Accessible documents policy

This policy explains how accessible the documents the Disability Unit publishes on GOV.UK are.

This policy explains how accessible the documents Disability Unit publishes on GOV.UK are. It covers PDFs and other types of document.

It does not cover content published on GOV.UK as HTML, as the main GOV.UK accessibility statement covers that.

Using our documents

We may publish documents in a range of formats, including:

  • HTML
  • PDF
  • CSV

We want as many people as possible to be able to use those documents. For example, when we produce a document we:

  • always provide an HTML option
  • tag headings and other parts of the document properly, so screen readers can understand the page structure
  • make sure we include alt text alongside non-decorative images, so people who cannot see them understand what they’re there for
  • avoid using tables, except when we’re presenting data
  • write in plain English

How accessible our documents are

We have checked our published documents to make sure they are accessible. Any new documents will also be checked for accessibility before they are published.

What to do if you cannot use one of our documents

If you need a document we’ve published in a different format, email [email protected] or write to:

Correspondence Team
Cabinet Office
70 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2AS

We will consider the request and get back to you within 15 days.

Reporting accessibility problems with one of our documents

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of our documents. If you find any problems or you think we may not be meeting accessibility requirements, contact [email protected].

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’).

If you are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Technical information about the accessibility of our documents

Disability Unit is committed to making our documents accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

The documents Disability Unit publishes are compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.

How we tested our documents

While we try to publish all our documents as HTML, we occasionally publish PDFs. Each new PDF is now tested for accessibility before it is published.

What we are doing to improve accessibility

We will continue to make our site accessible. We will continue to publish documents as HTML pages wherever possible and we will check that any PDFs are accessible before we publish them.

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact us.

Contents