WCAG 2.2 AA Partial Audit of the Bunschoten Website Content

This sub-study pertains exclusively to the content of the website that the organization can enter or modify via the content management system.

This study evaluated 30 of the 55 success criteria of WCAG 2.2 Levels A and AA.

The remaining 25 success criteria relate to the technical aspects of the website and are evaluated in the separate technical sub-study.

Together, these two sub-studies constitute the complete evaluation of the website.

Success criteria assessed in the technical sub-study

The following success criteria were not evaluated in this content study and are covered in the separate technical sub-study:

The study was conducted using a representative sample. Within this sample, the accessibility issues identified were described as specifically as possible. Where possible, recommendations were included to address the issues.

This study does not provide an exhaustive overview of all possible accessibility issues. The findings represent a snapshot of the situation at the time of the study.

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) are internationally recognized guidelines for digital accessibility, based on four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. Measurable success criteria have been established within these principles.
More information: WCAG 2.2 (Dutch translation)

The table below shows, for each WCAG principle and each WCAG level, how many success criteria were tested and how many of those were approved.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/samenstelling-college

The page features portrait photos of the mayor, three aldermen, and the municipal clerk. Four of these photos (Jaco Geurts, Wim van der Es, Wim de Jong, and Jan Jennekens) have an empty text alternative and are skipped by assistive technology.

Advice

Provide a text alternative for each portrait photo that includes the person’s name, for example, alt="Jaco Geurts". Do this for all five photos in the same way to ensure the page is consistently accessible to screen reader users.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/gladheid-en-strooiroutes

On the page, information about which roads are being treated is available only via a PDF map (“View the map with treatment routes”). A text alternative is missing. People who are blind or visually impaired cannot view the map and therefore do not have access to the information about the treatment routes. Maps fall under the legal exception for government agencies and do not need to be accessible. However, the information they convey (which roads are being gritted) must also be available in another format.

Advice

Also provide the information about the snowplow routes in text form, for example as a list of streets or roads sorted by priority on the webpage.

https://cuatro.sim-cdn.nl/bunschoten/uploads/hoofd-_en_nevenfuncties_college_bw_2026.pdf?cb=cXmOxRCY

On page 1 of the PDF document, there is an image (the municipal logo) without a text alternative. As a result, people who use screen readers to have the PDF read aloud are unable to tell that there is a logo on the page or which organization it represents.

Advice

Provide a text alternative for the image in the source file, such as "Municipality of Bunschoten." Then export the document again as a PDF.

https://cuatro.sim-cdn.nl/bunschoten/uploads/organogram_gemeente_bunschoten_2026.pdf?cb=zSrvvXGp

The PDF document contains three images that do not have text alternatives. These include the Bunschoten municipality logo at the top of the page. People who use screen readers to have the PDF read aloud will not be aware that this logo is on the page.

Advice

Provide a text alternative for informational images, such as the logo, in the source file. For the logo, for example, "Municipality of Bunschoten" is sufficient. Mark images that serve only a decorative purpose as "artifacts" so that assistive technology skips them.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/trouwambtenaren

The page features a YouTube video by wedding officiant Roel de Graaf. This video has automatically generated subtitles. However, these subtitles contain too many errors to meet this success criterion. For example, punctuation marks are not used, which makes the text harder to read. In addition, there are errors in the translation. Examples include:

At 0:11, it says "registered partnership is a tremendous honor"; this should be "registered partnership is a tremendous honor." At 0:54, it says "it should be all about you"; this should be "it should be all about you."

Advice

You can easily correct automatic captions using YouTube Studio. For instructions, see the "Edit or remove captions" page on YouTube Help.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/trouwambtenaren

The page contains videos of wedding officiants that include visual information. This information is not audible and is therefore not accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. Please ensure that an alternative is provided for this visual information.

Here are a few examples of information that is displayed visually but cannot be heard:

In the videos by Omaima Ben Hammi and Pierre van der Gijp, the name of the wedding officiant appears on screen at the beginning; this name is not spoken aloud. In the video by Roel de Graaf, the logo of the municipality of Bunschoten appears on screen at the end; this is not spoken aloud.

In these videos, there is enough space at the end to add audio description, for example, for the Bunschoten municipality logo. However, there is not enough space for the rest of the information, such as the name of the wedding officiant.

Advice

For Success Criterion 1.2.3, there are two options: a transcript or audio description. However, for Success Criterion 1.2.5, a transcript is no longer permitted if there is sufficient space for audio description. In that case, audio description must be provided to meet Level AA. It is best to provide both a transcript and audio description.

The transcript must include all information in the video, both audible and visual. Where possible, the transcript should also include timestamps. Place the transcript below the video. A transcript can be beneficial for many people. For some, the information in a video may move too quickly, in which case a transcript can be a good alternative. People who are both deaf and blind can convert a transcript into Braille.

Audio description ensures that all visual information is also conveyed audibly. In other words: hear everything you see. This can be achieved by adding a second audio track to the video that includes both the standard audio and the audio description. Other solutions are also possible.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/80-jaar-vrijheid

The page features a video of the acting mayor discussing 80 years of freedom. This video contains visual information that is not audible and is therefore not accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. Please ensure that an alternative is provided for this visual information.

Here are a few examples of information that is displayed visually but cannot be heard:

At 0:02, the name "Bort Koelewijn" and the title "acting mayor" appear on screen; these are not mentioned audibly. At 0:12, the "80 Years of Freedom" logo appears on screen; this is not mentioned audibly. At 0:44, the text "Visit Bunschoten.nl for the local program" appears on screen; this is not mentioned audibly At 1:18, the logo of the municipality of Bunschoten appears at the end; this is not mentioned audibly

In this video, there is only enough space to add audio description at the end, for example, at the Bunschoten municipality logo at 1:18. There is insufficient space for the rest of the information, such as the title bar at 0:02, the "80 Years of Freedom" logo at 0:12, and the text at 0:44.

Advice

For Success Criterion 1.2.3, there are two options: a transcript or audio description. However, for Success Criterion 1.2.5, a transcript is no longer permitted if there is sufficient space for audio description. In that case, audio description must be provided to meet Level AA. It is best to provide both a transcript and audio description.

The transcript must include all information in the video, both audible and visual. Where possible, the transcript should also include timestamps. Place the transcript below the video. A transcript can be beneficial for many people. For some, the information in a video may move too quickly, in which case a transcript can be a good alternative. People who are both deaf and blind can convert a transcript into Braille.

Audio description ensures that all visual information is also conveyed audibly. In other words: hear everything you see. This can be achieved by adding a second audio track to the video that includes both the standard audio and the audio description. Other solutions are also possible.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/trouwambtenaren

This page contains videos of wedding officiants that include visual information. This information is not accessible to people with visual impairments, so an alternative must be provided.

Advice

This alternative can be provided by including this information in the audio track or by adding a separate audio track containing this auditory information (known as audio description). In Roel de Graaf’s video, there is sufficient space for this at 0:58 (when the Bunschoten municipality logo appears); audio description is therefore required. At the moments when the wedding officiant’s name appears on screen, there is insufficient space for audio description. Since there is no space for audio description during those moments, a transcript is sufficient under this success criterion. Therefore, a transcript must also be provided for the videos in this case; see success criterion 1.2.3.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/80-jaar-vrijheid

This page features a video of the acting mayor discussing 80 years of freedom, accompanied by visual information. This information is not accessible to people with visual impairments, so an alternative must be provided.

Advice

This alternative can be provided by including this information in the audio track or by adding a separate audio track containing this audio description. In the video, there is sufficient time for this at 1:18 (when the Bunschoten municipality logo appears); audio description is therefore required. At the moments when the title bar (0:02), the “80 Years of Freedom” logo (0:12), and the text about the local program (0:44) appear on screen, there is insufficient space for audio description. Since there is no space for audio description during those moments, a transcript is sufficient under this success criterion. Therefore, a transcript must also be provided for the video in this case; see success criterion 1.2.3.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/

In the footer, under the heading "Join the conversation!", there is a row of links to social media platforms (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube). Visually, this appears as a list, but in the code, the links are listed one after another in a paragraph (p element) rather than in a list (ul with li). As a result, assistive technology cannot identify that this is a list or determine how many items it contains.

Advice

Place the social media links in an unordered list, with each link in its own list item. In the source code, add the "horizontal" class to the `ul` element to display the list horizontally.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/

In the footer, under the heading "Town Hall," the address (Stadsspui 1, 3752 CL Bunschoten-Spakenburg) appears first, followed by three items: Phone, WhatsApp, and Contact Form. In the code, all of this is contained within a single paragraph (p element), separated by line breaks (br elements). Programmatically, the address does not belong with the three items below it, and those three items visually form a list. As a result, assistive software does not indicate that this is a list of three items.

Advice

Place the address in its own paragraph (p element). Place the phone number, WhatsApp, and contact form below it in an unordered list (ul element), with each item in its own list item.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/trouwambtenaren

The page lists four marriage officiants under the heading "The Marriage Officiants" (h2). Three names—Omaima Ben Hammi, Pierre van der Gijp, and Roel de Graaf—are formatted as h2. The fourth name, Esmay Usmany, is formatted as h3. This creates a jump in the heading levels, and programmatically it appears as though Esmay Usmany is a subsection of Roel de Graaf, whereas visually these are four equal sections. As a result, assistive software cannot present the hierarchy correctly.

Advice

Make all four names of the wedding officiants h3 headings, so that they appear under the h2 heading "The Wedding Officiants" and are treated equally.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/onderscheidingen

The page contains three expandable sections, formatted as level 2 headings (h2). Within the expandable block "Royal Honors," there are four subheadings (such as "Occasions" and "Application for a Royal Honor"), and within "Municipal Honors," there are three subheadings (such as "Commendation" and "Medal of Honor"). These subheadings are also formatted as h2, even though they are part of the expandable block below them. As a result, assistive technology cannot correctly display the hierarchy, and users who navigate via headings do not get a clear picture of which topics fall under which block.

Advice

Set the subheadings within the collapsible blocks to heading level 3 (h3) so that they are programmatically nested under the h2 of the corresponding collapsible block.

https://cuatro.sim-cdn.nl/bunschoten/uploads/organogram_gemeente_bunschoten_2026.pdf?cb=zSrvvXGp

The organizational chart visually illustrates the structure of the municipality: at the top is the administration (City Council, City Clerk’s Office, Mayor and Aldermen), followed by the executive departments. This structure is not present in the PDF document itself. The title "Organizational Chart of the Municipality of Bunschoten" is not a heading, and all names are listed as separate paragraphs one below the other. As a result, assistive software reads the organizational chart as a flat list of names, without making it clear which names belong to the administration and which to the executive departments.

Advice

Make the title "Organizational Chart of the Municipality of Bunschoten" a Level 1 heading (H1) in the PDF document. Also, ensure that the distinction between the administration and the executive departments is clearly reflected in the document’s structure. For example, use a heading "Administration" followed by a list of names, and a heading "Operational Departments" followed by a list of the departments.

https://cuatro.sim-cdn.nl/bunschoten/uploads/organogram_gemeente_bunschoten_2026.pdf?cb=zSrvvXGp

The reading order of the PDF document does not follow the logic of the organizational chart. People who use screen readers to have the PDF read aloud will first hear “City Council,” then “Internal Services,” followed by “City Clerk’s Office,” then “Environmental Development,” and only later “City Executive Board.” The executive departments and administrative divisions are thus read out of order. The legend “= administration” appears at the very end, separate from the administrative divisions to which it refers. The document title “Organizational Chart of the Municipality of Bunschoten” appears at the very bottom of the reading order, while users expect to hear first what the document is about.

Advice

Adjust the reading order in the source file so that the content is presented in a logical order for assistive technology. Start with the document title, followed by the administrative sections (City Council, City Clerk’s Office, Mayor and Aldermen), and then the executive departments. Place the label “= administration” immediately after or next to the administrative sections. Then export the document again as a PDF.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/form/contactformulier/uw-gegevens-1

Step 2 of the contact form requires users to enter personal information. For input fields that request personal data, an autocomplete attribute is required on the input element. This ensures that browsers and assistive technology can assist users in filling out these fields, for example by automatically populating them with previously saved values. The autocomplete attribute is currently missing from the Last Name, Zip Code, City, Email Address, and Phone Number input fields.

Advice

Add an appropriate autocomplete attribute to each relevant input field:

Last name: autocomplete="family-name" Zip code: autocomplete="postal-code" City: autocomplete="address-level2" Email address: autocomplete="email" Phone number: autocomplete="tel" or autocomplete="tel-national"

The following page provides more information about the use of this attribute and which values are required: .

https://www.bunschoten.nl/80-jaar-vrijheid

On a narrow screen (320 pixels wide), the text in the accordion buttons for the events is cut off on the right. For example: "Theme Issue Bun His…" (truncated from "Historical | April 23"). People viewing the website on a mobile phone or with a highly zoomed-in window cannot see the full titles of the events.

Advice

Adjust the styling of the accordion buttons so that the header text fits within the available space, for example by wrapping the text across multiple lines.

https://cuatro.sim-cdn.nl/bunschoten/uploads/organogram_gemeente_bunschoten_2026.pdf?cb=zSrvvXGp

No document title has been set in the PDF file. As a result, PDF readers display the file name (organogram_gemeente_bunschoten_2026.pdf) in the tab bar and title bar. People who have the PDF read aloud will hear the file name instead of a descriptive title.

Advice

In the source file, enter a descriptive document title, such as "Organizational Chart for the Municipality of Bunschoten 2026." Additionally, configure the PDF itself so that the document title is displayed instead of the file name. In Adobe Acrobat, you can do this by going to File > Properties > Initial View > Show: Document Title.

• https://www.bunschoten.nl/contact-en-openingstijden
• https://www.bunschoten.nl/80-jaar-vrijheid
• https://www.bunschoten.nl/onderscheidingen
• https://www.bunschoten.nl/gemeentebelasting
• https://www.bunschoten.nl/verduurzamen-woning

On several pages, URLs are used as link text. The full URL is then displayed as the visible text of the link. Screen readers read the URL letter by letter ("w-w-w dot bunschoten dot n-l slash..."), which is difficult for the user to follow. Furthermore, a URL used as link text does not, on its own, describe the action or destination.

On the "Contact and Opening Hours" page, under the heading "Quick Repair or Boa Report," there is a link that reads "www.bunschoten.nl/melding." On the "80 Years of Freedom Activities" page, there are links under various activities with URLs as the link text, such as "www.oostwende.nl/80jaarvrijheid," "www.bibliotheekeemland.nl" and "www.covbunschoten.nl" On the "Awards" page, within the expandable section "Royal Awards" and "Other Awards," there are links with URLs as link text, such as "www.lintjes.nl," "aanvraag.koninklijkeonderscheidingen.nl," and "www.drenkeling.nl" On the "Municipal Tax" page, under the headings "WOZ" and "Do you have questions?", there are links with URLs as link text, such as "gblt.nl/woz" and "gblt.nl" On the "Making Your Home More Sustainable" page, there are links with URLs as link text, such as "www.energiepunt.nl" and "adviespunt-vve.nl"

Advice

Replace the URL used as link text with descriptive text that explains the action or destination, such as "submit a report in Fixi" or "go to the report form." A good example on the same page as the URL links is the link "the Eemland1 website."

https://www.bunschoten.nl/gladheid-en-strooiroutes

On the page, under the heading "Gritting Routes," there is a button labeled "View the map of gritting routes." The link leads to a PDF document, but this is not indicated by the link text or any label next to it. A user expects to see an interactive map or web page after clicking, but instead receives a PDF download. On other pages within the website, PDF downloads do display a PDF icon and the file size ("PDF, ... kB"), so the user knows in advance what will happen.

Advice

Add a note to the link text indicating that it is a PDF, for example, "View the map with gritting routes (PDF)." You may also want to display the file size, as is already done on other pages.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/contact-en-openingstijden

The page contains an empty heading directly above the opening hours module. This heading has no text and therefore does not describe a topic or purpose. Users who navigate using headings will encounter an empty heading.

Advice

Enter a descriptive text in the title field of the opening hours component in the CMS, such as "Opening Hours".

The website offers a high-contrast version. This can be enabled using a "contrast switch." This success criterion has been fully tested in high-contrast mode. The high-contrast version is considered an alternative to the standard version.

This may cause contrast issues in the standard version. These issues have not been further evaluated.

Advice

We recommend ensuring that the standard version also includes sufficient color contrast in all text. This improves the website’s accessibility for visitors with visual impairments.

Texts with sufficient color contrast are also easier for all readers to read. This makes reading less taxing, requires less energy, and is (subconsciously) perceived as more enjoyable. As a result, readers are more likely to take action.

The high-contrast version can then be used to provide "enhanced contrast," thereby meeting the WCAG 1.4.6 Enhanced Contrast success criterion (Level AAA).

A high-contrast version is available on the website. It can be enabled using a "contrast switch."
This success criterion has been fully tested in high-contrast mode. The high-contrast version is considered an alternative to the standard version.
As a result, there may be contrast issues with graphic elements in the standard version. These have not been further evaluated.

Advice

We recommend ensuring that the standard version also provides sufficient contrast for graphic elements, such as icons, buttons, and form fields. This improves the website’s accessibility for visitors with visual impairments.
The high-contrast version can then be used to provide “enhanced contrast.”

https://www.bunschoten.nl/

In the footer, under the heading "Join the conversation!", there is a link to the social media platform X. The icon displays the X logo, but in the code, the accessible name is still "Twitter page of the municipality of Bunschoten" (in the title attribute), and the hidden text label is "twitter". The platform has been called X since 2023. Users of assistive technology or voice control now hear or search for "Twitter" while visually seeing an X link.

Advice

Replace "Twitter" with "X" in both the title attribute and the hidden text label. An appropriate accessible name would be, for example, "X page of the Municipality of Bunschoten".

https://www.bunschoten.nl/openbare-laadpaal-aanvragen

On the page, under the heading "Locations," there is a link that says "View the charging map." The link is in its own paragraph (p-element), separate from the descriptive text above it. Assistive software that reads links out of context misses the context of the heading and the paragraph discussing the locations of the charging stations. Additionally, the link text itself describes the means (a map) rather than the goal (viewing the locations of the charging stations).

Advice

Choose one of the two options. Place the link in the same paragraph as the descriptive text, so that assistive software can read the context aloud when the link is selected separately from the page; in that case, the current link text “View the charging map” can remain. Or leave the link in its own paragraph and make the link text understandable on its own, for example, “View the locations of public charging stations.”

https://www.bunschoten.nl/onderscheidingen

In the "Municipal Awards" drop-down section, under the heading "Pluim," there is a link titled "Nominate someone for a Pluim" in its own paragraph. As a result, assistive technology that reads the page's links aloud misses the context of the explanation about the Pluim above it.

Advice

Place the link in the same paragraph as the explanation of the Pluim so that assistive software can read the link's context aloud.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/form/contactformulier/algemeen-contactformulier-voor-vragen-en-suggesties-0

In Step 1 of the contact form, the step title (h2 "General contact form for questions and suggestions") repeats the name of the form. The heading does not describe the content of this step itself. Users who navigate using headings—such as those who use a screen reader—cannot determine from this heading what is expected of them in this step.

Advice

Replace the h2 with a descriptive step title that explains what is required in this step, such as "About this form" or "Your question or suggestion."

https://www.bunschoten.nl/form/contactformulier/algemeen-contactformulier-voor-vragen-en-suggesties-0

On the page, under the heading "What is your question, comment, or suggestion?", there is a single-line text field. A user who wants to type a lengthy question or suggestion cannot see their entire text at once: part of it disappears off the side of the field. This makes it difficult for people who want to check or correct their text, or who are viewing the page zoomed in. For an open-ended question or suggestion, the user expects a larger, multi-line input field.

Advice

Replace the single-line input field with a larger one that can accommodate multiple lines, so that the user can view and edit their entire question or suggestion at a glance.

https://www.bunschoten.nl/identiteitskaart

Under the heading "ID Card Costs," the page features an interactive cost calculator that allows visitors to check the cost, validity, and waiting time using two dropdown menus (Age, Urgent Request). This module was provided by the CMS and was not built by the editorial team. The code contains an aria-label "product information for: undefined": the intended product name is not populated by the underlying JavaScript. As a result, assistive technology literally reads "product information for undefined," which is meaningless to the user. This is a technical accessibility issue beyond the editorial team’s control; therefore, this identified error is reported as a comment.

Advice

We recommend that you refrain from using this module on pages for the time being, as its accessibility is not currently adequately ensured. Instead, information about costs, validity, and waiting times can be presented in running text or as a standard list. Please also bring this issue to the attention of your CMS provider so that the module’s naming convention in the code can be corrected.