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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 don't make documents accessible, we are breaking the law
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has made it illegal for public bodies to publish inaccessible publications.
In addition, Equality Act 2010 says that digital services must be accessible to everyone who needs it - and this includes attachments, images and infographics.
In 2019 there have been several cases where public and private sector bodies were sued for breaching accessibility guidelines. GOV.UK is under a great deal of scrutiny.
If we publish content that is not accessible, we will breach the law and run the risk of legal action and reputational damage.
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.