WCAG 2.2 AA – Practical website content for clerks

This guide covers the most common things a clerk does on a parish council website:
writing pages, adding news, and uploading information.

You do not need to be technical to follow this.

1. Use clear and simple language

Write as if you are explaining something to a resident in person.

Good practice:

  • Short sentences

  • Plain English

  • Avoid jargon

Instead of:

“The aforementioned documentation is available for perusal”

Write:

“You can read the documents below”

2. Use proper headings

Headings help people using screen readers navigate your page.

Good:

  • One main heading at the top (the page title)

  • Subheadings for sections

Bad:

  • Making text big and bold instead of using real headings

  • Skipping levels (e.g. jumping from heading 1 to heading 4)

Most website editors have a dropdown for Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3.

Use them.

3. Write meaningful links

Links should make sense on their own.

Bad:

Click here
More
Read more

Good:

Download the parish council budget (PDF)
View planning applications
Contact the parish clerk

This helps screen reader users and also improves clarity for everyone.

4. Add alternative text to images

If you add an image, you must add alt text (alternative text).

Alt text explains the image for people who cannot see it.

Example:
Image: photo of the village hall
Alt text:

“Village hall on Church Street”

If the image is decorative and adds no information, you can leave alt text blank.

5. Do not rely on colour alone

Never use colour as the only way to explain something.

Bad:

Items in red are urgent

Good:

Urgent items are marked with “URGENT”

Some users cannot see colours properly.

6. Make sure it works with a keyboard

Some people cannot use a mouse.

Try this simple test:

  • Press the Tab key on your keyboard

  • You should be able to move through links and buttons

If something cannot be reached by keyboard, it is not accessible.

7. Avoid tables for layout

Tables should only be used for real data, like:

  • Meeting dates

  • Financial figures

Do not use tables just to position text on the page.

Screen readers read tables in a specific way, and layout tables cause confusion.

8. Keep pages simple and uncluttered

Accessibility is also about usability.

Avoid:

  • Very long pages

  • Too many different fonts

  • Flashing or moving content

Clear, simple pages work best for everyone.

Useful rule of thumb for clerks

If you ask yourself:

“Would this make sense if I could not see the screen?”

You are already thinking in an accessible way.