Accessibility Statement
The Australian Local Government Association is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disability. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards.
Conformance Status
This website strives to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disability.
Conformance with these guidelines helps ensure that the website is accessible to the widest possible audience, including people who use assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnification software, and alternative input devices.
Automated Test Results
We run automated accessibility tests on every build using axe-core, an industry-standard accessibility testing engine. These tests check for WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA compliance.
Latest Test Summary
Last updated: 30 January 2026Results by Page
Note: Automated testing catches approximately 30-50% of accessibility issues. We also conduct manual testing and user testing with people who use assistive technologies.
Lighthouse Audit Scores
We also run Google Lighthouse audits to measure overall site quality. These scores are from the homepage audit.
Scores are out of 100. Green (90+) is good, orange (50-89) needs improvement, red (<50) is poor.
Accessibility Features
This website includes the following accessibility features:
- Semantic HTML: Proper heading hierarchy, landmarks, and ARIA labels for screen reader navigation
- Keyboard Navigation: All interactive elements are accessible via keyboard, with visible focus indicators
- Color Contrast: Text and interactive elements meet WCAG AA contrast requirements (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text)
- Touch Targets: Interactive elements have a minimum size of 44x44 pixels for easier touch interaction
- Reduced Motion: Animations respect the
prefers-reduced-motionuser preference - Skip Links: Skip to main content link for keyboard users
- Responsive Design: Content reflows without horizontal scrolling at 400% zoom
- Alternative Text: Images include descriptive alternative text
- Form Labels: All form inputs have associated labels
- Error Identification: Form errors are clearly identified and described
Accessibility by Design
This guide doesn't just describe inclusive design principles — it embodies them. Here's how we've applied the guide's own recommendations to its design:
Progressive Disclosure
The guide uses expandable sections to reduce cognitive load. Rather than presenting all content at once, users see a summary of each topic and can choose what to explore in detail. This approach:
- Reduces information overload, particularly important for users with cognitive disabilities
- Allows users to quickly scan topics and find what's relevant to them
- Gives users control over the pace and depth of their reading
- Includes an "Expand all sections" option for users who prefer to see everything at once
Clear Information Architecture
Content is organised into logical sections with a persistent sidebar navigation that:
- Shows users where they are in the document at all times
- Allows quick navigation between sections without scrolling
- Uses collapsible subsections to keep the navigation manageable
- Highlights the currently active section for orientation
Consistent and Predictable Interactions
All interactive elements behave consistently throughout the guide:
- Expandable sections use the same pattern everywhere — click the header or chevron to expand
- Links are consistently styled and clearly distinguishable from regular text
- Focus states are visible and consistent across all interactive elements
- Navigation patterns remain the same whether on mobile or desktop
Multiple Ways to Access Content
Users can navigate and consume content in whatever way works best for them:
- Sidebar navigation for jumping to specific sections
- Sequential scrolling through the document
- Keyboard navigation using Tab and Enter keys
- Screen reader navigation using headings and landmarks
- Print Preview mode to expand all content and print or save as PDF
Respecting User Preferences
The site respects operating system and browser preferences:
- Animations are disabled when users have enabled "reduce motion" in their system settings
- Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
- The layout adapts to different viewport sizes and zoom levels
- High contrast mode is supported for users who need it
Plain Language
Content is written to be understandable:
- Summaries provide a quick overview of each section before users commit to reading more
- Technical terms are explained when first introduced
- Sentences and paragraphs are kept concise
- Headings clearly describe the content that follows
Technologies Used
This website is built with accessibility in mind using:
- React Aria Components - Adobe's accessible component library
- Semantic HTML5 elements
- WAI-ARIA attributes where appropriate
- CSS that respects user preferences
Testing Methods
We test accessibility using:
- Automated Testing: axe-core via Playwright on every build
- Lighthouse Audits: Google Lighthouse accessibility scoring
- Manual Testing: Keyboard navigation, screen reader testing (VoiceOver, NVDA)
- Browser Tools: Chrome DevTools Accessibility panel, Firefox Accessibility Inspector
Known Limitations
While we strive for full accessibility, some limitations may exist:
- Third-party content (embedded videos, external links) may not meet our accessibility standards
- Some PDF documents may not be fully accessible - we are working to provide accessible alternatives
- Legacy content is being progressively updated to meet current standards
Feedback
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of this website. If you encounter any accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us:
- Email: accessibility@alga.com.au
- Phone: (02) 6122 9400
We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days.
Legal Requirements
This website is required to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). The DDA makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the ground of disability in the provision of goods, services and facilities.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has endorsed WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the benchmark for web accessibility compliance under the DDA.