WCAG 2.2 AA – Agendas, Minutes and Policies

How to make the documents you publish online accessible.

Most complaints about accessibility are caused by inaccessible documents.

The biggest mistake: scanning documents

If you scan a document and upload it as a PDF, it is usually not accessible.

Screen readers cannot read scanned text.

Avoid:

  • Photos of documents

  • Scanned agendas

  • Scanned minutes

Always upload real digital files, not images of text. If you must use a scanned document (such as the AGAR), you need to state that it is not accessible in your Accessibility Statement and provide an alternative means of providing that information if requested.

Start with Word (or similar)

The easiest way to create accessible documents is:

  1. Write them in Word (or Google Docs)

  2. Use proper headings (heading1, heading2 etc). Use the headings to structure the document, where heading2 is always a sub-heading of heading1, heading 3 is a sub-heading of heading2 etc.

  3. Structure you page with properly formatted bullets or numbered lists. Don’t number lists by hand or use dashes instead of bullets.
  4. Finally run the Word Accessibility checker to check for any errors

  5. Then export to PDF if needed

Use headings in Word

Just like web pages, documents need headings.

In Word:

  • Use “Heading 1” for the title

  • Use “Heading 2” for sections, Heading 3 for sub-sections of Heading 2…

Do not just make text big and bold.

Use proper lists

Use Word’s built-in:

  • Bullet lists

  • Numbered lists

Do not type dashes or numbers manually.

Screen readers need real lists.

Make tables simple

It is best not to use tables simply to lay out information. Tables are only really appropriate for data. If you must use tables:

  • Keep them simple

  • Use a header row

  • Do not merge lots of cells

Complex tables are very hard for screen readers.

Add alt text to images

If your document has images, logos or charts:

Right click the image → “Add alt text”
Describe what the image shows.

Example:

“Parish council logo”

Use clear file names

Bad:

scan1234.pdf
agenda-final-v3-new.pdf

Good:

Parish Council Agenda – March 2026.pdf
Minutes – Annual Meeting 2025.pdf

This helps everyone, including screen reader users.

Exporting to PDF

When saving from Word:

Use:

File → Save As → PDF

Click Options when saving and select PDF/A – the PDF accessible format

Do not print to PDF or scan.

This keeps the structure and makes the PDF accessible.

Check before uploading

Before uploading a document, ask:

  • Can I select the text with my mouse?

  • Can I search for a word in it?

  • Does it have real headings?

If the answer is no, it is probably not accessible.

When should you avoid PDFs?

Whenever possible, put important information directly on web pages instead of in PDFs.

Web pages are usually:

  • Easier to read

  • Easier to keep accessible

  • Better for mobile users

Use PDFs only when necessary (for example, official minutes or policies)

 

Final summary for parish councils

To meet WCAG 2.2 AA in practice:

  • Write clear, simple web pages

  • Use headings to structure the document and alt text when you add an image

  • Avoid scanned documents

  • Create accessible Word files before making them into PDFs

You do not need to be technical.
You just need to be consistent and thoughtful about how content is created.