2.1 applies exclusively to the digital products of governments, public institutions and partnerships thereof. Housing corporations, healthcare and educational institutions and other semi-governments are therefore excluded in principle.
2.1 applies to all digital government services. This includes: applications, websites and all content and documents contained therein (with a few exceptions, but more on that later).
There is a phased introduction. Initially, the obligation applies to new websites, later to older websites and later to mobile applications.
The timeline that goes with this:
Timeline from Roadshow presentation
Getting started with accessibility
Are you starting to feel dizzy yet? Fortunately, you don't have to follow it in detail to be able to do something with it. The government also likes to keep its accessibility guidelines accessible. You can make (or design) your website or application accessible with this step-by-step plan , offered by Logius. This is the government service that manages and improves the digital services of the government (responsible for DigiD, among other things). You can find out exactly what the assessment criteria are here (English only). But the government has also set up a simple (and therefore accessible) alternative for this - very appropriately .
The step-by-step plan in particular is relevant for every organisation. This will help you make your website or application accessible. Of course, you have to work on it seriously, but an accessible website is always worth it. Not just for the quarter of the population with a disability and their network, but for everyone. A clear website in simple language is appreciated by everyone. Also remember that low literacy is one of the most common disabilities.
In the Netherlands there are over 4,500,000 people with a disability. Screenshot from Roadshow presentation.
In the Netherlands there are over 4,500,000 turkey telegram data people with a disability. Screenshot from Roadshow presentation.
Accessibility Statement
According to the guideline, accessibility is not just a matter of becoming accessible, but also of showing it. In order to provide an accessible digital application according to WCAG 2.1, it must meet the following requirements:
The application complies technically and functionally with the guideline
The application complies with the guideline in terms of content
You indicate what you do to comply with the guideline via an accessibility statement
The first two are self-explanatory, the third needs some explanation. Websites and applications must have an accessibility statement. You can obtain this online with the help of a filling-in assistant. To do this, you first register with Logius . Obtaining an accessibility statement is included in a step-by-step plan that Logius offers. This makes it a bit easier for you. To make it even easier, a real roadshow traveled through the Netherlands in mid-2019 to provide explanations about the WCAG 2.1 guideline. Did you miss it? No worries, I have recorded some important conclusions for you.
