Accessibility Standards

You may not know if someone in your distribution list or team has a disability. Accessibility describes the extent to which all people can use, participate in or benefit from a particular resource, service or environment, regardless of any disabilities or other needs.

Accessible content is easier for everyone to access. It's the right thing to do, it benefits everyone, and it's the law.

When you create any content (including documents, presentation slides, meeting notes, images, blog posts, web pages, videos), you're legally obliged to make it accessible for people with disabilities.

It's important that accessibility is not treated as an afterthought but built into your content from the start. It's easy to create and it doesn't take any extra time if done from the start. The advantages of actively considering what users need will be appreciated by all. This is sometimes referred to as the curb-cut effect.

The following guidance will help you to create accessible content.