End of Royal Decree 1112/2018 deadline for web accessibility

On 20 September the extension granted by Royal Decree 1112/2018 will end. That is why we are keeping a close watch to make sure that web accessibility standards and guidelines set forth in the regulations will be met. After this date, websites must be accessible.

Coming into force on 20 September 2018, Royal Decree 1112/2018 transposes European Directive 2016/2012, making it obligatory for all Public Sector websites and mobile applications, and any receiving public funding to be fully accessible. The team at inSuit wants to pass this news along, but also tell you that we offer a high-quality solution that is fast, secure, and simple.

Who needs to comply with Royal Decree 1112/2018 before 20 September?

Royal Decree 1112/2018 covers all Public Sector websites and mobile apps. This includes government bodies, courts, police services, hospitals, universities, and public libraries. The law calls for these bodies to be accessible to all citizens, paying special attention to those who are disabled and older adults.

In addition, the Royal Decree also refers to the organisational and administrative aspects of public bodies, which will emphasise development, management and creation of content published on the various websites managed by the public sector.

Royal Decree 1112/2018 applies to the following areas:

• Central Government
• Autonomous Community Governments
• Local Government Bodies
• Public Sector Institutions
• Associations including governments, institutions, bodies, and groups that are part of the Public Sector
• Department of Justice

As we can see, the regulations apply to the Public Sector in the broadest sense without excluding any public body or organisation. That is why it is of paramount importance for institutions to know which actions they need to take to comply with web accessibility standards.

What do we need to do to comply with web accessibility standards?

Within the framework of the coming into force of the Royal Decree, all public bodies that are to meet these requirements must guarantee the following:

1. Compliance with web accessibility and mobile app requirements set forth in article 5 of the Royal Decree, considering the presumption of conformity standard.
2. Prepare, constantly update, and publish an accessibility statement indicating that websites and mobile applications conform to the minimum requirements.
3. Allow users to communicate efficiently and under fully accessible conditions so that they will be able to make suggestions and complaints regarding any barriers that do not meet these standards.
4. Public bodies must review their web accessibility and mobile apps during development and design phases to ensure they meet these standards. When operational, websites and mobile applications are to be monitored regularly to ensure long-term compliance. The outcome of the monitoring is to be set forth in an accessibility monitoring report.
5. Establish or collaborate with an Accessibility Unit. This Unit is to guarantee compliance with requirements and accessibility within its field of competence.
6. The Unit responsible for accessibility and the names of the members participating in the Red de Contactos de Accesibilidad Digital de las Administraciones del Sector Público (Public Sector Digital Accessibility Contact Network), are to be passed on to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation (MAETD) to enable collaboration with this network in relation to this work.
7. The Unit will be required to submit at least three (3) annual reports to the MAETD describing actions taken in the following areas: a) management of complaints and suggestions; b) monitoring of and compliance with accessibility requirements along with accessibility monitoring reports prepared; c) a report on actions that promote, raise awareness on web accessibility and offer training in this field.
8. Promote and coordinate actions that foster, raise awareness of accessibility, and offer related training for the team involved in the development of website and mobile applications for the public sector. This also applies to the team in charge of editing and creating web content.

Royal Decree 1112/2018 Web accessibility requirements

To eliminate barriers and ensure full access to online information and services, public sector bodies must meet the following requirements:

• Be accessible (according to the standards) to users with disabilities and older adults. The goal here is to enable sharing of content that is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
• Accessibility should always be borne in mind during content design, management, maintenance, and updating.
• Enhance accessibility taking into account the minimum accessibility level required in each case.

Are you prepared to meet the requirements of the Royal Decree? Does your website comply with the necessary web accessibility standards and requirements? inSuit has the ideal solution for you, based on WCAG guidelines, in particular WCAG 2.1, to ensure you are up-to-date with regard to accessibility regulations without needing to make changes to your original website. Contact us for more information!

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