Website accessibility in the UK: regulations, WCAG 2.2 and the Equality Act

The UK has two layers of rules for websites: specific regulations for the public sector, which name WCAG 2.2 AA in government guidance, and the general Equality Act 2010, which applies to anyone providing services to the public, including private businesses. This page sets out what each says. It is general information, not legal advice.

Public sector: the 2018 Accessibility Regulations

The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/952) cover websites and mobile apps of public sector bodies. According to the GOV.UK guidance, they came into force on 23 September 2018. Public sector bodies must:

• meet WCAG 2.2 AA — the guidance tells bodies to meet the WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standard (it was updated for WCAG 2.2 in October 2023);
• publish an accessibility statement explaining how accessible the website or app is, and review it regularly.

Where meeting the standard would be a disproportionate burden, a body may claim this for some items after an assessment; the guidance states that lack of time, knowledge or priority does not count.

Exemptions

• Fully exempt: non-government organisations such as charities, unless they are mostly publicly funded, provide essential public services or are aimed at disabled people; public sector broadcasters and their subsidiaries.
• Partly exempt: primary and secondary schools and nurseries, except content people need to use their services.
• Exempt content (regulation 4) includes, among others, office files published before 23 September 2018 unless needed for active administrative processes, prerecorded audio and video published before 23 September 2020, live audio and video, and archives not updated after 23 September 2019.

Monitoring and enforcement

The Government Digital Service (GDS) monitors compliance for the Minister for the Cabinet Office by testing a sample of sites and apps each year. Enforcement lies with the Equality and Human Rights Commission in England, Scotland and Wales and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Private sector: the Equality Act 2010

The 2018 regulations do not apply to private companies. For them, the relevant law is the Equality Act 2010. Section 29 covers anyone "concerned with the provision of a service to the public or a section of the public", paid or free, and section 29(7) applies the duty to make reasonable adjustments to these service providers.

The Act does not name WCAG or any technical standard for websites. GOV.UK guidance notes that all UK service providers must consider reasonable adjustments for disabled people under the Equality Act 2010 in England, Scotland and Wales, or the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland — and that this duty still applies when a public body is exempt from the regulations or claims disproportionate burden.

In practice, WCAG 2.2 AA is a sensible benchmark for private sites too, because it is the standard the UK government uses and the one most testing tools report against. What counts as a reasonable adjustment in a given case is a legal question for a lawyer.

Selling to the EU from the UK

The European Accessibility Act is EU law. A UK business that offers e-commerce or other covered services to consumers in EU member states may fall under the national laws implementing it. Read the EAA guide and check whether it applies to you.

Checking a UK website

A website accessibility checker can find part of the WCAG 2.2 AA issues automatically. Our free check and WCAG checker test one page against WCAG 2.2 A and AA in a real browser, with the criterion for each issue. Then test by hand: keyboard, zoom and a screen reader — see how to test WCAG and the WCAG 2.2 checklist. A clean scan is not an audit and does not confirm that a site meets the regulations.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies (updated 30 September 2024): https://www.gov.uk/guidance/accessibility-requirements-for-public-sector-websites-and-apps
• legislation.gov.uk, The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/952/contents
• legislation.gov.uk, SI 2018/952 regulation 4 (application): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/952/regulation/4
• legislation.gov.uk, Equality Act 2010, section 29: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/29

Frequently asked questions

Which law covers public sector websites in the UK?

The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. They came into force on 23 September 2018 and cover websites and mobile apps of public sector bodies.

Does the UK government require WCAG 2.2?

Yes. GOV.UK guidance tells public sector bodies to meet the WCAG 2.2 AA standard and to publish an accessibility statement. GDS monitors a sample of sites each year. What changed from 2.1 is in WCAG 2.1 vs 2.2.

Do the 2018 regulations apply to private companies?

No. They apply to public sector bodies. Private businesses are covered by the Equality Act 2010, under which service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.

Who enforces the regulations?

GDS monitors compliance on behalf of the Minister for the Cabinet Office. Enforcement lies with the Equality and Human Rights Commission in England, Scotland and Wales and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Is there a free website accessibility checker for UK sites?

Yes. Our free check tests one page against WCAG 2.2 A and AA, the level in GOV.UK guidance. It is an automated check, not a full audit.