Web Accessibility Directive
{{External links|date=November 2024}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{time-context|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox EU legislation
|type=Directive
|EEA=yes
|number=2016/2102
|title=Directive on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies
|madeby=European Parliament and Council
|madeunder=
|OJrefurl=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2016:327:TOC
|OJref=L 327 p. 1–15
|made=26 October 2016
|commenced=15 Nov 2016
|application=23 September 2018 (for specific categories of content, see the directive timeline)
|status=Current
}}
The Directive on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications{{CELEX|32016L2102|text=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}} also known as Directive (EU) 2016/2102 was adopted by the European Union (EU) in 2016.{{cite web | title=EDF Toolkit on the Web Accessibility Directive | url=https://www.edf-feph.org/content/uploads/2020/12/final_edf_transposition_toolkit_accessibility_act.pdf |website=European Disability Forum (EDF) |date=September 2020}} This Directive applies to public sector organizations of member states of the European Union. The goal was to ensure that all public sector organizations were accessible for the 80 million people with disabilities in the EU.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2019-03-29|title=The European Web Accessibility Directive|url=https://www.3playmedia.com/2019/03/29/the-european-web-accessibility-directive/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=3PlayMedia}}
This EU Directive gave each member state until 2018 to be transposed into national legislation.{{cite web | title= EU Directive on the Accessibility of Public Sector Websites and Mobile Applications | date=2018-04-26| url=https://developer.paciellogroup.com/blog/2018/04/eu-directive-on-the-accessibility-of-public-sector-websites-and-mobile-applications/}} Each member country is responsible for implementing national legislation that conforms.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date= 2018-09-24|title=How we're helping public sector websites meet accessibility requirements|url=https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2018/09/24/how-were-helping-public-sector-websites-meet-accessibility-requirements/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=UK's GDS}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Ireland's National Disability Authority: EU Web Accessibility Directive|url=http://nda.ie/Publications/Communications/EU-Web-Accessibility-Directive/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Ireland's National Disability Authority}} A minimum level of harmonization is required which Member States must maintain. National legislation can exceed these minimum requirements, and some countries have chosen to do so. In transposing this EU Directive to national legislation, there was no need to extend it beyond the public sector organizations, but France chose to go beyond the minimum.{{Cite web|title=Website accessibility for persons with disabilities: minimum harmonization creates fragmentation|url=https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=729d658a-7b8d-45be-a573-b98e4311efc5|website=Lexology|date=2021-09-06}}
The Web Accessibility Directive Expert Group (WADEX) was established to provide support on the implementation of the Directive.{{Cite web|title=Web Accessibility Directive Expert Group (WADEX)|url=https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/web-accessibility-expert-group|website=European Commission: Shaping Europe’s digital future |date=2024-07-01|access-date=2024-10-15}}
The EU also implemented four Commission Implementing Decisions to complete the directive. These implementing decisions are legally binding acts within the European Union and are directly applicable in all member states of the EU. "Implementing decisions are always limited in scope. Their aim is to ensure uniform implementation of European legislation, and the subject-matter of any implementing decision serves that goal alone."{{Cite web|title=Implementing decision|url=https://www.eumonitor.eu/9353000/1/j9vvik7m1c3gyxp/vkh7chz09fy8|access-date= 2024-10-15|at=[https://www.eumonitor.eu/ EU Monitor]}} The related implementing decisions provide a model accessibility statement (2018/1523),{{CELEX|32018D1523|text=Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1523 of 11 October 2018 establishing a model accessibility statement in accordance with Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies}} monitoring methodology and arrangements for reporting (2018/1524),{{CELEX|32018D1524|text=Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1524 of 11 October 2018 establishing a monitoring methodology and the arrangements for reporting by Member States in accordance with Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies (notified under document C(2018) 6560)}} harmonised standard for websites and mobile application (2018/2048,{{CELEX|32018D2048|text=Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/2048 of 20 December 2018 on the harmonised standard for websites and mobile applications drafted in support of Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council}} updated by 2021/1339).{{CELEX|32021D1339|text=Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1339 of 11 August 2021 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/2048 as regards the harmonised standard for websites and mobile applications}}
The EU's new European Accessibility Act complements the Web Accessibility Directive and applies to the private sector, thus impacting a much larger number of people.
Implications of this Directive
The Directive:
- addresses websites and apps of public sector organizations;
- refers to specific standards, such as EN 301 549;
- requires the publication of an accessibility statement for websites and mobile apps;
- calls for a feedback mechanism for users to flag accessibility problems;{{Cite web|title=The EU Web Accessibility Directive: A practical guide for the public sector|url=https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/eu-web-accessibility-directive-guide-for-public-sector/79067/|website=Open Access Government|date= 2019-12-10 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.siteimprove.com/blog/the-eu-web-accessibility-directive-faq/ |title=The EU Web Accessibility Directive: Frequently asked questions |author=Georgia James |date=2020-03-11 |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Siteimprove }}
- expects regular accessibility monitoring and corresponding public reports by Member States.{{cite web |title=Web Accessibility |date=2023-04-18 |url=https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/web-accessibility}}
There is no specific reference to the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) 2.0, but Note 2: clause 48{{cite web |title=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 (Text with EEA relevance ) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016L2102#rct_48 |website=EUR-Lex}} talks both promoting authoring tools that help with accessibility and the recommendation to fund their development.{{cite web |title=On authoring tools in EN 301 549 |last1=de Vries |first1=Hidde |url=https://hidde.blog/authoring-tools-in-en-301-549/ |website=Hidde's Blog}}
The EC is also supporting the financing of research and pilot projects such as
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)'s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - WAI-Tools to establish uniform accessibility testing rules;{{Cite web |date=2022-08-02 |title=WAI-Tools |url=https://www.w3.org/WAI/about/projects/wai-tools/ |access-date=2022-08-03 |website=Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) }}
- W3C-WAI - WAI-Guide to design educational material;{{Cite web |date=2022-08-02 |title=WAI-Guide |url=https://www.w3.org/WAI/about/projects/wai-guide/ |access-date=2022-08-03 |website=Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) }}
- WADcher to develop a WAD platform prototype for evaluation, monitoring and reporting for WAD;{{Cite web |title=WADcher |url=https://wadcher.eu/ |website=WADcher.eu |access-date=2022-08-03 |language=en-US}}
- Funka Nu AB - We4Authors to facilitates the incorporation of accessibility features as the default option in authoring tools.{{Cite web |title=What is We4Authors |url=https://www.funka.com/en/projekt/we4authors/what-is-we4authors/ |access-date=2022-08-03 |website=Funka |language=en}}
=Timeline for Implementation=
- 23 September 2018 - Member States must transpose this Directive to national legislation
- 23 September 2019 - all new public sector websites must conform
- 23 September 2020 - all public sector websites must conform
- 23 June 2021 - all mobile apps must conform{{cite web | title = Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies | date = 22 August 2022 | url = https://www.gov.uk/guidance/accessibility-requirements-for-public-sector-websites-and-apps }}
- 23 December 2021 - member states' websites will need to be monitored and publicly reported{{cite web |title=Shaping Europe's digital future POLICY Web Accessibility |date= 2023-04-18|url=https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/web-accessibility |website=European Commission}}
- 23 June 2022 - European Commission to carry out a review of the application of this directive (Article 13).
=Accessibility Monitoring and Reporting=
Member States' have assigned organizations which are in charge of monitoring the implementation of the Web Accessibility Directive.{{Cite web|title=Member States' bodies in charge of monitoring the Web Accessibility Directive|url=https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/web-accessibility-monitoring|website=EC Shaping Europe’s digital future|date= 2022-12-07 }} Among other tasks, these organizations are responsible for regular monitoring of public sector sites,{{Cite web|title=Web Accessibility|url=https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/web-accessibility|website=EC Shaping Europe’s digital future|date= 2023-04-18 }} review disproportionate burden cases and accessibility statements, and guarantee both accessibility compliance and effective handling of feed-back given by users. [https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/egovernment-benchmark-2022 The European Commission's 2022 eGovernment Benchmark] compares how governments across Europe deliver digital public services.
==2020-2021 Reports==
A full public list of EU monitoring reports{{Cite web |title=Web Accessibility Directive - Monitoring reports - Shaping Europe's digital future |url=https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/web-accessibility-directive-monitoring-reports |access-date=2022-08-03 |website=digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu |date= 2022-01-04 |language=en}} produced because of the Web Accessibility Directive is available per country. This included the
[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accessibility-monitoring-of-public-sector-websites-and-mobile-apps-2020-2021 UK: Accessibility report of public sector websites and mobile apps] due to the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. All member states aside from France and Cyprus have published their monitoring reports. Luxembourg's [https://accessibilite.public.lu/fr/rapports/2020-2021/report/ Digital accessibility monitoring in Luxembourg], Ireland's [https://nda.ie/publications/communications/eu-web-accessibility-directive/monitoring%20reports/ Monitoring Report EU WAD Ireland 2021] and Malta's [https://www.mca.org.mt/sites/default/files/pageattachments/MTWADReport2021_0.pdf Report on the outcome of the monitoring and use of the enforcement procedure] were written in English. Both Slovenia and Portugal also included an English translation. All other reports were translated to English using fully automated machine translation.
Every three years, member states are required to provide reporting. The next reports will be due in December 2024.{{Cite web |title=Web Accessibility Directive - Monitoring reports {{!}} Shaping Europe's digital future |url=https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/web-accessibility-directive-monitoring-reports |access-date=2022-08-03 |website=digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu |date=2022-01-04 |language=en}}
See also
- European Accessibility Act for the private and non-profit sectors.
- Accessible Canada Act for the corresponding Federal Canadian legislation.
- Disability Discrimination Act for the corresponding UK legislation.
- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 for the corresponding American federal legislation.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.lflegal.com/global-law-and-policy/#Europe Lainey Feingold's Global Law and Policy: Europe]