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Interpretation of UK accessibility law?

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From: Beattie, Allan
Date: Feb 4, 2020 10:59AM

Hello

I apologise in advance for what may end up being a somewhat ranty email.

I attended a sprint review meeting today during which a fairly senior manager asked yet again why we couldn't just make it work well for "the majority" of users, and address accessibility issues at a later date.

My understanding of the law - specifically, the Equality Act 2010 along with the recent Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 - is that a new feature, app or website needs to be accessible to all users from the start. If it's not, and we know about the accessibility issues before we implement it, then we're breaking the law. That's what I told him.

However, I believe there's an assumption that so long as we declare that we know about the issues in an Accessibility Statement, and undertake to fix them by a specified point in the future, then in the immediate term it's absolutely fine to release whatever inaccessible abomination to the world that the Product Owners or project deadlines might demand.

So, preaching to the choir here, but my question is: which interpretation of the law is more accurate?

Thanks in advance,
Allan

--
Allan A Beattie
Senior Web Developer

IT Services | The University of Aberdeen
t: +44 (0)1224 27 4486


The University of Aberdeen is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013683.
Tha Oilthigh Obar Dheathain na charthannas clàraichte ann an Alba, Àir. SC013683.