What accessible content is

Everyone experiences digital content differently. How people use our websites depends on their abilities, situation and the technology they use.

For example, someone might:

• read on a small screen
• use video captions in a noisy environment
• navigate with a keyboard instead of a mouse
• adjust text size or contrast to read comfortably

Making content accessible lets more people use our services confidently and independently.

Learn how Nottinghamshire County Council is embedding digital accessibility across its services

How people access and use the web

Our 2025 research shows that:

• 67% of people access our website on mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets
• people often scan text online instead of reading every word
• many people rely on assistive tools, like captions, screen readers, magnifiers or voice control

Making web content accessible helps everyone use our information more effectively.

How accessible content helps AI

AI tools, like search engines and machine learning systems, rely on clear, structured content. Accessibility helps AI to:

• identify main topics using headings
• understand images through descriptive text
• interpret lists and structured information
• read plain text quickly and accurately

AI tools struggle with content that:

• uses images of text or images without descriptions
• has video or audio-only content without captions or transcripts
• includes interactive elements that are not correctly coded
• hides content inside complex widgets

Making content accessible helps both people and digital tools find, read and use information effectively.