Standards
Accessibility standards are requirements that DfE products and websites must meet.
Overview
As a government department, we're legally required to provide accessible services and products. These legal requirements are implemented through standards.
The standards are a set of principles and guidelines that ensure we design and build digital services consistently and inclusively.
We have assurance processes in place to make sure we're meeting standards.
The legal requirements
Learn about the legislation that DfE must meet to ensure our products and websites are accessible for everyone.
Public sector bodies accessibility regulations
The Accessibility Regulations 2018 are accessibility standards for public sector websites and mobile apps.
Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society, includes the Public Sector Equality Duty.
Accessibility of IT hardware and software
Legislation that requires public sector organisations to make their ICT hardware and software accessible to disabled people.
The standards
The DfE accessibility standards must be met as part of the product delivery lifecycle for all products and websites.
Standards are published in the Standards manual opens in new tab. All links open in a new tab.
| Standard | Reference | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility Statements opens in new tab | DDTS-34 | The accessibility statements standard ensures DfE products and websites meet accessibility regulations. |
| Accessibility Conformance opens in new tab | DDTS-463 | The accessibility conformance standard outlines requirements for ensuring DfE digital services meet WCAG guidelines and other accessibility regulations. |
Assurance in DfE
We have a range of assurance processes in DfE to ensure that we're meeting standards.