As a result of the identification that it is fundamental to simplify and make more efficient the use of public digital services by citizens, the Agency for Administrative Modernization in collaboration with the National Institute for Rehabilitation developed the Seal of Usability and Accessibility.

This seal identifies and distinguishes the application of best practices of usability and accessibility in websites and applications, promoting their continuous improvement through the application of the Bronze, Silver and Gold seal, and is intended mainly for public administration entities.

Usability and, more recently, User Experience are now essential concepts in the construction of any type of digital presence. The concern with user interaction, the minimization of their frustrations and the creation of a pleasant browsing experience, are objectives that acquire particular relevance when they apply to the digital presence of public administration bodies.

In the case of persons with disabilities, the selection of requirements took into account the basic principle of "before use you must access". In this context, it is extremely important to remove all kinds of barriers that prevent these users - users of assistive technologies - from accessing the services and information made available on the Internet. Only after access can we talk about usability.

The Seal is structured in three levels, corresponding to 3 different effort steps. Each of these stages is stamped with a seal. The Bronze Seal seals compliance with level 1 requirements. The middle level corresponds to the Silver Seal and the highest level corresponds to the Gold Seal. To obtain the Gold Seal, it is necessary to add to the user tests, the requirements defined for the Bronze Seal and for the Silver Seal.

The Usability and Accessibility Seal is intended mainly for entities that are required to comply with Law No. 36/2011, of 21 June, which establishes the adoption of open standards in the computer systems of the State, following which the National Regulation on Digital Interoperability (RNID) emerged. The last law that amended the legislation establishing the RNID (Law No 36/2011 of 21 June 2011 and Council of Ministers Resolution No 2/2018 of 5 January 2018) was Decree-Law No 83/2018 of 19 October 2018.

With the adoption of the Usability and Accessibility Seal, not only can public bodies provide better digital services, but they are also taking an important step towards increasing their use by citizens.

To apply for the Seal

The Declaration of Accessibility and Usability is all you need to apply for the Label.

The steps are the ones listed on page 7 of the Usability and Accessibility Seal Kit [PDF | 3730 KB | 33 page(s)]:

1. Complete the Declaration of Accessibility and Usability;
2. Publish on their website
3. Sending by email (to be announced soon) application only with the public address of the Declaration of Accessibility and Usability and which is the Seal you are applying for: Bronze, Silver or Gold.
4. After confirming the veracity of the analyses submitted, the WADA will contact the entity and, if so, provide the necessary code for affixing the Seal on its website.

The kit is available at https://www.tic.gov.pt.

You can find more resources on usability and web accessibility at https://www.usabilidade.gov.pt e https://www.acessibilidade.gov.pt.