Contact

Telephone number: 020 7637 1865
Our telephone lines are open Monday to Friday between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm.

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Address: The Bloomsbury Building, 10 Bloomsbury Way, Holborn, London WC1A 2SL

Ensuring our website is accessible to all is more important than ever, especially for parish and town councils looking to serve their communities effectively. Making computers and online tools easy for everyone is vital to creating an inclusive environment. Most operating systems and web browsers now include various built-in accessibility features. Additionally, free software options can further enhance the user experience for those with specific needs.

Operating systems

Built-in accessibility feature on Windows:

• High Contrast Mode — Enhances colour contrast for text and images, improving visibility for those with low vision.
• Magnifier — This tool enlarges parts of the screen, making text and images easier to view.
• Narrator — A built-in screen reader that reads text aloud, helping visually impaired users navigate the screen.
• On-Screen Keyboard — Offers an alternative to physical keyboards, providing support for users with mobility impairments.
• Speech Recognition — Allows users to control their PC and dictate text using their voice, reducing the need for physical interaction.

Built-in accessibility feature on Mac/iOS:

• AssistiveTouch — Supports users with motor challenges by simplifying gestures and actions.
• Hearing — Built-in tools designed to help you hear better — or stay connected without hearing a sound.
• iOS — Provides several options to customse display and text size, including bold text, larger fonts, and higher contrast settings for improved readability.
• Live Captions — Get a transcription of the audio from any app and from live conversations around you.
• Mobility — You can navigate and interact with your Mac using spoken commands, an onscreen keyboard, assistive devices and additional ways to control the pointer. You can also set options so it’s easier to use a mouse or trackpad.
• Speech — Built-in tools for communicating best for you, whether you’re non-speaking, at risk of speech loss or someone with a speech disability. You can have what you type spoken out loud, create a synthesised voice that sounds like you, and more.
• Siri — Offers a hands-free way to manage tasks using voice commands, providing an accessible alternative for controlling the device.
• Vision — Built-in tools to make it easier to see what’s on the screen, or have what’s on the screen spoken out loud.
• VoiceOver — A screen reader that enables visually impaired users to navigate their devices using intuitive gestures.
• Zoom — Magnifies the iOS screen, making small text and images easier to see.

Browsers

Built-in accessibility feature on Google Chrome:

• ChromeVox is a screen reader designed for Chrome that reads text and describes elements on the screen.
• High contrast mode — This feature improves the readability of text by increasing colour contrast.
• Reading mode — Designed to help improve your screen reading experience, focusing on customisable contrast, text size, text-to-speech, page clutter and font types.
• Zoom and font size adjustment — Users can zoom in on web pages and increase font sizes for better readability.

Built-in accessibility feature on Microsoft Edge:

• High contrast mode — Users can switch to High Contrast Mode and adjust zoom levels for better readability.
• Image descriptions for screen readers — Detects unlabeled images and generates descriptions.
• Immersive Reader – This feature provides a distraction-free reading experience by removing unnecessary elements from web pages.
• Read Aloud — This feature reads the text on web pages aloud.

Built-in accessibility feature on Safari:

• Display and zoom adjustments — Users can zoom in on web pages and adjust display settings for better visibility.
• VoiceOver — Built-in screen reader that works seamlessly with Safari.
• Reader view — Strips away distractions, presenting a clean, readable version of web pages.

Free software

Third-party software can provide additional support.

• ColorVeil — A free utility for Windows that adds a coloured filter over your screen, which can help reduce eye strain, improve focus, and aid users with dyslexia or other visual impairments.
• Dark Reader — Turns bright websites into dark mode, helping to reduce eye strain while browsing.
• Eye Saver — Reduces eye strain and fatigue by filtering blue light and eliminating screen flicker.
• f.lux — Adjusts the colour temperature of your screen according to the time of day, reducing blue light in the evening to help you sleep better.
• Iris — Provides screen brightness control, blue light filter, and screen flicker reduction to help reduce eye strain.
• PangoBright — A screen dimming utility that allows you to reduce screen brightness quickly and easily.

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. We do not endorse, guarantee, or take responsibility for the functionality, accuracy, or safety of any of the information mentioned. Availability, compatibility, and features of these tools may change over time. Always download software from official websites and exercise caution when installing third-party applications. For any specific needs or medical conditions related to eye health or accessibility, please consult a qualified professional. Use these tools at your own discretion and risk.

Any parish or town council in membership seeking advice or guidance should contact their local county association.

All parish and town councils in membership have access to our resource library, which has valuable tools and information such as essential documents, advice notes, training materials, templates and best practice guides to support their parish and town council, and can find out more about the support available to them.

You can create your account today if you are a councillor, clerk or council staff member of a parish or town council in membership.

You can explore our diverse events schedule and take advantage of opportunities to learn from experts, network with peers, and stay up-to-date with the latest developments in local governance. Whether you're looking to enhance your skills, gain new knowledge, or connect with others in the field, our events offer something for everyone.

If you have an enquiry about our events or your booking, please complete contact form.

Who can have an account?

If you are a councillor, clerk, or council staff member of a parish or town council in membership, you can create an account. Committee members will need to create their accounts. County associations do not need to create an account and will receive an email on 7 October 2024 to set their passwords.

Why do you need to create an account?

You must create an account to access exclusive member content such as advice notes, articles, blogs, case studies, publications, templates, videos, and much more.

Will my old login details work?

Any previous log in details will not work on the new website.

How can you give feedback? 

We want to hear from you! After the launch, please share your thoughts through our feedback form. Your input is very important as we strive to enhance our offerings.

I'm looking for briefings and legal topic notes?

Briefings and legal topic notes have been renamed to advice notes. Although the name has changed, the content remains the same, providing the same valuable insights and guidance on various topics. You can find the newly named advice notes in our resource library.

We are England's only recognised national membership organisation for community, neighbourhood, parish and town councils.

The Local Government Association represents county, district, borough, metropolitan, unitary and London borough councils.

We are not a statutory body and do not monitor or regulate the activities of parish and town councils. If you have a complaint about a parish or town council, you should contact the parish or town council concerned. For further information, please contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

We only provide advice and guidance to our members and cannot advise individuals or organisations outside of membership.

If you have a question about election law or the election process for a parish or town council, please contact the local returning officer at the principal authority or the Electoral Commission.

If you have a press or commerical enquiry, please complete the form or call us on 020 7637 1865 and ask for the Policy and Communications Team. Please note that our telephone lines are open Monday to Friday between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm. For urgent enquiries outside of these hours, please call 07894 937 885.

How to create an account

If you are a councillor, clerk, or council staff member of a parish or town council in membership, you can create your account today.

1. Create your account.
2. Enter your name, email address and create a password.
3. Verify your email address.
4. Set your contact preferences (tip: select email and join the NALC news list).
5. Select your county association, council and role.
6. Agree to our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use.

If you are an individual or organisation that is not in membership but would like to keep up-to-date with our latest news, please follow the steps above and skip step five.

Forgot your password?

If you have forgotten your password, you can self-manage its recovery and reset a new password. You will need to enter the email address associated with your account. We will send a verification code that you must confirm.

Video tutorials

• Creating an account
• Using the resource library

Reporting a bug

We strive to keep our website running smoothly, but we want to know if you encounter any issues. Please complete the form to report any bugs or technical problems. When completing the form, describe the problem and provide the webpage URL. Your feedback helps us improve!

Further support

If you require further support, please complete the form.