What accessible content is

What content needs to be made accessible

Learn what content must be accessible, what may be exempt, and what to do if content isn’t fully accessible yet.

What content needs to be accessible

Anyone who creates, writes, or commissions content for our websites is responsible for making sure it is accessible. This includes:

public-facing websites we manage or commission
staff‑only sites, like our intranet or SharePoint sites
documents, forms, videos, audio and interactive tools

Web content includes anything published online that people can read, watch, listen to or interact with.

Accessibility is not optional. Content cannot be left inaccessible because it has not been prioritised, or because of a lack of time or knowledge.

However, we recognise that content cannot always be fixed immediately. The sections below explain what to do while improvements are made.

What to do if content isn’t fully accessible

Content cannot always be made fully accessible straight away. Technical or practical challenges do not remove the need to make content accessible.

If content is not fully accessible immediately:

provide an alternative format so people can still access the information, for example, a plain text version, Easy Read version, or a summary page
explain how people can request accessible content, including clear contact details
create a plan to make the content as accessible as possible, with a clear timeline

All content should meet basic accessibility standards as soon as reasonably possible.

While no content can be fully accessible to every user, these steps help most people use the content and ensure legal requirements are met.

Content you need to fix

Use this section as a reference if you are unsure whether content must be fixed.

Content must be accessible if it has been published on:

public websites (including outsourced services)
intranets or extranets after 23 September 2019
intranets or extranets published before 23 September 2019, if they have been updated or redeveloped

This includes:

text and images
pre‑recorded audio and video published after 23 September 2020
PDFs and other documents published after 23 September 2018
PDFs and other documents published before 23 September 2018 if people need them to use a service, such as a school meal request form

Content you might not need to fix

Some content is exempt under accessibility regulations, including:

intranet or extranet content published before 23 September 2019, unless major updates are made
PDFs and other documents published before 23 September 2018, unless essential for a service
pre‑recorded audio and video published before 23 September 2020
live audio and video, unless recorded and published after 23 September 2020
maps (essential information must still be provided in an accessible format, such as an address)
heritage collections, such as scanned manuscripts
archived websites that are not needed to deliver services and are not updated
third‑party content under someone else’s control if you did not pay for or create it (for example, social media buttons)

If exempt content is essential to complete a service, or if someone requests it in an accessible format, you must still provide an alternative.

Third-party content under someone else’s control

You are not responsible for fixing content created by other organisations if you did not pay for or create it. Examples include embedded YouTube videos or external PDFs.

You are responsible for providing key information in an alternative format if:

it is essential for users to complete a task or understand a service
a user requests an accessible version, even if the content is normally exempt

Examples of alternative formats include:

a text summary of important information from an embedded video without captions
text on a web page summarising inaccessible information in a PDF
a plain text summary of a complex PDF with charts and tables
a CSV file of table data from a PDF financial report

Content in schools and nurseries

Schools and nurseries do not have to meet all accessibility regulations, but must make key information accessible.

Focus on key information parents and carers need to use services and make decisions.

This can include:

school meal selection forms
admissions and enrolment forms and information
parent guides
absence reporting
timetables and term dates
emergency alerts

This content should be easy to find and use. Avoid hiding it in PDFs, flyers or website widgets. Wherever possible, publish it directly on web pages in plain text.

If shared as a PDF or other digital format, this content must be accessible.

The following examples show common school content and what “good enough” looks like in practice.

Example: School admissions policy as a PDF

Create an accessible PDF from an accessible source document, usually Microsoft Word.

If you already create Word documents using built‑in headings and styles, you are likely most of the way there.

You may need to:

use a clear file name and document title
apply proper heading styles
add alternative text for images that show information, such as a school logo
use clear and meaningful link text
consider how web addresses (URLs) will be used if the document is mainly read online
export the Word document correctly as a tagged PDF

Read detailed guidance on how to do this in How to make Word documents accessible.

Example: Sharing a school lunch menu

If uploaded as a PDF, also make the menu items directly available on your website.

List menu items using headings and simple bullet lists. Avoid tables or calendar widgets unless you can make them accessible, as they can be difficult to use on small screens and with screen readers.