Public means everybody

Accessibility first, design second in citizen services

As the public sector continues its drive to make public services and information available online, it is vital that no-one is excluded due to a disability, a neurodiverse condition, or other barrier to access. However, recent research and monitoring exercises reveal significant shortcomings in public sector digital accessibility.

There is an urgent need for a quickly implemented, scalable solution to make the information and services of public organizations available to all citizens. In a new point of view, we argue that public sector organizations should think “accessibility first, design second” when planning and creating their strategies for online communication with citizens.

According to the eGovernment Benchmark 2024 led by Capgemini on behalf of the European Commission, 65% of all websites surveyed failed to meet all eight of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) selected to measure how easy it is for disabled users to access online services.

Inclusivity, compliance, and policy

Citizens expect to be able to use digital public services, regardless of any disability. This is a basic human right in today’s digital age, and one that creates an inclusive and equitable society. Of course, digital accessibility has also been a legal obligation in most countries for many years. For example, in the EU, digital inclusion is mandated by the European Accessibility Act, which was adopted in 2019 and must be put into practice from 28 June 2025.

Beyond the societal and regulatory obligations, digital inclusivity has wider implications for the impact of government services. It is an opportunity to create public value by making digital channels work better for everyone. If you’re not reaching a broad spectrum of citizens with your digital services and online information, you minimize the impact of your policies and create an unequal society. In turn, this has a detrimental impact on your global competitiveness and limits the value of services delivered.

Four phases of digital accessibility transformation

We have developed a practical and proven approach to help public sector organizations achieve a transformation of their digital accessibility with inclusive citizen-centric services. Described more fully in our point of view, it comprises four consecutive phases designed to provide public organizations with the tools and clear path to actively respond to the need for action.

• Assess what digital access looks like right now
  Our in-depth analysis helps us to identify and understand existing problems with digital accessibility. This provides us with a sound basis for developing measures aimed at removing any digital barriers.
• Rethink the design of online tools
  A well-founded needs assessment asks both the users of online tools and services and those designing them what needs to be done to make digital access better for people with diverse disabilities.
• Explore how GovTech can help
  We work with start-ups and others in the GovTech ecosystem to efficiently advance the accessibility of public sector organizations using technology.
• Engage with users on quality
  Only by including end users in the process can online information and services become accessible for target groups, so we capture feedback from users, especially disabled people, to verify that online tools are working for them.

Our point of view argues that efficient, scalable, and holistic digital accessibility solutions should be based on both innovative technologies and cultural change within an organization. With human centered design, new technology, and a practical approach to transformation, public sector organizations now have an opportunity to deliver benefit to the citizens they serve, as well to make the delivery of public services more effective, cost efficient, and inclusive.