Accessibility is about writing and designing content for equal access. Government agencies must produce accessible content.
Equal access to government services and information is an obligation under Australian law (e.g. the Disability Discrimination Act 1992).
WCAG and user needs
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the baseline accessibility standard for all Australian Government digital content.
We can describe WCAG in terms of user needs:
- I need to find and understand the content.
- I need to operate the navigation and interface.
- My assistive technologies can interpret the content.
Understanding users and their needs is important for all government content (see ‘Understand who you are writing for and why’). Without this knowledge, we risk creating content that alienates and excludes people.
Inclusive language
Everyone knows that words are powerful. We must use respectful language that talks to the person, not their difference. It’s the law (e.g. the Racial Discrimination Act 1975).
Inclusive language respects our diversity.
Choose your words carefully
Some words carry bias or unintended subtext. When you describe people, only use the terms that are necessary to give context and meaning to your writing.
Subject matter experts from relevant communities developed our inclusive language guidance. We based the following sentences on this guidance. ‘Not this’ appears before ‘Write this’ to show how small word changes can make a difference, and why it matters.
Not this
Advertising should show old people as everyday Australians living diverse lives.
The NGO assists youths who want to work in the industry.
Write this
Advertising should show older Australians as everyday people living diverse lives.
The NGO assists young people who want to work in the industry.
‘Old people’ and ‘youths’ convey a stereotype of each age group. Stereotypes are often negative and do not reflect diversity. They can have a harmful effect on people’s wellbeing.
Not this
Everyone should visit the outback to see the landscape and hear the birdlife.
Write this
Everyone should visit the outback to experience the landscape and birdlife.
Not everyone can see and hear.
Not this
Tom, a mature-age student, spoke about using public transport.
Write this
Tom, a student, spoke about using public transport.
Tom’s mature age is relevant only if we’re comparing usage across age cohorts.
Not this
In this report, we discuss people’s knowledge of the myths and legends of First Australians.
Write this
In this report, we discuss people’s knowledge of the beliefs of First Australians.
The beliefs of First Australians are not myths and legends.
Not this
Jonty wants to explore the concept of ‘family’ among ethnic groups.
Write this
Jonty wants to explore the concept of ‘family’ among people from different cultural backgrounds.
Using ‘ethnic groups’ or ‘ethnic Australians’ implies that it’s unusual to be a migrant, or have migrant heritage, in Australia.
Australians can choose to identify with ethnicity according to their sense of difference. We shouldn’t do that for them.
Not this
Without regulation, he/she might not disclose their commission.
Write this
Without regulation, they might not disclose their commission.
Only use gendered terms when gender is important to the topic. Don’t use them in general content (like our example) because they:
- exclude people who don’t identify with them
- prioritise a gender – why not ‘she/he’?
- use more space than ‘they’ and ‘them’.
Please remember that language and its usage evolve, often quickly. Make sure you have an up-to-date understanding of users’ needs.
Style Manual pages
- Accessibility requirements appear on most Style Manual pages.
- Accessible and inclusive content (section)
About this page
Last updated
This page was updated Thursday 19 December 2024.