How web accessibility laws affect UK charities depends entirely on how the charity is funded and what services it provides.
UK charities generally fall into two different legal categories regarding website compliance.
1. Charities That Must Legally Meet WCAG 2.2 by Law (PSBAR)
Some charities are classified as public sector bodies under the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 (PSBAR). If a charity meets either of the following criteria, its website must comply with WCAG 2.2 Level AA by law [PSBAR]: [1, 2]
- Public Funding: The charity is mostly funded by public taxpayers’ money (e.g., local councils, NHS, or government grants).
- Essential Public Services: The charity is explicitly contracted to provide an essential service on behalf of a public authority (such as running social housing, public healthcare clinics, or specialized educational programs).
What these charities must do:
- Achieve WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliance across the entire site.
- Publish a legally compliant Accessibility Statement on their website.
- Continuously review and maintain the site to avoid enforcement action from the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO).
2. General Charities (The Equality Act 2010)
If a charity is independently funded (through donations, shops, or corporate sponsors) and does not provide public sector services, it is exempt from the strict PSBAR regulations. [1]
However, they are not exempt from the Equality Act 2010. Under this law, all charities providing a service to the public must make “reasonable adjustments” to ensure they do not discriminate against disabled people.
What this means in practice:
- The legal benchmark: While the law does not explicitly say “WCAG 2.2,” UK courts and the Equality and Human Rights Commission look to WCAG Level AA as the standard definition of an accessible service.
- Risk of legal claims: If a disabled person cannot donate, find help, or access a charity’s services because the website is poorly coded, they can technically bring a discrimination claim against the charity.
Why Accessibility is Crucial for Charities (Beyond the Law)
For charities, making a website accessible is usually a core part of their mission, rather than just a legal box to tick:
- Reaching the target audience: Disabled individuals, elderly people, and neurodivergent individuals are statistically more likely to rely on charity services. An inaccessible website locks out the exact people the charity exists to help.
- Protecting donation revenue: If a donation form does not work with a screen reader, or requires complex mouse movements that someone with Parkinson’s cannot perform, the charity directly loses funding.
- Reputational risk: For a non-profit, being called out publicly for having an exclusionary or unusable website can severely damage its reputation and donor trust.
