Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Rejected
Regulate essential private sector websites and applications to public sector accessibility standards
Recommendation
Given that disabled people increasingly need access to online services, information, and social networks, it is imperative that the Government acts on what it has described as the “persistently poor accessibility of private sector websites” without further delay. As a priority, private sector websites and applications which provide essential products and services should be subject to the same regulations as the public sector. Concurrently, Ministers should work with businesses, the Disability and Access Ambassadors and Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) to lay the ground for legislative action across the other parts of the private sector. The Government should provide an update on its progress on this recommendation within six months of the publication of this report. (Paragraph 28) 16 Accessibility of products and services to disabled people
Government Response Summary
The government rejects immediate legislative action to make private sector websites accessible, stating there is no time left in this Parliament to change the law. It notes that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has established a cross-government group to examine online exclusion and is checking government websites.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
Our reply We know it is important for everyone to have access to online information and services. There is no time left in this Parliament to change the law to force businesses to make their website more accessible. Our Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has set up a group across the government to look at how online information and services exclude people with disabilities. We are also checking the accessibility of government websites.