Accessibility
All websites, web applications and digital products must achieve WCAG 2.1 AA standards in order to meet CPS Policy, Governmental accessibility and Legislative requirements.
For some general guidance check out the Making your service accessible guide from GDS.
For CPS specific guidance, the internally accessible Digital Accessibility Services Hub covers accessibility of web services, and end point applications.
More Than Just aria Attributes
When creating an accessible, usable, and inclusive service, it is essential to go beyond simply achieving screen reader compatibility. While ensuring that assistive technologies can navigate your service is crucial, it is equally important to evaluate the user journey, the language used, and the presentation of complex information.
True accessibility is achieved by integrating usability and inclusion into your web services, ensuring that they genuinely meet the needs of all end users. Focusing solely on one aspect while neglecting the others may result in a service that checks all the technical boxes but fails to deliver value to a diverse audience.
For a comprehensive understanding of accessibility, usability, and inclusion, the W3C's WAI Accessibility Fundamentals provides an excellent starting point. Whether you are creating a new service or updating an existing one, this resource offers valuable insights into these issues.
Work in Progress!
This site is a work in progress and any opinions contained here are intended to spark discussion within each discipline's community of practice.
Created: 2023-07-14