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You're reading an article from the Accessibility section on PHE's web content knowledge base. To browse more useful articles, visit our home page. |
The internet is changing and becoming more accessible
The internet is increasingly at the centre of our public life.
Information, banking, shopping and government services are all delivered online.
Due to the rapid growth of online platforms, if websites are not accessible for people with disabilities, they are excluded from public life.
The UK government has made a commitment that GOV.UK will be a website that is accessible for all users.
This includes users with disabilities - but also extends to any user who may have a particular requirement, such as opening a document in software other than Microsoft Office.
If we don't make documents accessible, we are breaking the law
As of September 2018, it is the law for public sector bodies to publish all pages and documents in an accessible format.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states:
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Countries are to promote access to information by providing information intended for the general public in accessible formats and technologies, by facilitating the use of Braille, sign language and other forms of communication and by encouraging the media and Internet providers to make on-line information available in accessible formats (Article 21). |
What this means is that we must offer an accessible option when publishing content, or we are breaking the law and breaching guidelines.
Public sector bodies are under increasing scrutiny from organisations and individuals campaigning for an accessible web.
There is a real reputational and legal risk for PHE if the guidelines are not followed.
Accessible websites are ultimately better for users
While there is a legal requirement for us to publish in accessible formats - there are also benefits for all users of PHE digital services.
Extensive user research shows that accessible websites are preferred by all website visitors - not just disabled users.
Benefits include:
- a more straightforward site navigation
- being able to open documents in a range of software
- pages display correctly on all devices
- text is easy to read even in low light conditions
It takes more time and effort to make pages and publications accessible.
But there is a benefit for all users as we are building PHE web pages that have an optimal user experience.