5. Make sure everyone can use the service
Provide a service that everyone can use, including disabled people and people with other legally protected characteristics. And people who do not have access to the internet or lack the skills or confidence to use it.
Why it’s important
Government services must work for everyone who needs to use them. Public sector organisations have a legal duty to consider everyone’s needs when they’re designing and delivering services.
Inclusive, accessible services are better for everyone. For example, using simple words helps people who are in a hurry as well as people who have a learning disability.
What it means
Service teams should:
- meet accessibility standards, including both online and offline parts
- avoid excluding any groups within the audience they’re intended to serve
- carry out research with participants who represent the potential audience for the service, including people with access needs
- make sure that people are not excluded from being able to use the service because they lack digital skills or internet access, providing appropriate assisted digital support to cover any gaps
Related guidance
Making your service accessible: an introduction
Making your service more inclusive
Finding participants for user research
Designing assisted digital support
Service standard points
1. Understand users and their needs
2. Solve a whole problem for users
3. Provide a joined up experience across all channels
4. Make the service simple to use
5. Make sure everyone can use the service
6. Have a multidisciplinary team
8. Iterate and improve frequently
9. Create a secure service which protects users’ privacy
10. Define what success looks like and publish performance data
11. Choose the right tools and technology
13. Use and contribute to open standards, common components and patterns
- Last update:
-
Added links to related guidance and other standard points. There is no change to the content of the standard point itself.
-
Guidance first published