What is the Equality Act 2010? — UK Accessibility Law Explained 2026
„What is the Equality Act 2010 and does it apply to my website?" That's a question many UK business owners ask. The Equality Act 2010 is the UK's most important anti-discrimination law — and it does apply to websites.
In this guide, we'll explain what the Equality Act 2010 is, how it applies to websites, and what you need to do to comply.
📌 Quick Answer — What is the Equality Act 2010?
The Equality Act 2010 is the UK's main anti-discrimination law. It consolidates over 116 separate pieces of legislation into one single Act. The Act requires service providers — including websites — to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the recognised standard for compliance.
✅ Test the accessibility of your website
Use the free UK ADA checker to scan your website against WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
Free UK Accessibility Checker →What is the Equality Act 2010?
The Equality Act 2010 is the UK's most important anti-discrimination law. It replaced over 116 separate pieces of legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, into one single Act. The Act received Royal Assent on 8 April 2010 and came into force on 1 October 2010.
The Act legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It covers nine protected characteristics:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
📊 Equality Act 2010 — Key Facts
- In force since: 1 October 2010
- Replaced: 116 separate pieces of legislation
- Protected characteristics: 9
- Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales
- Technical standard: WCAG 2.2 Level AA
- Enforced by: Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
Does the Equality Act apply to websites?
Yes. The Equality Act 2010 applies to websites in the UK. Here's why:
1. Websites are „services"
Under the Equality Act, a „service" includes websites and digital platforms. If you provide goods, facilities, or services to the public, your website is covered by the Act.
2. Reasonable adjustments duty
The Act requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. This includes making your website accessible to disabled users.
3. Preventing discrimination
If your website is inaccessible, you could be discriminating against disabled people. This is unlawful under the Equality Act.
⚖️ What does the law say?
Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. This includes:
- Changing the way things are done — e.g., providing information in accessible formats
- Making physical changes — e.g., to premises
- Providing auxiliary aids — e.g., screen readers, accessible documents
For websites, this means making your content accessible to disabled users.
What are the requirements for websites?
The Equality Act 2010 doesn't specify a technical standard for websites. However, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has stated that websites should meet the WCAG 2.2 Level AA standard.
Key website requirements:
1. Perceivable — Can users perceive the content?
- Alternative text for all images (WCAG 1.1.1)
- Colour contrast — minimum 4.5:1 for normal text (WCAG 1.4.3)
- Captions for all videos (WCAG 1.2.2)
- Text resizing — up to 200% without loss of content (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)
- Skip links — „Skip to main content" (WCAG 2.4.1)
- No keyboard traps — users can't get stuck (WCAG 2.1.2)
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)
- Language attribute — HTML lang attribute (WCAG 3.1.1)
- Consistent navigation — consistent across all pages (WCAG 3.2.3)
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)
- Status messages — notify screen readers (WCAG 4.1.3)
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
Failure to comply with the Equality Act 2010 can lead to serious consequences:
1. Discrimination claims
Disabled users can bring a discrimination claim against you in the county court. If successful, you could be ordered to pay unlimited compensation.
2. EHRC investigations
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) can investigate your website and issue a non-discrimination notice. If you don't comply, they can take you to court.
3. Reputational damage
Accessibility failures can lead to negative publicity and loss of customers. Many customers choose accessible businesses.
4. Legal costs
Defending a discrimination claim can be expensive, even if you win.
Equality Act 2010 vs ADA — What's the difference?
Many people ask: „Is the Equality Act the UK version of the ADA?" The answer is yes and no.
| Feature | Equality Act 2010 | ADA (USA) |
|---|---|---|
| Region | UK | USA |
| In force since | 1 October 2010 | 1990 |
| Technical standard | WCAG 2.2 Level AA | WCAG 2.1 Level AA |
| Private sector | ✅ Yes (reasonable adjustments) | ✅ Yes (Title III) |
| Public sector | ✅ Yes (PSBAR 2018) | ✅ Yes (Title II) |
| Penalties | Unlimited compensation | $10,000–50,000 settlements |
Conclusion: Both laws require accessible websites, but the technical standard in the UK is WCAG 2.2 Level AA (not WCAG 2.1).
How to test your website for Equality Act compliance?
Step 1: Use a free accessibility checker
Use the free UK accessibility checker to scan your website against WCAG 2.2 Level AA. You'll get a report within 60 seconds with violations, warnings, and solutions.
Step 2: Manual testing
Conduct manual tests:
- Keyboard test — can everything be operated with the Tab key?
- Screen reader test — is the content logical with a screen reader?
- Contrast test — is the text readable?
Step 3: Publish an accessibility statement
Publish an accessibility statement on your website explaining how accessible your website is and how users can report problems.
Step 4: Document everything
Document all tests and improvements. This serves as evidence of your compliance efforts.
Frequently Asked Questions — Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 is the UK's main anti-discrimination law. It consolidates over 116 separate pieces of legislation and protects people from discrimination based on 9 protected characteristics.
Yes. Websites are considered „services" under the Equality Act. Service providers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including making their websites accessible.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) recommends WCAG 2.2 Level AA as the standard for UK websites.
Penalties include discrimination claims with unlimited compensation, EHRC investigations, reputational damage, and legal costs.
No. The Equality Act 2010 is UK law, the ADA is US law. Both require accessible websites, but the UK uses WCAG 2.2 Level AA (USA uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA).
🔍 Test your website for UK accessibility
Free UK accessibility checker — no registration required.
Free UK Checker →
💬 Comments (0)