Useful accessibility links and resources
Here’s a list of useful links for anyone wanting to learn more about some of the important legal and technical topics relating to accessibility in digital products. These are resources I’ve found particularly useful myself. If there are any other links you think I should include, then get in touch.
Laws
These mostly relate to the UK, EU and USA. Some apply a bit more widely. Wherever you’re working, or whatever the kind of work you’re doing, make sure you know the laws and regulations that apply. The first link in this list, to the W3Cs list of international laws and policies is a useful place to start.
- W3C list of International Web Accessibility Laws & Policies
- Equality Act 2010 (UK)
- The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (UK)
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (USA)
- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (USA)
- Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services (EU)
- Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies (EU)
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) (International, most countries are signatories)
Guidelines
Guidelines are great. They literally tell you how to do stuff. These links look mostly at the key front-end web technologies. There are plenty of others to find depending on the specialism of the work you’re doing, but these are a good starting point.
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
- Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA)
- mdn web docs_ HTML reference
Accreditations and standards
Accreditations and standards are very useful for helping you, your organisation and your clients be the best. They tend to be written, updated and audited by people who really know what they’re talking about. So they’re well worth following. Even if you’re not yet ready to go for full accreditation, start with the basics and work your way up.
- BS 8878:2010 Web accessibility. Code of practice (Superseded by ISO/IEC 30071-1:2019)
- ISO/IEC 30071-1:2019 Information technology — Development of user interface accessibility — Part 1: Code of practice for creating accessible ICT products and services
- ISO 9241-171:2008 Ergonomics of human-system interaction — Part 171: Guidance on software accessibility
- ISO 9241-210:2019 Ergonomics of human-system interaction — Part 210: Human-centred design for interactive systems
Training
There are all sorts of fascinating things to learn if you’re interested in accessibility. Starting with the basics is a great idea. And these free courses are a superb way to gain an appreciation for why accessibility is such an important part of what we do as digital creators.
Recommended reading and resources
The phrase ‘stay up to date with industry trends’ is as ubiquitous on job descriptions in the digital industry as is ‘turn up for work’. Here are some exceptionally good resources for staying up to date in the field of digital accessibility.
- A11y Weekly (weekly e-newsletter)
- Accessibility in the News (weekly e-newsletter)
- Hassell Inclusion newsletter, which includes invitations to their brilliant, free monthly webinar (e-newsletter)
- Inclusive Design for Products: Including your missing 20% by embedding web and mobile accessibility (book)
- Inclusive Design for Organisations: Including your missing 20% by embedding web and mobile accessibility (book)
- ISO 30071-1: Why did we need another accessibility standard? Jonathan Hassell (article)
Have a link you think I should add?
Feel free to get in touch if you have something you think I should include on these lists. Or if you just fancy a chat about accessibility.