Accessibility

Making a website or mobile app accessible means making sure it can be used by as many people as possible.

This includes those with:

• impaired vision
• motor difficulties
• cognitive impairments or learning disabilities
• deafness or impaired hearing

At least 1 in 5 people in the UK have a long term illness, impairment or disability, many others have temporary disabilities.

A temporary disability could be:

• using a mobile phone in a noisy café
• trying to use a computer with a broken arm
• using a screen in direct sunlight

Accessibility means more than putting things online. It means making your content and design clear and simple enough so that most people can use it without needing to adapt it, while supporting those who do.

People may not have a choice when using a public sector website, so it’s important they work for everyone. The people who need them the most are often the people who find them hardest to use.

Better for everyone

Accessible websites are better for everyone. For example, they are:

• faster and easier to use
• ranked higher in search engines so users can easily find them
• robust – this means they work as expected with different types of technology
• cost saving – accessible websites help users find what they need online, reducing the need for phone calls and face to face visits