Accessible publications

Government organisations may need to produce certain publications in languages other than English. If a publication affects people in Wales there may be an obligation to produce a Welsh language version.

Government organisations are also bound by the Equality Act 2010 to ensure their services and products, including publications, are accessible.

A publication’s content and intended audience could affect publishing formats. For example, is a document likely to generate a request for a version in another format? In some cases the answer might be to publish specific alternative formats by default.

Examples of alternative formats:

  • Easy Read versions, print and web
  • Large print
  • Braille version
  • British Sign Language video
  • Audio version
  • Open text format

All PDFs published on government websites need to meet accessibility requirements set by the Government Digital Service.

A tagged PDF document can also partly meet the need for:

  • Large print (as the pages can be scaled to preference on screen)
  • Audio (as Adobe Acrobat Reader allows all suitable PDFs to be ‘read out loud’)

Websites and mobile apps need to comply with the Accessibility Regulations 2018. The Government Digital Service has produced guidance on applying the regulations’ requirements.

Further sources of information: