Aside from the ethical and practical benefits of accessible publishing, there are also multiple legal obligations incumbent upon stakeholders in the publishing ecosystem. These include:
- Publishers selling into EU territories will need to conform with the European Accessibility Act by 28 June 2025. This is an important part of planning and risk mitigation even if your business is solely domestic.
- Equality Act, 2010
- The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, states you must make your website or mobile app more accessible by making it ‘perceivable, operable, understandable and robust’.
- The Copyright and Rights in Performances (Disability) Regulations came into force in June 2014 providing exception to copyright for all print disabled persons.
- The UK is a participant of the Marrakesh Treaty.
For information on accessibility requirements throughout the publishing ecosystem see Accessibility in the Publishing Workflow.