Accessibility
What are the requirements?
The directive contains provisions that say that the services and information provided by public sector bodies through a website or mobile application are to be accessible. Such digital services are to fulfil the requirements to be:
- perceivable
- operable
- understandable
- robust
By adhering to a specific European standard (EN 301 549 V2.1.2), which in turn is based on WCAG 2.1, websites and mobile applications can meet the requirements.
The directive also says that public actors are to provide a so-called accessibility statement, which is to, among other things, describe how the website or application in question complies with the requirements.
At the university, we are currently working to review our PDF files, create an action plan, and produce the accessibility statement that the law requires be available on every public sector website.
Supervisory authority
The supervisory authority for this work is the Agency for Digital Government (DIGG for its Swedish name, Myndigheten för digital förvaltning). DIGG will conduct both automated and manual checks of websites. It is also possible to report non-compliance to DIGG. In cases where DIGG detects deficiencies, they will first contact the relevant authority for correction; if this is not then done, a fine can be imposed.
You can read more about the directive and what it means on their website.