UK Accessibility Laws 2026 — Complete Guide

„What accessibility laws apply to my UK website in 2026?" That's a question many UK business owners ask. The answer depends on who you serve and where you trade.

In this guide, we'll provide a complete overview of UK accessibility laws in 2026, including the Equality Act 2010, PSBAR 2018, and EAA for UK businesses.

Overview — UK Accessibility Laws 2026

The UK has three main accessibility laws that apply to websites and digital services:

1. Equality Act 2010 — The UK's Main Anti-Discrimination Law

The Equality Act 2010 is the UK's main anti-discrimination law. It applies to all service providers in the UK, including websites.

Key points:

• Applies to: All service providers (public and private)
• Requires: Reasonable adjustments for disabled people
• Technical standard: WCAG 2.2 Level AA (EHRC recommendation)
• Enforced by: Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
• Penalties: Unlimited compensation, EHRC investigations
• Exemptions: Disproportionate burden

2. Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 — PSBAR

The Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 is a UK law that applies specifically to public sector organisations.

Key points:

• Applies to: Public sector bodies only (central gov, local gov, NHS, education, police, housing, etc.)
• Requires: WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliance
• Technical standard: WCAG 2.2 Level AA (legal requirement)
• Enforced by: Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
• Penalties: EHRC investigations, public notice, legal action
• Exemptions: Disproportionate burden, archived content, pre-2018 documents, third-party content

3. European Accessibility Act — EAA (for UK businesses trading in the EU)

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an EU law that applies to UK businesses that offer goods or services in the EU.

Key points:

• Applies to: UK businesses trading in the EU
• Requires: EN 301 549 compliance (WCAG 2.1 Level AA)
• Technical standard: EN 301 549 (WCAG 2.1 Level AA)
• Enforced by: EU member state authorities
• Penalties: €900,000 or 4% of annual turnover
• Exemptions: Micro-enterprises (<10 employees, €2M turnover), disproportionate burden

Who must comply with which law?

Here's a quick guide to determine which laws apply to you:

1. UK private sector business (UK customers only)

Equality Act 2010 applies. You must make reasonable adjustments for disabled users.

2. UK private sector business (EU customers)

Equality Act 2010 + EAA apply. You must comply with both laws.

3. UK public sector body

Equality Act 2010 + PSBAR 2018 apply. You must meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

4. UK public sector body (EU trading)

Equality Act 2010 + PSBAR 2018 + EAA apply. You must comply with all three.

5. UK business (USA customers)

Equality Act 2010 + ADA apply. You must comply with both UK and US laws.

What is the technical standard?

The technical standard for UK accessibility laws is WCAG 2.2 Level AA (Equality Act/PSBAR) or EN 301 549 (EAA, based on WCAG 2.1 AA).

WCAG 2.2 Level AA — Key requirements:

1. Perceivable — Can users perceive the content?

• Alt text for all images (WCAG 1.1.1)
• Colour contrast — minimum 4.5:1 (WCAG 1.4.3)
• Captions for all videos (WCAG 1.2.2)
• Text resizing — up to 200% (WCAG 1.4.4)

2. Operable — Can users operate the content?

• Keyboard accessibility — all functions with Tab key (WCAG 2.1.1)
• Visible focus — focus indicator must be visible (WCAG 2.4.7)
• Target size — 24x24 CSS px (WCAG 2.5.8 - new in WCAG 2.2)

3. Understandable — Can users understand the content?

• Form labels — all input fields must have labels (WCAG 3.3.2)
• Error messages — clear and descriptive (WCAG 3.3.1)
• Consistent help — same place on every page (WCAG 3.2.6 - new in WCAG 2.2)

4. Robust — Is the content compatible with assistive technologies?

• ARIA — proper ARIA roles and attributes (WCAG 4.1.2)
• Valid HTML — no duplicate IDs (WCAG 4.1.1)

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

The penalties depend on which law you breach:

Equality Act 2010 penalties:

• Unlimited compensation — in discrimination claims
• EHRC investigations — non-discrimination notice
• Legal costs — defending a claim
• Reputational damage — negative publicity

PSBAR 2018 penalties:

• EHRC investigations — non-discrimination notice
• Public notice — EHRC publishes non-compliance
• Legal action — EHRC can take you to court

EAA penalties:

• €900,000 or 4% of annual turnover
• Trading restrictions — products/services banned from EU market
• Reputational damage — negative publicity

How to comply with all UK accessibility laws

Step 1: Scan your website

Use the free UK ADA checker to scan your website against WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

Step 2: Fix all violations

Follow the recommendations in the report to fix all violations.

Step 3: Publish an accessibility statement

Publish an accessibility statement on your website (mandatory for public sector, recommended for private sector).

Step 4: Document everything

Document all tests and improvements. This serves as evidence of your compliance efforts.

Step 5: Monitor and update

Monitor your website regularly and update your accessibility statement at least once a year.

Frequently Asked Questions — UK Accessibility Laws

Internal links — UK Accessibility Resources