The verdict in three sentences
For a public sector body in Dublin or elsewhere in Ireland, digital accessibility is a legal duty under the EU Web Accessibility Directive, transposed by S.I. 358 of 2020 and monitored by the National Disability Authority (NDA). The safest route starts with a WCAG audit of EUR 3,500 to 7,000 that measures compliance against the success criteria, followed by a redesign of EUR 30,000 to 60,000 procured through a public tender. Allow 6 months between audit and publishing an honest accessibility statement on a site people can actually use.
What the law requires from a public body in 2026
The Directive applies to government departments, local authorities, HSE bodies and most publicly funded organisations. It refers to EN 301 549, which maps to WCAG 2.1 level AA. WCAG 2.2 adds useful criteria (target size, accessible authentication) that are wise to adopt in any redesign. In France, the equivalent framework is RGAA 4.1 with 106 criteria and fines up to EUR 50,000 per non-compliant service, a useful benchmark for where EU enforcement is heading.
| Obligation | What to publish | Frequency | Risk if missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility statement | Compliance status, exemptions, contact | Updated after each audit | Flagged in NDA monitoring |
| Compliance status | Fully, partially or not compliant | Permanent | Immediate non-compliance |
| Feedback mechanism | Form or email to report barriers | Permanent | Complaints to the Ombudsman |
| Disproportionate burden claims | Documented justification | Per exemption | Rejected if unjustified |
| Sample audit | WCAG AA on 10 to 20 page types | At least every 3 years or after redesign | Statement invalid |
| Mobile apps | Same obligations as websites | Ongoing | Same monitoring |
Realistic cost for an Irish public body
A council website concentrates high-stakes services: waste collection, housing applications, planning, parking permits, tenders. Scanned PDFs, interactive maps and online forms are the three main sources of failure.
| Item | 2026 range | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Initial WCAG 2.2 AA audit (15 to 20 pages) | EUR 3,500 to 7,000 | Full checklist, report, compliance score |
| Website redesign, accessible design and CMS | EUR 30,000 to 60,000 | Depends on services and templates |
| PDF remediation (per batch of 50) | EUR 1,800 to 4,500 | Or conversion to HTML pages |
| Training for content editors (2 days) | EUR 2,000 to 3,500 | Headings, images, links, tables |
| Re-audit after redesign | EUR 3,000 to 5,000 | Basis for the new statement |
| Testing with disabled users | EUR 2,000 to 4,000 | Strongly recommended |
| Maintenance and monitoring | EUR 500 to 1,400/month | Quarterly checks |
On procurement: above the national advertising threshold (EUR 25,000 excluding VAT for services), the contract must be advertised on eTenders. Put a minimum compliance target (for example 75% of WCAG AA criteria at delivery) in the tender, require an independent re-audit and set penalties for shortfalls. Typical 6-month plan: month 1 audit, month 2 tender documents and competition, months 3 to 5 design and build, month 6 re-audit, fixes and statement publication.
Mini case study
Aoife, director of services at a county council near Dublin serving 28,000 residents, budgets: initial audit EUR 5,000, redesign EUR 45,000, PDFs EUR 3,500, training EUR 2,800 and re-audit EUR 4,000, for a total of EUR 60,300. The current site scores 32% compliance. After the redesign, the contractual target is 80%. Accessible online services also cut front-desk visits by about 15%, freeing roughly 0.3 FTE, worth around EUR 14,000 a year. The legal and reputational risk of a failing NDA monitoring report on 3 core services (housing, waste, planning) is avoided.
FAQ
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Can a public body declare itself "partially compliant"?
Yes, when most criteria are met but known failures remain. The statement must list the failing content and the plan to fix it, ideally with dates within 12 months.
Is an accessibility overlay plugin enough?
No. Automatic overlays fix neither structure, nor PDFs, nor forms, and audits ignore them. Automated tools detect at best 30 to 40% of issues.
How many pages should be audited?
The sample usually covers 10 to 20 representative pages: home, contact, legal, sitemap, a complete service journey and each template. A 15-page audit sits around EUR 4,500 to 5,500.
Do old PDFs need fixing?
Archived documents no longer needed for services can be exempt. Active PDFs such as forms or bye-laws must be fixed, at EUR 35 to 90 per document.
How long does the statement stay valid?
It must be updated after every major change and reviewed at least annually. Plan a EUR 3,000 to 5,000 re-audit in the multi-year budget.
Let's scope your project. Send us your website address and the list of online services: we estimate the audit, the redesign and the procurement timeline on a EUR 30,000 to 60,000 basis. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
