Day 24 Web Accessibility Law in UK

Although the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 began to address website accessibility, it wasn’t until the Equality Act of 2010 (EQA) that legal protections for people with disabilities really expanded online. The Equity Act formally addressed that websites needed to comply with equal access and web accessibility standards.

Section 20 of the EQA required service providers to take reasonable steps to provide an equal experience for people with disabilities both online and offline. Section 29 of the Act prohibits discrimination by failing to provide adequate accommodations for use.

Additional regulations were also passed into law in 2018. The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 covered public sector websites and mobile apps.

Who Does Web Accessibility Law Benefit?

There are more than 13.9 million people classified as disabled in the U.K. representing 22% of the total population. In Ireland, 13% of the population has a disability. That’s approximately 643,000 people.

Under the Equality Act 2010, you are classified as disabled if you have either a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative impact on the ability to perform normal daily functions. This includes people with impaired vision, motor difficulties, deafness or hearing impairment, cognitive impairments, or learning disabilities.

Who Is Required to Follow U.K. Web Accessibility Laws?

Throughout the U.K., government agencies and businesses are required to provide equal access to users with disabilities. While the specific ways organizations must comply are not listed explicitly, following the web content accessibility guidelines and recommendations published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has been accepted as best practices for website developers and User Experience (UX) developers. This accessibility standard, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) has been adopted by countries throughout the world as a way to comply with legal accessibility requirements.

How to Comply with the U.K. Web Accessibility Standards

New guidelines published in 2018 gave perhaps the clearest guidance when it comes to complying with U.K. web accessibility law. Following the web accessibility standards laid out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) from WC3 will likely satisfy the U.K. and Irish regulations.  

The WCAG recommends specific ways to make online content more accessible to those with disabilities. It covers four main areas for websites:

Perceivable

All users, including those with impaired vision, should be able to see and read your website.

Operable

Websites should be responsive and easy to navigate for all users across multiple browsers and mobile devices

Understandable

Websites should be organized in a way that’s easy to use and use language that most customers can understand.

Robust

Websites should integrate with tools (Assistive Technology or AT) that are used by users with disabilities.The WCAG 2.1 Guidelines contain a comprehensive list of items for businesses, User Experience (UX) designers, and web designers.