The Act on the Provision of Digital Services obliges the public sector and some private and third sector organisations to comply with accessibility requirements in their digital services. This section provides information on the requirements of the Act and the kind of actors that are obliged under the Act. In addition, you can find information on other legislation that provides guidance in accessibility matters.
Three requirements
The Act on the Provision of Digital Services contains three key requirements that the digital services in its scope – i.e. websites and mobile applications – must meet:
- The service and its contents must meet the accessibility requirements (External link).
These are the 49 criteria for level A and level AA of the international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1. - The accessibility of the service and its contents must be evaluated, and the state of accessibility and any shortcomings must be presented in the accessibility statement We have also provided a tool for filling in the statement (External link) (currently, in Finnish and Swedish only).
- The service must include an electronic feedback channel so that users can leave feedback on the accessibility of the service. The user must receive a response to their feedback within 14 days.
- Amendments have been made to the Act on the Provision of Digital Services, which bring new services and actors within the scope of the requirements and obligations laid down in the Act. The application of the Act to new services will begin in June 2025 after a transition period.
The Act on the Provision of Digital Services
Act on the Provision of Digital Services (306/2019, available in Finnish and Swedish only) (External link) entered into force in Finland on 1 April 2019. The Act is based on the European Accessibility Directive. In addition, the Act is impacted by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (available in Finnish and Swedish only) (External link), which emphasises the inclusion of persons with disabilities and the possibility of using services independently also in the digital environment. Accessibility is one of the key principles of the Convention.
In practice, the Act requires compliance with the A and AA criteria of the international WCAG guidelines.
One of the objectives of the Act is to make accessibility a part of the normal activities of the authorities. In practice, this means that accessibility would be understood as a key operating principle that should be taken into account in all planning, implementation and maintenance of online content and services.
Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom´s Digital Accessibility Supervision Unit is the authority supervising compliance with the the Act on the Provision of Digital Services.
Requirements of the Act do not guarantee full accessibility
Compliance with the accessibility requirements of the Act does not guarantee that the digital service is accessible or easy to use for everyone. Compliance with the accessibility requirements laid down in the The Act on the Provision of Digital Services can, in particular, improve the possibility of using a website or mobile application with different devices and assistive technologies.
The Act on the provision of Digital Services is not the only act that obliges organisations to follow accessibility requirements.