Website Accessibility — Key Information for Public Sector

From June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) mandates public sector organisations to ensure their digital services are accessible to people with disabilities. This is not just a legal requirement — it’s about ensuring everyone in the community can use your website.

The website becomes a real working tool, not just a representative page.

What Does 'Accessibility' Mean in Practice?

Website accessibility is not a separate feature or plugin. It is a principle that ensures the website can be used by anyone:

  • Who is blind — uses a screen reader (e.g., NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
  • Who has poor vision — uses large text sizes, high contrast
  • Who cannot use a mouse — navigates using a keyboard or voice control
  • Who has cognitive difficulties — needs clear and simple navigation

What Standards Apply to the Lithuanian Public Sector

The accessibility of public sector websites is governed by several regulations and standards:

WCAG 2.1 AA Level — the primary international standard. It defines specific criteria: colour contrast, keyboard navigation, alternative text for images, form labelling, video content captions, and more.

EU Web Accessibility Directive (2016/2102) — mandates compliance across all public sector websites.

Common Accessibility Issues in Public Sector Websites

Based on our audits, the following issues are most commonly found on Lithuanian public sector websites:

Images without alternative text — screen readers cannot interpret images, leaving visually impaired users unaware of the content depicted. This is the most frequent error, occurring in 90% of audited websites.

Insufficient colour contrast — grey text on a light background, low contrast buttons.

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How to Assess Your Website's Accessibility

You can start with simple checks yourself:

  • Try navigating the website using only your keyboard (Tab, Enter, Escape) — can you access all elements?
  • Increase your browser’s text size to 200% — is everything still readable?
  • Check colour contrast using free tools (e.g., WebAIM Contrast Checker)
  • Enable a screen reader (Windows: NVDA, Mac: VoiceOver)

How Website Accessibility Adaptation Works

01

Accessibility Audit

We assess the website against WCAG 2.1 AA criteria and provide a prioritised list of identified issues along with specific recommendations.

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Kodo ir turinio taisymas

We rectify identified issues — from keyboard navigation and contrast adjustments to alternative text and form labelling.

03

Testing and declaration

We conduct testing with assistive technologies, prepare an accessibility declaration, and train the team to maintain accessibility.

The Value Accessibility Brings to Your Organisation

Accessibility is not merely a legal obligation. A well-adapted website:

  • reaches all residents — not just people with disabilities, but also older adults, mobile users, and those with slow internet connections.
  • enhances SEO — Google values structured, semantically correct content that aligns with accessibility requirements.
  • reduces legal risks — compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA standards mitigates potential liabilities.

Unsure if Your Website Meets Accessibility Requirements?

We can conduct a quick accessibility check and inform you of your current situation. If everything is fine, you will know. If not, you will receive a clear plan outlining what needs to be addressed.

Websites for People with Disabilities

Professional website adaptation in line with WCAG 2.1 AA standards — auditing, remediation, certification.

Website Development

Creating new websites with integrated accessibility from day one.

WordPress Website Development

WordPress offers a robust accessibility framework — ARIA tags, keyboard navigation.

Technology Audit

Independent technological audit of existing websites — including accessibility assessment.

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