AbilityNet and Neighbourhood Watch have partnered with BT Group to run a series of 'roadshow' events across Scotland to support communities with the upcoming industry-wide switch to digital landlines by the end of January 2027.

BT is inviting customers to switch to its new home phone service, Digital Voice, where calls are made over a broadband line instead of the older analogue system.

Visit a roadshow

BT Digital Voice roadshows are part of BT's commitment to support customers through the transition from traditional analogue landlines to digital ones. These roadshows will visit various regions across Scotland to help customers learn about what Digital Voice is, why the change is necessary, and how it will impact them.

The roadshows aim to ensure that everyone understands the simple steps required to make the switch and to address any questions or concerns they might have.

Chris Grant from AbilityNet commented: "We’re really looking forward to working with the team at BT Group and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland to facilitate these vital events. The switch is very simple and we’re here to support customers with that, and to try and remove any worries they may have."

Lesley Clark, Neighbourhood Watch Scotland (NWS) said: "Delighted to be working in collaboration with AbilityNet Scotland and BT to help reassure and support the digital landline switchover. NWS is committed to working closely with the public to create stronger neighbourhoods and safer communities."

Vicky Hicks, Senior Engagement Manager at BT Group, said: "We're pleased to partner with AbilityNet and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland to spread the word about the changes to landlines. By visiting rural areas in Scotland, we're ensuring our customers are well-informed and supported as they make the switch to digital landlines. We're here to support customers every step of the way."

Find out more about the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Switch and information on the roadshow events coming soon at: Everything you need to know about BT's Digital Voice 

You can also visit the BT Group website to learn about Digital Voice information events near you.

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In December 2024, the Government Digital Service (GDS) published its second report on the accessibility monitoring of public sector websites and mobile apps under the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations (PSBAR), covering 2022-2024.

This follows the previous report published in 2021. A report will be published every three years going forward.

We've been keeping our public sector clients and higher and further education customers updated on the stipulations and monitoring practices of PSBAR since its announcement and subsequent enforcement, including running free webinars and training to help address digital accessibility needs.

Types of tests used to monitor compliance

The latest GDS report provides information on how the monitoring and testing process is conducted which will be useful for all public sector organisations to review.

The report contains top-level figures on websites and apps tested in the period, summarised under the three testing types used in the monitoring process:

1. Simplified testing (which is used most frequently) covers a small sample of pages, using mainly automated testing.
2. Detailed testing looks at a broader range of pages with a wider range of tests.
3. Mobile app testing, which is similar to detailed testing, but is conducted across screens and flows of mobile apps. 

Key aspects of the second GDS report on PSBAR

Particular points of the report to note include:

• The specific use of the automated testing tool axe from Deque Systems for automated testing. Automated testing can only cover a limited number of accessibility issues, but including it into your development and testing processes can still be very helpful.
• The description of the selection of core pages for simplified testing specifically mentions the home page and contact page, as well as forms, audio-visual content and PDFs. These are areas that it makes sense to prioritise in your accessibility efforts, as well as making sure that your most-used pages and all your page template types are accessible, which will help during the detailed audit process.
• The report also links to the monitoring team’s full accessibility testing guide if you want to reference this for your internal testing.

Most common issues identified

The report also contains some useful data on the most frequent issues found, which correlate well with common issues we see at AbilityNet when testing sites. These include:

• Issues with colour contrast between text and background (particularly noting that contrast issues are often overlooked where text is placed over images or pale placeholder text is used in form inputs).
• Lack of visible keyboard focus indication and common issues with colour contrast on keyboard focus or pointer hover.
• Problems using websites and mobile apps with a keyboard - with menus, carousels and sliders being particularly called out for commonly causing keyboard accessibility issues.
• Sites that don’t correctly reflow to adjust to different screen magnifications.
• Issues with form elements that do not have accessible names or are not programmatically associated with the visible label – particularly where one label is incorrectly used to cover multiple inputs. 
• With mobile apps specifically, lack of support for both portrait and landscape mode, which is important for users who need to use a device in a fixed orientation.

PDF Accessibility issues

Notably the report also specifies that problems with PDF accessibility are very common.

It says that there is normally an issue found with PDFs that are tested – even though the PDF tests are limited to very simple technical checks, such as for the inclusion of a title and a language.

This highlights the need for public sector organisations to take document accessibility more seriously, as documents published since September 2018 on websites and intranets are covered by PSBAR.

Fixes identified and actioned

The report points out the success of the monitoring process overall in terms of getting a large number of accessibility issues fixed on public sector sites – giving a figure of 16,482 issues fixed as a direct result of monitoring.

However, it also raises concerns that the accessibility statements required by the regulations are not being kept up-to-date in many cases – citing the need for organisations to review these at least every 12 months so that they reflect the current accessibility of sites.

This is important to consider if you don’t currently have a regular review process in place for your accessibility statement, as just publishing a statement without regular updates is insufficient. 

Train your teams to boost compliance

AbilityNet has a range of services that can assist with PSBAR compliance, including auditing and other testing services for websites, mobile apps and documents, training for accessibility testing and an accessibility statement service which can help with reviewing an existing statement or with drafting a statement for a new website or app. 

Speak to our experts

Understand the basics of what you need to know about accessibility testing your digital spaces: Book now for our How to begin your own accessibility testing training course on Thursday 27 February 2025 (or book group training in-house for your team). 

Webinar recordings:
Higher Education PSBAR accessibility requirements webinar with UCISA and The University of Sheffield
HE/Public Sector Update: Is your Accessibility Statement ready yet?

James Baverstock is a Principal Accessibility Consultant at AbilityNet who specialises in document accessibility. He contributes to AbilityNet’s training programmes for Microsoft Office, PDF (Portable Document Format), and InDesign accessibility, as well as conducting accessibility audits for PDFs and Office documents. As a certified Accessible Document Specialist (ADS) from the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), he is well-versed in the field.

By Research and Evaluation Officer at AbilityNet, Ell Martin 

The financial sector has a significant role to play in setting an example for best practices to achieve in digital inclusion and accessibility. 

We know from speaking to the people we support, and wider research, that it's vital that banking services are made accessible for those with digital accessibility needs. 

In AbilityNet’s Attitudes to Digital Accessibility Survey 2024 of more than 400 business professionals worldwide, the financial sector represented 5.9% of respondents.

Our report, which outlines the key survey results, suggests the sector may be further along than others with embedding digital accessibility, but there is still a way to go to ensure it is prioritised within the sector overall. 

Building accessibility expertise

Positively, the financial sector predicts it will spend more on digital accessibility in the next year, with 50% predicting so, compared to only 32% of all survey respondents. However, that is still half of respondents predicting no increase or who are unsure.  

The overall results that show a worrying indication that digital accessibility is a lower priority in 2024 than 2023, plus sector-wide uncertainty over European Accessibility Act (EAA).

But, another positive, when asked if their organisation helps individuals develop the skills they need to deliver digital accessibility, a larger percentage of respondents (65%) from the financial sector agreed strongly, compared with 46% of all survey respondents. 

Financial sector accessibility training from the experts

Financial sector’s accessibility confidence is high 

Encouragingly, a higher percentage of finance sector respondents are also ‘very confident’ about their understanding of digital accessibility within their role (42% compared to 33% of all respondents).   

However, this confidence did not translate to priority; over half of respondents told us that digital accessibility was a neutral priority for their leadership, ticking ‘Neither high nor low relative to other activities’. 

When asked 'Can you explain what you think are any reasons for the priority your organisation applies to digital accessibility?' responses were varied, and included: 

• “No clear understanding of the role of accessibility. It is always done and checked at the tail end of the process.” 
• “I would go so far to say that our organization is accessibility-first when it comes to how they treat our software development.” 
• “Digital accessibility high priority when looking at customers. But a neither high or low when looking at internal accessibility.” 

The full Attitudes to Digital Accessibility report will help you benchmark your digital accessibility activities against other organisations, gain valuable insights into common issues in inclusion such as meeting the EAA requirements, and give you ideas for improvements you can make. 

Download the free 2024 report

At-a-glance financial sector findings 

The report reveals the following about the financial sector:

Motivators for digital accessibility

The top three motivators cited by the financial sector for delivering digital accessibility:

1. Meeting legal requirements
2. Reducing business risk
3. Because it’s good for business

Barriers to delivering digital accessibility

The three leading barriers cited to delivering digital accessibility:

1. Lack of understanding a business case - this was a proportionately bigger barrier for the financial sector (57% compared to 39% of overall respondents). Download the Business Case for Accessibility.
2. Limited or no budget allocated
3. Lack of internal skills and experience 
    

User research

The financial sector also reports that it conducts more user research and user testing with disabled people compared to all respondents. Learn about how AbilityNet's experts can help with your user research.

In summary: Don't make banking a barrier for disabled people

Understanding the ‘why’ and building a business case may support the financial sector to push digital accessibility as a higher priority.  

Increasing digital accessibility will not only increase a customer base for financial services, but if done so through appropriate digital support, will help alleviate digital exclusion.  

“Financial sector professionals provided a positive response to our annual Attitudes to Digital Accessibility survey again this year.

 
Responses indicate a growing recognition of the importance of legal compliance as a powerful motivator for ensuring digital accessibility improvements are made, and a commitment to investing in accessibility development by financial institutions.

However, a significantly larger proportion of financial sector respondents than other sectors cited a lack of understanding of the overall business case for digital accessibility as a barrier to making improvements.

Given the powerful business case for providing an accessible and welcoming customer experience to disabled and older customers and the potential business cost of neglecting to provide this, it feels like a key area in which to drive awareness and engagement. AbilityNet looks forward to working with teams to provide guidance about the broader benefits of making digital accessibility adjustments."

Chat with our financial sector experts

Download our Digital Accessibility Services brochure for detailed information about each of the services we offer and to learn how we can support you. Or get in touch today to discuss your needs:

Contact us

With advancements in artificial intelligence and adherence to accessibility standards, innovative accessibility practices are transforming higher education, ensuring that all students, have equal opportunities to succeed and thrive.  

At AbilityNet’s TechShare Pro 2024 conference, I hosted a spotlight panel on Teach Access. The event brought together thought leaders, accessibility champions, and innovators to exchange strategies, stories, and solutions shaping the future of a more inclusive digital world. 

I had the privilege of speaking with the panel featuring: Kate Sonka, Executive Director of Teach Access, and Regine Gilbert, a faculty member at New York University and trustee of Teach Access. Both have been leading the charge in embedding accessibility within higher education. It was an opportunity to explore how their collaborative and practical approaches could serve as a blueprint for others - and to dream of a world where this work becomes the norm, not the exception.

You can still get an archived ticket to access all TechShare Pro 2024 recordings on the European Accesibility Act, Inclusive advertising and more. 

What Is Teach Access? 

Kate kicked off the conversation by explaining the heart of Teach Access’s mission: bridging the accessibility skills gap. This collaborative initiative brings together industry, academia, disability organisations, and government to ensure that graduates enter the workforce equipped with a foundational understanding of accessibility. 

“We’re not trying to create experts,” Kate noted. “We will always need experts but imagine the impact if new hires simply knew that accessibility existed, that it was critical, and that it needed to be part of every design or development process. That alone would be transformative.” 

Real-World Impact: Regine’s Classroom 

Regine’s perspective as a UX design educator added a dynamic, practical layer to the discussion. Her students don’t just learn about accessibility—they live it through real-world projects. 

For example, Regine’s classes have collaborated with organisations like NASA to develop accessible solutions for blind and partially sighted users. Recently, her students even learned to use a screen reader, guided by someone who relies on it daily. 

“You should’ve seen their faces,” Regine said with a laugh. “At first, they were overwhelmed, but as they got the hang of it, they began to realise the profound challenges—and the immense impact—they could have by designing with accessibility in mind.” 

The feedback Regine receives highlights how this immersive approach changes perspectives. Many of her students carry these lessons into their careers, where they speak up and take action to improve accessibility in their workplaces.

AbilityNet’s Higher Education Maturity Model 

Closer to home, AbilityNet’s Higher Education Maturity Model is playing a critical role in supporting accessibility within UK universities. This framework helps institutions evaluate their current accessibility practices and identify areas for growth. 

The model provides a structured way to assess how accessibility is embedded across various aspects of university operations, from digital services to teaching and learning practices. By identifying strengths and gaps, the model empowers universities to take targeted actions toward creating more inclusive environments. 

The maturity model aligns with the vision of Teach Access by emphasising the importance of making accessibility a natural and integral part of education - whether that’s in faculty training, course design, or the digital tools students and staff rely on every day. 

Many UK institutions are already making fantastic progress using this approach, supported by AbilityNet’s expertise, and are beginning to see tangible results in their accessibility journeys. 

Check out our HE and FE Accessibility Maturity Model, a guided accessibility maturity evaluation session with AbilityNet and McNaught Consultancy where we will evaluate your current maturity using an evidence-based scoring framework and provide you with a detailed roadmap of recommendations.  As an accessibility consultant, I can work with you to support you with the planned next steps in your accessibility journey. 

Speak to our experts

Key Takeaways from the Panel 

The session was packed with valuable insights, but here are a few standout points: 

Start early: 

Embedding accessibility into education at all levels ensures students see it as a natural, essential part of their learning - and equips them to become advocates in the future.  

Move beyond awareness: 

Awareness is just the beginning. Practical action is what drives change, and that’s exactly what Teach Access is empowering students to take into their careers. 

Small steps, big impact:  

Kate emphasised the importance of incremental improvements. Tackling one aspect of accessibility, like colour contrast, can build confidence and create a ripple effect across departments and institutions. 

Student Feedback and Cultural Shifts 

The impact of Teach Access extends far beyond the classroom. Students leave empowered to identify and address accessibility gaps in their professional environments. Over time, this growing base of accessibility-aware professionals contributes to larger cultural shifts within organisations and industries. 

As Regine put it, “It’s not just about knowing something isn’t accessible - it’s about doing something to fix it.” 

A Vision for the UK and beyond

One of my favourite parts of the discussion was imagining how Teach Access’s collaborative model could take root in the UK. Combined with tools like AbilityNet’s Higher Education Maturity Model, there’s immense potential to make accessibility a cornerstone of education. 

The message was clear: accessibility isn’t a daunting mountain to climb all at once - it’s a journey of consistent progress. 

A Community of Changemakers 

As the panel wrapped up, I couldn’t help but feel energised by the wealth of ideas and experiences shared - not just by our speakers but by the audience at TechShare Pro. Many attendees have already started their accessibility journeys, supported by initiatives like AbilityNet, and are making fantastic progress. 

Events like these remind us that we’re part of a vibrant, passionate community working toward the same goal: creating a more accessible digital world. There’s still so much to discuss, but the momentum is here. Let’s keep the conversation - and the collaboration - going. 

How can AbilityNet support you to drive accessibility forward in your work or organisation? 

AbilityNet’s expert consultants can help you ensure your higher education (HE) or further education (FE) website, apps and other digital services are usable, accessible and complied with the new UK accessibility regulations. 

• Are you a web developer or digital editor at a college or university? 
• Does your role focus on inclusion or looking after the 'student experience'? 
• Do you need advice about the new public sector digital accessibility regulations? 
• Are you stretching your budget to improve accessibility at your organisation? 

We can help. 

Our specialist services help you ensure that every student can access information and services on each of your platforms. By working with our experts, you can rise to the challenge of offering an accessible experience for all your users and complying with accessibility regulations. 

Speak to our experts 

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) aims to harmonise accessibility standards across the European Union (EU), ensuring equal access to digital products and services for over 100 million disabled people. At AbilityNet’s TechShare Pro 2024 conference, I hosted a panel titled "European Accessibility Act: Are You Ready?".  

Ulrike Haltrich (Sony Europe), Mark Lapole (eBay), Michelle Jacques (Reach), and Mike Fooks (Elsevier) talked about how their organisations are addressing the EAA, including leadership challenges and sustainable practices for compliance. This blog offers highlights, insights and strategies for navigating these changes.

• Access all TechShare Pro 2024 recordings. 

The relevance of the European Accessibility Act 

The EAA marks a pivotal shift toward inclusive practices across industries in Europe with its accessibility requirements for certain products, such as TV equipment and e-readers, and for certain services, such as consumer banking and e-commerce. This directive serves as a catalyst for change, challenging organisations to integrate accessibility across their operations.  

Businesses form all over the world that operate within the European Union's internal market are preparing to comply with new accessibility legislation, bringing benefits to businesses and disabled people. The discussion revealed not only challenges but also the innovative solutions organisations are adopting to embed accessibility into their core processes.   

1. Key highlights from the panel

Start now! 

Many organisations of all sizes are actively preparing for the EAA by aligning their processes and standards with the new requirements. This includes coordinating activities across different regions and involving various teams such as legal, compliance, and product development. 

Challenges and concerns of the EAA

One major concern is the varying transpositions of the EAA across different countries, which can lead to inconsistencies. The lack of finalised standards for certain areas, such as packaging and customer support, also poses challenges. 

Collaboration and leadership 

Effective collaboration between teams and strong leadership are crucial for successful implementation. The panellists emphasised the importance of raising awareness and fostering a culture of accessibility within organisations. 

2. Insights and strategies 

Each of the panellists shared unique insights and strategies from their current work. 

Sony Europe's comprehensive strategy for the EAA 

• Sony Europe is taking a comprehensive approach to the EAA.
• Ulrike emphasised the importance of involving various teams, including legal and compliance, to ensure alignment and a common understanding of the requirements. She highlighted the challenges of coordinating activities across different regions and the need for internal standards to harmonise interpretations and processes.
• Ulrike's approach to developing technical reports and guidelines for specific products, such as digital televisions, provided a practical example of addressing the complexities of the EAA. 

eBay's transformative approach to the EAA 

• eBay views the EAA as a significant driver for organisational change.
• Mark described the EAA as a catalyst for change, driving organisations to inspect and improve their accessibility practices. He focused on integrating accessibility into everyday workflows and making it a fundamental aspect of organisational culture, which resonated deeply with the audience.
• Mark's insights on the importance of collaboration and raising awareness within teams were valuable lessons in fostering a culture of accessibility. His strategy of leveraging regulatory and legal partners to support accessibility initiatives was a practical approach to ensuring compliance and driving change. 

Reach plc's human-centred approach to the EAA 

• Reach plc is focusing on the human element of accessibility.
• Michelle's focus on changing hearts and minds rather than leading with fear was a powerful reminder of the human element at the core of accessibility efforts. Her approach to fostering a positive and inclusive mindset within organisations was both practical and inspiring. 
• Michelle emphasised creating a level playing field where everyone can work towards the same accessibility standards, highlighting the importance of inclusivity and collaboration. Her strategy of starting small and building an atomic network of advocates within the organisation was a practical tip for driving change. 

Elsevier's customer-centric approach to the EAA 

• Elsevier is turning challenges into opportunities for improvement.
• Mike's approach to "hugging our haters" and turning negative experiences into opportunities for improvement was a valuable lesson in transparency and customer engagement. He emphasised making public statements about learning from mistakes and involving customers in the process of improving accessibility as a practical strategy for building trust and credibility.
• Mike's insights into the challenges of aligning complex environments with new regulatory requirements and the importance of having a clear plan and structure for compliance were valuable lessons for any organisation preparing for the EAA. 

3. Final thoughts 

The European Accessibility Act is not just about compliance. It is a chance to redefine how organisations approach inclusion.

Panels like this remind us of the collective responsibility to ensure accessibility becomes second nature in our workflows. As June 2025 approaches, let’s embrace this as a shared opportunity to lead with empathy and innovation.   

More EAA guidance 

• Access all TechShare Pro 2024 recordings 
• Watch our webinar recording on the EAA