Digital Accessibility Policy
The Emirate of the Northern Borders Region is committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free digital environment that enables all beneficiaries — including persons with disabilities and the elderly — to access and use the Emirate's digital platforms and services with ease, dignity, and independence.
This policy ensures equal digital access for all users by adopting assistive technologies, inclusive design principles, and compliance with national regulations and international accessibility standards. It represents a cornerstone of the Emirate's beneficiary-centered approach, its transition toward digital government, and the enhancement of the beneficiary experience.
Policy Objectives
- Ensure that all beneficiaries can access the Emirate's digital platforms and services regardless of their abilities.
- Promote inclusive design that accommodates the diverse needs and abilities of users.
- Comply with the Digital Government Authority's accessibility requirements.
- Align with international accessibility best practices and standards.
- Integrate accessibility into all stages of service design, development, and maintenance.
- Enable continuous improvement through monitoring and user feedback.
Scope
- All websites, portals, mobile applications, and digital services provided by the Emirate.
- All Emirate employees, contractors, and suppliers involved in the design, development, and maintenance of digital services.
- Any new or modified digital services prior to launch or publication.
Definitions
Refers to the practice of designing digital content, interfaces, and services so they can be perceived, understood, navigated, and used effectively by all people, including persons with disabilities and the elderly.
Tools and software that help persons with disabilities access and use digital content, such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and voice control software.
The Four Principles of Accessibility
Perceivable
Information and user interface components must be presented in ways that users can perceive.
Operable
User interface components and navigation must be operable through various input methods, including assistive technologies.
Understandable
Content and interface operation must be easy to understand, with complex terminology simplified.
Robust
Content must be robust enough to be reliably interpreted by a wide range of assistive technologies.
Standards and Compliance
The Emirate is committed to complying with:
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA (as a minimum) and Level AAA where feasible.
- The Digital Government Authority's accessibility standards.
- The European standard EN 301 549 (Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services).
- The international standard ISO 30071-1 (Inclusive design management system).
All digital services must undergo an accessibility assessment before launch and periodically thereafter.
What the Emirate Ensures
- Text alternatives for non-text content.
- Captions and transcripts for audio/visual content.
- High-contrast visual modes for readability.
- Text resizing up to 200% without loss of functionality.
- Clear and consistent navigation structures across all platforms.
- Error prevention and instant data validation.
- Clear language and readability with simplified terminology.
- Responsive, touch-friendly mobile design.
Digital Platform Support
- Screen magnifiers to enlarge content without loss of clarity.
- Adjustable font sizes and spacing to improve readability.
- High-contrast display modes for users with visual impairments.
Mobile Accessibility
- All of the Emirate's digital platforms must use responsive and adaptive design techniques to ensure optimal display and functionality across desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
- User interface elements such as buttons, menus, links, and form fields must be designed for easy operation on touchscreens, with sufficient size and spacing to prevent accidental activation and to support users with limited motor abilities.
- Digital services must support both portrait and landscape orientations, with content and interface components reflowing dynamically when devices are rotated.
- Mobile forms must be designed to support assistive technologies, including screen readers and voice input tools, and form fields must include clear labels, instructions, and error messages.
- Mobile digital services must be optimized for performance to ensure accessibility for users in low-bandwidth environments, loading essential content first.
- Mobile accessibility testing must be conducted regularly across different devices, operating systems, and assistive technologies.
Roles and Responsibilities
Governance Team
Oversees the implementation of this policy and ensures that all digital services comply with accessibility standards.
Development Teams
Responsible for designing and developing digital services with accessibility in mind, following international and local standards.
Content Creators
Ensure that all content published on the Emirate's digital platforms is accessible, using practices such as adding alternative text for images and captions for awareness videos.
External Suppliers
Suppliers must comply with the Emirate's accessibility standards when providing services or developing digital solutions.
Emirate Employees
All employees involved in content development and service design will be trained on accessibility standards and guidelines.
Reporting Accessibility Issues
Users can report accessibility issues through:
Continuous Improvement
The Emirate is committed to continuously enhancing the accessibility of its digital services to ensure sustainable compliance and an improved beneficiary experience, by:
- Conducting periodic accessibility audits to assess compliance with national and international standards.
- Tracking key accessibility performance indicators such as compliance rates, issue resolution time, and user satisfaction.
- Collecting and analyzing beneficiary feedback on accessibility barriers and usability challenges.
- Integrating audit findings and user feedback into service improvement plans.
- Publishing accessibility compliance data to demonstrate transparency and accountability.
Monitoring and Review
The Emirate will actively monitor the application of this policy through regular assessments and reviews. Any compliance gaps will be addressed promptly, and measures will be taken to ensure the policy's requirements are met consistently.
This policy is reviewed annually or upon the issuance of new national or international accessibility standards.
Related Documents
- Digital Government Authority Accessibility Guidelines.
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines WCAG 2.2 (W3C).
- Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).
