Bylaw Steps for Council Website Accessibility - Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales councils must make digital services usable for everyone. This guide explains practical steps, governance considerations and reporting routes for a council website in Newcastle, and points to the City of Newcastle access resources for local obligations and support. City of Newcastle - Access and Inclusion[1]
Legal and policy framework
At the local level, councils implement access and inclusion policies and publish accessibility statements. At state and federal levels, anti-discrimination and disability laws inform obligations and complaint pathways. For council teams, the starting point is an internal access policy, mapped to recognised technical standards such as WCAG 2.1 AA.
Practical steps to improve website accessibility
- Conduct an initial accessibility audit against WCAG 2.1 AA and produce a remediation plan.
- Adopt an accessibility statement that explains scope, known issues and feedback channels.
- Prioritise fixes: keyboard navigation, semantic HTML, alt text, ARIA where needed, and clear focus styles.
- Integrate accessibility into design and procurement checklists for vendors and CMS components.
- Schedule regular automated and manual testing with assistive-technology users and update processes annually.
- Publish a simple reporting and feedback form and ensure timely acknowledgement and resolution.
Penalties & Enforcement
Council webpages do not usually list monetary fines for inaccessibility on public access pages; specific penalties or fee amounts are not specified on the cited page. For complaints or inspection queries, contact the council customer service and access team using the official reporting channel below. City of Newcastle - Contact us / Report a problem[2]
- Fines: not specified on the cited page.
- Escalation: first contact, remedial notice, then external complaint routes (details not specified on the cited page).
- Non-monetary sanctions: orders to remedy, policy compliance requirements, and potential referral to state or federal complaint bodies.
- Enforcer: City of Newcastle Access and Inclusion / Customer Service for initial complaints; external enforcement may involve state or federal agencies.
- Appeals & review: follow council review and complaint handling procedures, then external complaint or tribunal routes; time limits for external complaints depend on the external regulator.
- Defences & discretion: councils commonly consider reasonable excuse, remediation plans or permitted exemptions when assessing compliance.
Applications & Forms
No dedicated enforcement forms for website accessibility are published on the council access pages; specific remediation or variance requests are handled through the general feedback and complaints process on the council contact page.
How-To
- Plan: establish governance, appoint an accessibility lead and set timelines.
- Audit: run automated tests and manual checks with assistive technologies.
- Remediate: fix high-impact barriers first (navigation, headings, forms, images).
- Verify: user-test with people with diverse disabilities and update the remediation log.
- Publish: post an accessibility statement with feedback and reporting details.
- Maintain: include accessibility in releases, procurement and annual reviews.
FAQ
- Who is responsible for website accessibility at the council?
- The council’s Access and Inclusion team together with digital services and communications share responsibility; customers can contact council customer service to report issues.
- How do I report an accessibility problem?
- Use the council’s contact/reporting page to submit problems and request assistance; include device, browser and a short description of the barrier.
- What standards should the council follow?
- Councils should follow recognised standards such as WCAG 2.1 AA and align with accessibility policy commitments.
Key Takeaways
- Start with an audit and publish a clear accessibility statement.
- Prioritise fixes that improve keyboard and screen-reader access.
- Provide a simple reporting route and document remediation timelines.
Help and Support / Resources
- City of Newcastle - Contact us / Report a problem
- City of Newcastle - Access and Inclusion
- Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW)
- Australian Human Rights Commission - DDA complaints