What does the UK Government think about website accessibility?
All UK Government websites are expected to achieve, as a minimum, and adhere to the single ‘A’; (Priority 1 items) level. When this has been completed the W3C WAI logo can be displayed on the website home page, if required.
‘If this mark is not achieved, one or more groups will find it difficult to access information on your site. Satisfying this checkpoint is a basic requirement for some groups of the user population to be able to use web documents. Note that compliance with WAI recommendations alone does not necessarily mean that a website will meet the needs of different users.
The UK Government passed the UK DDA 1995 and ammeded it in 1999 to ensure disabled people are not discriminated against accessing UK companies’ websites.
New web design guidance in progress
Although not yet issued, website managers are recommended to note the following guidance presented by the UK Cabinet Office and plan implementation accordingly.
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Naming and registering websites (formal consultation, comments by 29 February 2008) (TG101) Delivering inclusive websites (formal consultation completed) (TG102)Department-run websites (informal consultation completed) (TG104)Website channel strategy (informal consultation completed) (TG103)
Web design guidance In force
The following sections of the Guidelines for UK Government Websites remain in force in the UK. While much has changed since these documents were originally written in 2002, including updated versions of software and coding standards, the broad best practice web design principles they promote remain valid in 2008.
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[PDF, KB] [Word, KB] Buying and selling advertising space and sponsorship (TG106) [PDF, 818KB]Website evaluation, usage and analysis (TG107) [PDF, 964KB]Building in universal accessibility (TG112) [PDF, 995KB]Legal issues (TG113) [PDF, 995KB]Registering .gov.uk domain names (TG114)Guidance on Securing Websites [External website]Minimum technical standards for government websites (TG109) [PDF, 789KB]Making PDF files usable and accessible (TG110) [PDF, 875KB]How to use cookies on government websites (TG111) [PDF, 826KB]
These are links to the Cabinet Office website.
