The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018

PART 2Obligations for public sector bodies

Application of Part 2

5.  This Part applies as follows—

(a)for a website of a public sector body published on or after 23rd September 2018, after 22nd September 2019;

(b)for any other website of a public sector body, after 22nd September 2020; and

(c)for a mobile application of a public sector body, after 22nd June 2021.

Obligation to make websites and mobile applications accessible

6.  Subject to regulation 7, public sector bodies must comply with the accessibility requirement.

Disproportionate burden assessment

7.—(1) Regulation 6 does not require a public sector body to comply with the accessibility requirement if doing so would impose a disproportionate burden on the public sector body.

(2) A public sector body must perform an assessment of the extent to which compliance with the accessibility requirement imposes a disproportionate burden.

(3) In undertaking such an assessment, a public sector body must take account of relevant circumstances, including—

(a)the size, resources and nature of the public sector body; and

(b)the estimated costs and benefits for the public sector body in relation to the estimated benefits for persons with disabilities, taking into account the frequency and duration of use of the specific website or mobile application.

(4) If, following the assessment, a public sector body determines that compliance with the accessibility requirement would impose a disproportionate burden, it must—

(a)explain in its accessibility statement the parts of the accessibility requirement that could not be complied with; and

(b)where appropriate, provide accessible alternatives to documents held by that public sector body that are not available on their website or mobile application.

Accessibility statement

8.—(1) A public sector body must provide an accessibility statement in accordance with the model accessibility statement, and keep that statement under regular review.

(2) For a website, the accessibility statement must be—

(a)provided in an accessible format; and

(b)published on the website of the public sector body.

(3) For a mobile application, the accessibility statement must be—

(a)provided in an accessible format; and

(b)available on the website of the public sector body or alongside other information available when downloading the mobile application.

(4) The accessibility statement must include—

(a)an explanation of those parts of the content that are not accessible and the reasons why;

(b)where appropriate, a description of any accessible alternatives provided;

(c)a description of, and a link to, a contact form which enables a person to—

(i)notify the public sector body of any failure of its website or mobile application to comply with the accessibility requirement; and

(ii)request details of the information excluded under regulation 4(2) and regulation 7(4); and

(d)a link to the enforcement procedure set out in Part 5 of these Regulations to which recourse may be had in the event of an unsatisfactory response to the notification or the request.