New Highland Council website is ‘easier for everyone to use’ scoring 99% on accessibility scale
Highland Council has reported a sharp rise in its website accessibility ranking following the launch of its new site in February.
The local authority said it has climbed 200 places in UK-wide rankings since February 17, 2026.
Cllr Raymond Bremner, leader and Cllr Bill Lobban, convener of the council. Picture: Callum Mackay.
It had been placed 224th out of more than 400 councils but now sits 24th overall and third in Scotland, with an average accessibility score of 99 per cent.
The council said the new website meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 AA, the standard required for public sector bodies.
The guidelines are designed to ensure websites work with assistive technologies such as screen readers, voice control and keyboard navigation.
It said this supports users of all ages and abilities, including people with impairments and those for whom English is not a first language.
Cllr Bill Lobban, chair of Highland Council’s redesign board, said the new website had been designed “to ensure customers can quickly, easily and independently access the information they need, with accessibility at its core to shape both design and content”.
“Improving accessibility is about fairness, inclusion and making sure our digital services work for all our communities,” he said.
“Meeting the required accessibility standards played a major role in the website’s transformation and by prioritising inclusive design, we have created a site that is easier for everyone to use.”
Performance is being monitored on an ongoing basis, alongside monthly independent testing by Silktide, a web governance platform, to maintain standards.
More information is available at highland.gov.uk.
