The direction of travel from government is unmistakable: more services delivered digitally, more automation, and more self‑service. Around 2.7 million people complete an online transaction with a central government service and 1.3 million people interact with the NHS digitally every day, all of which are underpinned by £26 billion of annual investment.
On paper, this is huge progress – digital delivery can be faster, simpler, and more efficient than traditional approaches. But the fact remains that only half of public services have a digital channel according to last year’s State of Digital Government Review and, even for those that do, there are fundamental challenges that still need to be addressed.
Perhaps chief among those is that, in the push to modernise services, it’s easy to forget that adding a digital layer might be more convenient for the majority, but it risks taking access away from many of the people who rely on them most.
While we live in a world where AI grabs headlines most days, for many people the digital world remains a challenge. Research from Ofcom suggests that 2.8 million people – equivalent to 5% of the population – still do not have access to the internet, many of whom are likely to rely on at least one public service in a meaningful way. Another 8% told the same survey they lack confidence online.
Separate studies suggest the challenge runs even deeper. A 2024 poll found 24% of UK adults consider themselves digitally excluded in some form – ranging from not having access to the right devices, having limited digital literacy, or simply not being able to afford an internet connection to their home.
That’s not to mention the specific needs many have when dealing with public services. Whether they are neurodivergent, have disability support needs, or are in a vulnerable situation, the way people engage with the Government needs to be flexible and adaptable to a variety of different requirements.
There has been genuine progress on that front across the Government in recent years. Standards are clearer and strategies like the Roadmap for Modern Digital Government, released earlier this year, set out the way forward across public services.
At the same time, individual departments have produced excellent accessibility resources. For example, the Home Office’s guidance on design for autistic users sets out invaluable practical advice on colour contrast, language, and screen‑reader‑friendly layouts that can make a huge difference for users with additional needs.
These are all positive developments. But progress is not the same as consistency – delivery has remained uneven. Much of this has been because legacy systems within many government departments make accessibility difficult to retrofit, delivery teams are stretched, and budgets are under significant pressure.
But building accessible and inclusive public services does not need to entail vast new budgets, tighter deadlines, detailed frameworks, and more strategies. Part of the problem is process and mindset driven.
Too often, accessibility and inclusion are seen as a technical issue rather than a fundamental part of how a service works for real people with different needs. And the simplest, most effective way to address that is to build those principles onto the design from the beginning.
In practical terms that means:
Digital transformation is not optional – more public services need to be migrated to digital channels and that is only going to accelerate in the years ahead. But that can’t happen at the expense of inclusion and universal access.
What is encouraging is that the government’s 2025 plan and 2026 roadmap both reflect that broader picture. The 2025 action plan set out five immediate actions covering local support, skills, devices, accessible government services and evidence, and the 2026 roadmap says the aim is for services to be inclusive by design while improving access, resources, and skills.
A modern public service does not just work for the digitally savvy users who adhere to a particular profile. Embedding accessibility and inclusion from the very start – in design, governance, and culture – can deliver public services that are not only efficient, but are usable, human-focused, and genuinely for everyone.