Accessibility and inclusive design WORK IN PROGRESS

Accessibility guidelines

• Part of: Accessibility and inclusive design WORK IN PROGRESS collection
• Last reviewed: 6 August 2026
• Owner: DesignOps

Guidelines and design principles to help you create accessible, inclusive products and websites.

WCAG

WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the international standard for digital accessibility. Learn the principles, requirements and how to meet them in DfE products and services.

This guidance helps you:

• understand the WCAG principles and requirements – including the level DfE products and services must meet
• use the WCAG explorer – find requirements, understand how to meet them and learn how to test them

Start with WCAG, then use the Cognitive accessibility guidelines (COGA) and Universal design principles to make design decisions that improve accessibility and usability for a wider range of users.

Cognitive accessibility guidelines

Use the Cognitive accessibility guidelines to design products and services that are more accessible for people with cognitive and learning disabilities. They provide additional guidance to help teams make inclusive design decisions throughout a project.

Universal design principles

Apply the Universal design principles alongside WCAG to design products and services that work for as many people as possible.