The Digital Directorate of the Scottish Government has developed a platform for public sector organisations to test accessibility issues on their websites.
Named Accessibility Cloud, it has been made available for checking how the websites perform in relation to the requirements of the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Mark Palmer, accessibility lead in the directorate, made the announcement on the platform’s launch this week, although it has been in place since March.
It works through public sector organisations providing contact details for each website owner, who is given a user account to access its reporting function. It can then be used for continuous monitoring, identifying new issues as they arise, and to generate accessibility statements following manual audits.
Palmer said it is only available for use with websites in the public domain, and that a person with coding experience will be needed to remedy any issues found.
Compliance and user experience
He outlined a number of benefits of using the Accessibility Cloud, including increased compliance with the legislation, improving the user experience of websites for people with disabilities, and building a broader culture of accessibility.
“Since we’ve started using it, it’s definitely been a bit of a game changer,” he said. “By empowering us to create more inclusive digital experiences we’re able to ensure that everyone can access the information and services they need.
“On that front, I’ve been really proud to be part of a team that is committed to making the digital world a more accessible place.
“By proactively identifying and addressing accessibility issues, we can all be part of a movement to improve user experiences, promote digital inclusion and adhere to the legal requirements that we all need to meet. In doing so, we can all contribute to Scotland taking a significant step towards building a more accessible digital landscape.”
The directorate is planning to run online sessions on 24 and 26 September to help public sector participants better understand the platform, and has said its digital accessibility team can be contacted by email.
