Accessibility
Background and corporate rules
Commission policy background
Eurostat has to follow the rules and guidelines set by the European Commission on web accessibility as laid out in the 'Web Accessibility Directive'. For further details, please consult the EC policy: Web Accessibility.
Commission rules
Summary of the main points:
- Recommended standard: WCAG 2.1, level AA
- All content and products available on the Eurostat website are concerned and have to be accessible
Recommended readings:
- EC webguide: Accessibility overview
- OP guides on accessibility [see especially the tab on 'Accessibility tips']
Guidance for Eurostat staff
Key documents
Detailed guidance and rules
The style guide provides guidance on accessible colours and colour palettes, as well as guidance on how to ensure accessibility of colours
- 'office file format' documents - Word, PDF, Excel, etc. - on the Eurostat website should be accessible (this refers to office file formats published before 23 September 2018, unless such content is needed for active administrative processes relating to the tasks performed, as outlined by the web accessibility directive)
- Providing / uploading accessible documents is the responsibility of the production unit
- Web (html) content needs to be accessible following the rules of the DG COMM web guide 'Content accessibility checklist'
- Alternative text – provide it for all images
- Hyperlink labels – explain what lies behind the link
- Video and audio – provide a transcript
- Headings – format sections and sub-sections as headings (H1, H2, H3), do not just use a larger font
- Lists – use list formatting, do not just use numbered lines or paragraphs
- Tables – use table formatting for tables, make sure rows and columns are correctly marked up
Contact: ESTAT-WEB-CONTENT@ec.europa.eu
The Statistics Explained website is being updated to improve accessibility.
For authors, it is important to know that we are implementing the alternative text descriptions of all visuals (charts and tables).
The contracting production unit is responsible to ensure accessibility of all dissemination products delievered under their contract.
Accessible documents
- See tips from the OP on accessible PDFs and structure of documents
- Follow the information provided on how to create accessible PDF documents with Word
- Microsoft Word Accessibility Reference (step-by-step overview)
- Creating Accessible Microsoft Office Documents, including videos
- Use the Eurolook plugin for accessible Word documents, provided by the OP, when you start creating a new document. Please make sure to select 'Publication drafting (Manuscript)'.
- Convert your files to PDF using the Commission's Document e-Services. If you send a properly structured Word file to this service, it will automatically email you back an accessible PDF version.
Please check out the training offered on EU LEARN: From accessible Word document to an accessible PDF
Please carefully read the checklist prepared by our accessibility expert before creating your Word file.
When you are finished with your document
- When finished, run an accessibility check in Word, see tab Review > Check accessibility > Check accessibility
- Fix issues found in Word
- Then transform the Word into PDF under File > Save as PDF
- Request Adobe Pro from the EC store, put Accessibility checks as justification
- Run another accessibility check in PDF:
- see in the top panel under 'Tools' > Protect & Standardize > Accessibility (to easier access, open the drop-down and say 'Add as shortcut')
- open the accessibility panel > click on accessibility check > Start checking
- Check the reading order:
- in the accessibility panel, click on 'Reading order' > 'Show order panel'
- make sure that there are no empty entries (otherwise delete them by right clicking on the number > Delete selected item structure)
- make sure the order of the entries in the left side panel is according to the way a screen reader should read out the texts, if not, you can drag and drop items up and down in this list
- make sure the elements in the left side panel are formatted correctly, i.e. have the correct tags. To fix incorrect tags, please watch this 6 min video on How to tag a PDF
- Run another accessibility check to see if all issues have been fixed
- See links in the tab above on how to make documents accessible
- Run through the accessibility testing methods
- Use automatic accessibility checker tools - but never just rely on these tools alone!
- How to check accessibility of PDF files
- Example PDF structure
- For PDFs:
- from EC store, download the 'PDF accessibility checker' (PAC 2021)
- ideally have the Adbobe pro version which offers accessibility checks of PDFs
- For Word documents, use the built-in accessibility check (under the tab 'Review')
Please consult the checklist prepared by our accessibility expert and/or the information from Microsoft on Make your Excel documents accessible to people with disabilities with many tips to follow.
Please consult the following materials
- Alt text - checklist (from OP)
- How to write alternative texts (from the OP)
- Alternative text for images (DG COMM webguide, scroll down on the page to this chapter)
Training and help
Check the available online training courses provided by the OP in EU Learn.
Either type in 'accessibility' in the Search field or see courses here:
- Accessible digital publications - An introduction
- How to write effective alternative texts
- From MS Word to accessible publications
- Checking PDF files
- Creating accessible PDF from InDesign (tips and tricks)
- Eurostat course in EU Learn: From accessible Word document to an accessible PDF (in 2 parts) - please express your interest if no dates are available
- DIGIT: Accessibility and Features of your Digital Workplace
Eurostat will arrange other training courses for Eurostat staff.
We will keep you informed about the dates via Cybernews and on this page!
Please contact the ESTAT accessibility team.
Past trainings
- Clear and accessible links (13 January 2025)
- Alternative texts for images (25 September 2024)
- Built-in headings and styles
- Eurostat web accessibility action plan 2023
- Hyperlinks (26 October)
- Alternative text (10 August)
- Accessibility checker (2 August 2023)
- Applying web accessibility to Cybernews pages (10 May 2023)
- DG COMM's Accessibility Plan (9 January 2023)
- Eurostat resources on accessibility (24 March 2022)
- Why is web accessibility important for Eurostat? (1 February 2022)
- Accessibility awareness month at Eurostat (27 January 2022)
International Association of Accessibility Professionals 2022
Accessible Digital Content Miniseries
- Creating Accessible Content: The Inclusion Challenge
- Create More Accessible Data Experiences
- Audio Description as an Aesthetic Innovation
- Accessibility of Social Media
February-March, 2022
- Programme
- What is Web Accessibility and how it is implemented at Eurostat (colleagues from B.4 / 3rdFebruary, 12h-13h)
- Step into their shoes: experience the web as a person with disability (Régine Lambrecht, Eurostat/Anais Digital)
- Universal design in practice –how to present data in accessible way (Tanja Kleut and Anna Evangelinou, European Parliament)
- Accessibility in datavisualization (Davide Vernassa, Knowage)