Dostępność stron internetowych - wymóg czy powinność

The accessibility of websites and other sources of information for people with disabilities is crucial nowadays due to a significant percentage of society being at risk of social exclusion. The article tries to answer how the entities obliged to apply the accessibility guidelines perceive their duties in this regard. WCAG guidelines in version 2.0 and version 2.1 are presented. The legal acts that oblige entities to use them are analyzed. The author also examines how the guidelines and regulations are interpreted by randomly selected units of the public finance sector by analyzing their websites with the help of a validator chosen from the list maintained by the organization that developed the WCAG guidelines. As part of the study, a questionnaire survey was also carried out among students of IT programs. It was aimed at determining the state of their knowledge and preparedness for publication of web content in accordance with the accessibility standards. Interviews were conducted as well with practitioners creating, implementing, and maintaining internet portals of public institutions. The research allowed for identifying problems related to implementing the guidelines and proposing some actions to solve them.