Digital communications

Accessible formats are no longer limited to paper, audiotape and embossed Braille

Government increasingly interacts with citizens digitally. For example, people can submit self-assessment tax returns and take part in consultations online. Taking time to ensure your digital communications are accessible to disabled people means you are doing your job as a communicator more effectively.

You also have a legal duty not to discriminate against people covered by the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) when communicating digitally.

Digital communications can liberate disabled people if they are accessible. But they can create problems if they are designed inaccessibly. Think carefully about getting digital formats right for disabled people in your audience.

It is important to understand the types of assistive technology that some disabled people use, such as screen readers to convert text into speech or voice-activated software if they cannot see or cannot use a keyboard.

What you can do

Make your digital communications accessible for disabled people
Find out about different types of assistive technology