Accessibility legal requirements

• Last reviewed: 29 July 2026

Find out about the legal requirements DfE must meet to ensure products and services are accessible.

Accessibility is a legal requirement for DfE. These regulations and duties explain what we must do to make our products and services accessible and what they mean for DfE teams.

This guidance covers:

• Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 - the accessibility requirements DfE websites and mobile applications must meet
• Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty - the legal duties that protect disabled people from discrimination and require public bodies to consider equality
• European standard for ICT (EN 301 549) - the technical accessibility standard used to support compliance with accessibility regulations

To understand how DfE teams meet these requirements, see Standards and assurance.

DfE must meet accessibility legislation when creating digital products and services. This guidance explains the regulations and duties that apply, and what they mean for DfE teams.