Web Accessibility in Denmark

The Agency for Digital Government is responsible for implementing the European Directive on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications provided by public sector bodies.

What is Web Accessibility?

Digital accessibility or web accessibility is about ensuring that anyone can access and use the websites and mobile applications (apps) provided by public sector bodies, regardless of physical or mental challenges.

Disabilities are not registered in Denmark. However, Disabled People’s Organisations Denmark (DPOD) reports that approximately 30 percent of the Danish population between the ages of 16-64 consider themselves disabled to one extent or another.

These disabilities include varying degrees of visual or hearing impairment, cognitive or speech limitations, and neurologic limitations.

The Danish Web Accessibility Act

In 2016, the EU adopted the Web Accessibility Directive. In 2018, the Web Accessibility Act implemented the directive into Danish law.

The Agency for Digital Government is responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the law. The work entails informing other public sector bodies about the demands of the law and performing the monitoring and reporting as stated in the Web Accessibility Directive.

As part of the requirements in the Danish legislation, public sector bodies must publish an accessibility statement using the Web Accessibility Statement Tool (WAS Tool) provided by the Agency for Digital Government. The statement must be placed in the footer of the website and on the URL, for instance en.digst.dk/was .

Read more about monitoring and supervision

Go to WAS-tool log in page (in Danish)

Go to the Web Accessibility Directive on eur-lex.europa.eu

Go to the Danish Web Accessibility Act at restinformation.dk (in Danish)

Network and communication

Twice a year, the Agency for Digital Government invites public sector bodies, IT suppliers, and NGOs to a digital network meeting focusing on topics related to web accessibility. The agency furthermore participates in various conferences providing information about the work and status of web accessibility in Denmark.

The goal of these meetings is to make sure that the public sector bodies are informed about the latest web accessibility updates and have the possibility to share knowledge and questions with each other.

Every third month, the agency issues a newsletter informing the subscribers of web accessibility news, coming events etc.