Australia Web Accessibility

Australia Web Accessibility Laws.Australia passed the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in 1992, making it “unlawful to discriminate against a person, in many areas of public life, including employment, education, getting or using services, renting or buying a house or unit, and accessing public places, because of their disability.”

This includes websites and digital content. The DDA sets the legal framework for web accessibility in Australia, and organizations are expected to make reasonable adjustments to ensure equal access for individuals with disabilities.

Australia further adopted the European Union’s web accessibility standards, naming it AS EN 301549. The AS EN 301 549 standards were ratified in 2016, introducing the minimum accessibility requirements for ICT products and services.

The Australian government has also issued the Digital Service Standard, which provides guidelines and requirements for government websites and digital services. It incorporates the WCAG 2.1 AA level as the accessibility standard that government agencies should meet.

Furthermore, the Australian Human Rights Commission has published the World Wide Web Access: Disability Discrimination Act Advisory Notes, which guide applying the DDA to web accessibility. These advisory notes reference WCAG as the accepted standard for achieving web accessibility.

While web accessibility laws in Australia primarily stem from the DDA, it`s important to note that accessibility requirements can vary across different states and territories. Some jurisdictions have additional legislation and policies that emphasize the importance of web accessibility, such as the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010 and the New South Wales Government Digital Design System.

At EqualWeb, we recommend you remediate and audit your website against WCAG 2.1 guidelines to avoid any legal risk and to open your doors to the large population of individuals living with disabilities. For more information about the law in Australia click here.