The Dutch government has made digital accessibility mandatory in public services, ensuring no one is excluded from online channels.
In the Netherlands, the Temporary Decree on Digital Accessibility for Government (tBDTO, Dutch) sets the standard, requiring all government websites and apps to meet the international WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) at levels A and AA. This requirement is permanently embedded in the Digital Government Act (Wdo).
Key accessibility guidelines
The WCAG guidelines help make websites and apps accessible to everyone. Common improvements include:
- Sufficient colour contrast in text
- Descriptive alt-text for images
- Keyboard navigation options
- Logical page structure
- Clear form labels
- Avoiding disruptive elements like flashing images
These measures make information more accessible for people with disabilities and improve usability for all. For more details, see What is mandatory? (Dutch).
What the law requires of government services
While the rules may seem complex, they boil down to 3 clear steps:
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Make digital channels accessible: Apply the mandatory standard to all intranets, extranets, websites, mobile apps, and cloud applications. This can be done step by step.
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Publish accessibility statements: Every government website and app must have an accessibility statement (Dutch), even if not yet fully accessible. The statement should outline current accessibility levels and planned improvements.
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Keep improving: Accessibility should continue to improve, with progress reflected in updated statements.
Oversight
Government bodies are responsible for their own digital accessibility. The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations is developing intergovernmental oversight, as outlined in the Digital Government Act. The DigiToegankelijk dashboard (Dutch) publicly tracks each organisation’s accessibility performance and planned improvements.
