DPA @ London Tech Week: Accessibility Regulations

Join us at our London Tech Week fringe event, focusing on the legal reforms necessary to ensure enforceable accessibility requirements across all digital services in the UK. Whilst national government services set a “gold standard” of digital accessibility, not all public sector services are subject to this. More recently, the EU Accessibility Act has brought a focus on accessibility for private sector organisations operating in the EU, but the UK lacks equivalent legislation.

Such legislation has the ability to revolutionise how services are used by those with differing needs – and with one in three disabled people living in poverty, the intersection with digital exclusion is clear. Truly accessible websites also often offer a cleaner and more intuitive user experience for those who are less digitally confident, and frequently have other benefits for brands such as better SEO and performance effects. However, accessibility is often considered complex, specialist and time-consuming to implement, rather than openly available to all – a particular concern for charities, community organisations and small businesses.

A short briefing note will be circulated ahead of the session, and discussions will be held under the Chatham House Rule.