My View - Health service implications of draft Digital Accessibility Standard

VIEW - Chandra Harrison, Director, Access Advisors 

A new Digital Accessibility Standard (DAS) is intended to replace the current Web Accessibility Standard in early 2027. Released for public consultation on July 13, it will broaden the focus beyond websites to encompass all digital technology. This is a significant shift that will have implications across the health sector. 

For health organisations, accessibility is not simply a compliance issue, it is a patient safety, quality of care, and equity issue. Every day, patients and whānau rely on digital tools to access health information, book appointments, communicate with providers, attend virtual consultations, complete forms, and manage their wellbeing. 

If these systems are not accessible, people can be excluded from essential services. 

The broader scope the proposed DAS is designed to ensure accessibility is considered across all digital technologies, not just web. This includes patient portals, mobile applications, telehealth platforms, clinical software, self-service kiosks, online forms, digital documents, internal staff systems, and potentially connected medical devices that include digital interfaces. 

Many health providers have already invested in digital transformation programmes, but accessibility has not always been included from the beginning. 

As a result, organisations may discover barriers such as PDFs that cannot be read by screen readers, online forms that cannot be completed using a keyboard, poor colour contrast, inaccessible mobile apps, or video content without captions. 

Implications for telehealth

Telehealth platforms will need to be viewed not just as video conferencing tools, but as complete digital health services that must be accessible from appointment booking through to follow-up care. 

The draft Digital Accessibility Standard is likely to increase expectations that video consultations, waiting rooms, chat functions, captions, consent processes, patient forms, mobile apps, clinical documents, and post-consultation information can all be used independently by disabled people. 

For health providers, this means accessibility will need to become a core consideration when selecting, configuring, and managing telehealth solutions, helping to ensure that digital care does not unintentionally exclude patients who are blind, Deaf, neurodivergent, have low vision, use assistive technology, or have mobility, cognitive, or communication impairments.

These barriers can affect people with blindness or low vision, hearing loss, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, neurodivergence, cognitive impairments, and temporary injuries. 

Taking stock

Accessible digital services improve experiences for everyone, not just disabled people. The draft standard presents an opportunity for health organisations to take stock of where they are today. 

The health industry should be asking themselves:

• Are our websites accessible and usable?
• Are our patient-facing documents available in accessible formats?
  
• Can people complete key tasks without a mouse?
  
• Do our digital procurement processes include accessibility requirements?
  
• Are accessibility checks built into our design, development, and testing processes?
  
• Can disabled patients independently access our digital services?

Organisations that start addressing these questions now will be better positioned for future requirements and will deliver better outcomes for the communities they serve.

If you are unsure how your organisation measures up against the proposed requirements, now is a good time to seek independent advice. Access Advisors can help health organisations assess websites, digital tools, software, documents, and procurement practices against recognised accessibility standards. 

Early assessment can identify risks, prioritise improvements, and help ensure that accessibility is embedded into future digital projects.

Get involved

Digital accessibility is ultimately about ensuring everyone can access healthcare information and services with dignity and independence. We encourage all health organisations to review the draft Digital Accessibility Standard, provide feedback before the consultation closes, and start planning for a more accessible digital future.

The consultation is open until 7 August and the Government has specifically invited views on what should be included in the new standard, making this an important opportunity for health providers, clinicians, digital teams, disability advocates, and technology vendors to share their experiences and perspectives. 

If you want to contact eHealthNews.nz regarding this View, please email the editor Rebecca McBeth.

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