Accessibility and the law
The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 states that public sector websites published before 23 September 2018 must be compliant with accessibility regulations by 23 September 2020.
According to the Government Digital Service (GDS) this means that all public sector websites must:
- meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) to level AA
- make websites and apps perceivable, operable, understandable and robust
- publish an accessibility statement
GDS has published detailed guidance for Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies.
What this means is that we must offer an accessible option when publishing content, or we are breaking the law and breaching government and GDS guidelines. What used to be advisory, has now become compulsory. This is particularly the case for public sector bodies, so Public Health England is under scrutiny to ensure that we are compliant.
The GDS guidelines are themselves based on the internationally recognised Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These include:
- don't rely on colour alone to communication information
- provide accessible alternatives to visual content
- provide clear navigation
- ensure documents are clear and simple
- design documents to work on multiple devices
It is the law that all web and mobile content be accessible to users, no matter what the severity of their disability, temporary or permanent.
If we don't make the web pages and the documents we publish accessible, we are breaking the law.
Accessible web content is better for users
Even if it hadn't become law, all research suggests that in the long run users overwhelmingly prefer to use accessible websites. This applies to all users, not just people with disabilities. Accessible websites and documents are:
- more straightforward to navigate
- compatible with a wider range of software - not just Microsoft Office
- easy to read on multiple devices
- simple to quickly scan and access the relevant information
Videos
Watch Web accessibility perspectives: explore the impact and benefits for everyone short videos (all videos are subtitled).