Legal requirements

Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018

Last reviewed
29 July 2026

The Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 set accessibility requirements for public sector websites and mobile applications.

Warning The department can be fined if we fail to meet this legal requirement.

[RECONSIDER WARNING TEXT, MAYBE: "This is a legal requirement. If you create or update a DfE website or mobile application, you must ensure it meets the Accessibility Regulations 2018.."]

The Accessibility Regulations 2018 require public sector websites and mobile applications to be accessible to disabled people. They help ensure DfE products and services can be used by as many people as possible.

To meet these requirements, DfE websites and mobile applications must meet WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) at level AA.

The regulations came into force on:

  • 23 September 2018 for new and existing websites
  • 23 June 2021 for mobile applications

Why it matters in DfE

As a government department, we must comply with the Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Building accessible products and services helps everyone use DfE services, including disabled people. It also improves usability, reduces support needs and helps create more inclusive services.

How to meet the regulations

Meeting the regulations means ensuring websites and mobile applications meet WCAG 2.2 at level AA. Teams should use accessibility testing to check that websites and mobile applications meet these requirements.

The DfE Accessibility and inclusive design manual supports teams to develop the knowledge and skills they need to meet these requirements. The manual provides guidance on:

  • WCAG 2.2
  • how to carry out internal accessibility tests
  • training modules

DesignOps in DfE can also support teams to get an accessibility audit.

Content in scope

Examples of content types that must meet the regulations:

  • all public-facing web pages on DfE websites and mobile apps
  • all PDFs, Word files or other downloadable documents published after 23 September 2018
  • existing PDFs, Word files or other downloadable documents published before this date were supposed to be accessible by 23 September 2020, but you should aim to ensure all documents are accessible, even if published earlier

Use the GOV.UK guidance for things you might not need to fix.