Languages and the public sector
I was asked earlier whether public bodies had a legal duty to publish content in foreign languages.
Consult a specialist in Public or Administrative Law for a better opinion, but as far as I’m aware, apart from Welsh authorities whose requirement is statutory, public bodies govern communications policies by way of a publication scheme under the framework of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
A few examples of publication schemes include (subject to links remaining correct):
The publication scheme is based on a model from the Information Commissioner’s Office or defined by the public body. This document sets out the range of information to be made available and in what format.
Languages are an important part of accessibility, but public sector web apps will not require internationalisation as part of an accessibility check.
For more information, visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website.
