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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 now delivered online.
Ten years ago, the internet had a more niche role in our lives, so there were less well-defined standards for how we publish content online.
But now - due to the rapid growth of online platforms - accessibility has become ever more important.
If we do not ensure that content published online is accessible for all users, we run the risk of discriminating against those with specific needs, or disabilities.
Public Health England has a responsibility to publish accessible documents
The UK Government has committed to making GOV.UK a website that can be accessed by all users.
This includes people with disabilities - but also users who are using software other than Microsoft Office, or people with temporary requirements (like working in low light conditions).
This work is being implemented across all government departments.
At Public Health England, we need to make changes to ensure our publications are accessible. For example, by publishing HTML pages instead of PDF documents.
If we do not make documents accessible, there are legal and reputational risks
Public Health England has been working to modernise publications and guidance, so that they meet these accessibility standards.
For example, by publishing as HTML documents instead of PDFs and
The UK Government has committed to making GOV.UK accessible, and Public Health England must ensure that all publications and guidance meets those accessibility standards.
Legal requirements and reputational risk
Accessibility is increasingly becoming a legal issue, as organisations and individuals are making their voices heard to ensure that inaccessible websites are updated and modernised.
There are examples in the press of companies who have been sued for breaching accessibility guidelines - this includes Apple in the United States, and low-cost airlines and cruise providers in the UK.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had made it illegal for public bodies to publish inaccessible publications.
Public Health England could suffer real reputational damage if we publish inaccessible content unlawfully - we all have a commitment to ensure we stay within the legal guidelines.
We can't make exceptions when it comes to accessibility
It's a common misconception that certain publications do not need to be made accessible. Here are a few of the common arguments:
This document only has a niche audience of scientists and researchers - they don't have accessibility requirements.
We've always published this information in this format - and we've always had really positive feedback.
There's a need to publish in an inaccessible format in order to represent the information clearly, or in a visually appealing way
Accessibility is now the first and foremost consideration for any web publications from public sector bodies, no matter how the publications have previously been designed or released.
We need to find new ways to design and publish content so that it is still visually appealing - but also works for all users equally.