on some pages.
  • It’s not possible for users to modify text spacing or line height.

Content that is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

PDFs and other documents

Some older PDFs and Word documents don’t meet accessibility standards - for example, they may not be marked up so they’re accessible to a screen reader. 

The accessibility regulations don’t require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services. For example, we don’t plan to fix old PDF newsletters, posters or campaign materials that might still be published and accessed through our website. 

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

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are currently addressing the accessibility issues identified in the GDS monitoring report from May 2026. 

We are working to resolve these issues within the required 12-week period following the report and aim to complete fixes by August 2026.

Priority is being given to:

  • improving keyboard accessibility across menus and interactive components
  • ensuring focus remains visible and is not obscured at all zoom levels
  • fixing colour contrast issues across the site and in documents
  • replacing images of text with accessible HTML content
  • improving the accessibility of PDF documents

In addition to addressing the issues identified by GDS, we are carrying out a broader accessibility audit of the website to identify any further issues. This audit will inform an ongoing programme of improvements to help us move towards full compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA standards.

We will continue to monitor accessibility and update this statement as improvements are made. The website will be retested as part of the Government Digital Service follow-up process.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 28 November 2019 when it was first published. 

This website was tested on 8 May 2026 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard by the Government Digital Service as part of their accessibility monitoring programme.

Testing included a combination of manual checks (including keyboard navigation, zoom levels and small screen use) and automated testing using the Axe accessibility testing tool.

In addition to this external testing, we are carrying out further internal accessibility review and audit work.

This statement was last reviewed on 9 June 2026.

Feedback and contact information

Information on this website is available in different formats. These include accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille. If you would like one of these formats, then please contact us.

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements please get in touch:

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 7 working days.

We operate an appointments system at our offices, which enables us to prepare for your visit. For example we have rooms with audio induction loops which can be used for your appointment. SignVideo links to a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter who will speak to us on your behalf. We are also able to provide a telephone translation service for those where English is not your first language.

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).