Legal requirements for the public sector
- Meet accessibility requirements, i.e. the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard
- Publish an accessibility statement.
Public sector digital services are used for all the important areas of our lives – health, housing, employment and more. We don’t have a choice but to use these services, so it’s right that they meet accessibility standards, i.e. they work for people regardless of their device or browser and, most importantly, they work for people with disabilities – whether visual, auditory, cognitive, or mobility.
The accessibility statement shows an ongoing commitment to monitoring and improving website accessibility. It shows:
- whether the site is ‘fully’, ‘partially’ or ‘not’ compliant
- which (if any) parts do not currently meet accessibility standards, and why
- how people can get alternatives to inaccessible content
- how people can reach out to report accessibility problems, with a link they can use if they are unhappy with the response.
Legal requirements for the private sector
There isn’t specific UK legislation for private sector websites, although the Equality Act 2010 makes it clear that your website, app or digital service must be able to be used by people with disabilities.
If your business or organisation has customers in the EU, then the new European Accessibility Act – published June 2025 – will require your website, app or digital service to be accessible. This will require an accessibility statement.
Having an accessibility statement shows your commitment to accessibility and inclusion for your customers. It also means the 1 in 5 people in the UK who have a disability can actually do business with you online. Read more about the business case for accessibility.
How to write an accessibility statement
The first step is to know whether your website has any accessibility issues. Studio 24 can help you, either with our single-page accessibility review or a full audit with one of our testing partners.
You will also need to make sure you have a way for people to reach out for help with your website or to request reasonable adjustments.
Finally, in the UK, there is a specific template to use, with various passages of mandatory legal wording that must be included in the accessibility statement.
GOVUK provides a model accessibility statement to use as the basis for writing your own statement, and an example statement for a fictional public sector website or app.