The DfE digital accessibility standard: features you already own, and the security policies blocking them

Most schools already own the accessibility features the DfE describes. The gap is rarely the software. It is a policy that never mentions accessibility, and a security setting that quietly switched the feature off.

In short: The DfE's digital accessibility standard is not a core standard and has no 2030 date. It asks three things: include digital accessibility in relevant strategies and policies at your next review; make sure hardware and software support accessibility features, and that "accessibility features should not be blocked by generic security policies"; and make communications, including your website, accessible to all. The DfE's reason is plain: "1 in 5 people have a disability in the UK, but accessibility applies to all." The first step is to check which features your devices and Microsoft 365 already include, then check which of them your security policies have blocked.

What does the standard actually ask for?

The digital accessibility page on GOV.UK opens with a definition: "Digital accessibility means making digital products, content and services accessible and usable for all. Everyone should be able to access the same information and use equipment, regardless of their needs and situation."

It then sets three requirements, in this order:

• "Include digital accessibility in relevant strategies and policies"
• "Hardware and software should support the use of accessibility features"
• "Communications should be accessible to all"

The page does not name a specific law, framework or testing tool. It says that including accessibility in policies can help you "meet legal requirements on equality and access", and leaves it there. Wider equality law applies to schools and is outside this standard, so treat the DfE page as the floor, not the whole picture.

When do you have to meet it?

There is no 2030 date and no "now". The timing is tied to your own cycle:

• Strategies and policies: "Digital accessibility should be actively addressed and included in your next policy and strategy review."
• Hardware and software: "If your current hardware and software do not have these features, you will need to make sure they are included when you buy new equipment or services."
• Communications: "Once training is complete, communications and content should be accessible."

That makes this one of the cheapest standards to close. The features are mostly owned already, the policy change is a paragraph in documents you review anyway, and the training is a session rather than a project.

Why 1 in 5 matters for a school

The DfE's central fact is that "1 in 5 people have a disability in the UK, but accessibility applies to all. Students, staff, parents and carers needs will vary depending on their situation." On communications it adds that accessibility "can assist those with additional needs like special educational needs, disabilities, and English as an additional language (EAL)".

The reasons the DfE gives for putting it in policy are practical rather than moral. It can help you "remove barriers to teaching and learning, make better buying decisions on technology, meet legal requirements on equality and access". The buying point is the one business managers should notice: a specification that includes accessibility stops you paying twice.

The people the DfE asks to be in the room for the policy work:

• The SLT and digital lead, leading.
• SEND leads and curriculum leads.
• Admin staff, governors and IT support.
• The wider school and college community, because the DfE asks you to "Work with students, staff and parents to identify their digital accessibility needs."

The strategy should then state what those needs are and how you intend to meet them. If the strategy itself does not exist yet, the governance standard comes first.

The features you already own

The DfE says "Digital accessibility features are often included in existing devices and operating systems." The features it names are text-to-speech and dictation, caption settings, zoom and adjustment settings, and translation and language tools.

For a Microsoft school, that list maps to tools already in Microsoft 365 and Windows: Immersive Reader for read-aloud and reading support, Dictate in Word and Outlook, live captions in Teams, Magnifier and display scaling in Windows, and Translator in Teams and Word. None of them is an extra licence for most education tenants.

What the DfE asks the SLT to make sure of, for new and existing hardware, software and digital services, is that they:

• "are accessible or have accessibility features included"
• "can provide equity of access"
• "are set up to work with assistive technology and audio-visual equipment"
• "remain safe and secure when accessibility features are enabled"

The people involved are IT support, the SEND lead, procurement including digital licensing, curriculum planning and student welfare. The last line of that list is the one IT has to answer for, and it leads straight to the next section.

Why security policies block accessibility, and how to stop it

The DfE says "accessibility features should not be blocked by generic security policies." The same line appears on the laptops, desktops and tablets standard, which is a sign of how often it happens.

The pattern we see in most estates is not malice but inheritance. A device baseline gets copied from a corporate template or a hardening guide, and nobody tests it with a pupil who needs dictation. Typical casualties:

• Microphone disabled by policy, so dictation and voice access stop working.
• App installs and the Microsoft Store blocked, so assistive apps cannot be added.
• Camera and screen capture disabled, which breaks some captioning and reading tools.
• Browser extensions blocked, removing reader modes and screen-reader add-ons.
• Display and personalisation settings locked, so zoom, contrast and text size cannot be changed.

The fix is not to weaken security. The DfE's own wording is that devices should "remain safe and secure when accessibility features are enabled". The approach that works is to audit the policies in Intune, create a documented group or exception for assistive technology, test the baseline with the SEND lead before it ships, and record the exceptions in the DPIA for devices. Our Intune device management checklist includes the accessibility checks alongside the security ones.

Communications and the website

The third requirement is owned by SLT, who "should lead and include staff involved in digital communication and its content". The website line is direct: "Websites should be accessible for everyone. Consider accessibility when commissioning or building a website."

What the DfE asks beyond the website:

• Understanding of accessibility across the school.
• Staff trained to write and access content in accessible formats.
• Staff who know who to contact for help.

In practice that means headings rather than bold text, alt text on images, captions on video, letters sent as web pages or accessible documents rather than scanned PDFs, and a contrast check on the newsletter template. None of it is technical. Most of it is a one-hour session and a template that is right by default.

How to evidence it to governors and SEND leads

Behind a short written answer sits:

• The digital technology strategy, curriculum policy and SEND policy, each with an accessibility paragraph and the date of the review that added it.
• A record of how student, staff and parent accessibility needs were gathered.
• An inventory of the accessibility features available on your devices and in Microsoft 365, and confirmation they are switched on.
• The Intune policy audit showing which settings were checked against accessibility, and the documented exceptions.
• A note from the SEND lead that the device baseline was tested with them.
• The website commissioning brief or a recent accessibility check.
• The staff training record for accessible communications.

That folder can be assembled in a term, and most of it costs nothing but time.

Where Systech fits

We are an IT provider for schools, colleges and trusts, not SEND specialists, and this standard needs both. What we do through endpoint management and Microsoft 365 configuration is make sure the features the DfE names are enabled, audit the security policies that block them, build documented exceptions for assistive technology, and give you the evidence: the feature inventory, the policy audit and the test sign-off.

We do not assess individual pupils' needs, write the SEND policy or produce your communications; those stay with your SEND lead and your office. What we can promise is that when they ask for a feature, the device will not be the reason it does not work.

Our free 60-minute DfE digital standards baseline includes an accessibility check of your device policies alongside the other eleven standards, and the findings are yours whether or not you work with us. The standards guide collects the whole series.