Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018

What it is

The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 — UK's transposition of EU Directive 2016/2102. Mandates WCAG 2.1 AA conformance and a published accessibility statement for every public-sector website, intranet, and mobile app.

Why it matters

GDS's Cabinet Office monitoring team audits a sample of public-sector sites yearly and publishes findings. Non-compliant bodies receive enforcement letters from the Equality and Human Rights Commission; persistent failures can trigger judicial review proceedings.

Who it applies to

UK public-sector bodies — government departments, local councils, NHS trusts, universities, and most public-funded organizations.

• Site types: Government, Education, Nonprofit
• Jurisdictions: United Kingdom

How WQI scores it

Web Quality Index considers this standard satisfied when all of the 7 supporting factors pass.

0 of 7 supporting factors are currently collected. Sites where the remaining 7 haven't been measured will show as partial or unknown on this standard until the data lands.

Related standards

Implements

WCAG 2.1 AA

See also

Equality Act 2010 , WCAG 2.1 AA , WCAG AA , EAA

Standards that share factors with this one

Auto-computed from overlapping factor tickets in satisfiedBy, excluding standards already listed under "See also" above. Strong overlap suggests these standards rise and fall together when sites are scored.

• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 6 shared factors Accessibility If you're a public-sector body or a private org with 50+ employees in Ontario, your website has to meet WCAG 2.0 AA — and you have to file a compliance report.
• Accessible Canada Act 6 shared factors Accessibility The federal counterpart to AODA. If you're a federally regulated entity — banks, telecoms, airlines, broadcasters — you publish accessibility plans and progress reports, and your digital surfaces are in scope.
• ADA Title III (digital) 6 shared factors Accessibility Courts treat consumer-facing U.S. websites as places of public accommodation. WCAG AA conformance is the de-facto safe-harbor — the DOJ has said so since 2022.
• Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung 2.0 6 shared factors Accessibility Germany's federal accessibility regulation. Mandates WCAG 2.1 AA (via EN 301 549) for federal public-sector websites, intranets, and mobile apps.
• Israeli Standard 5568 6 shared factors Accessibility Israel's adoption of WCAG 2.0 AA, made binding for nearly every commercial website serving Israeli users by Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities Regulations.

Other references

• guidance GDS — Sample accessibility statement
• guidance Cabinet Office monitoring approach