Digital Accessibility in Oman
National Policy and WCAG Requirements
GCC Accessibility
Government and digital services are expanding across the Sultanate of Oman as part of the country’s digital transformation and Oman Vision 2040. As more information, services and transactions move to websites, applications and digital platforms, ensuring that all users, including people with disabilities and older people, can access and use them becomes an essential part of digital service quality and inclusion. [1] [3]
In August 2022, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology issued the National Digital Accessibility Policy to support the effective participation of people with disabilities and older people in accessing public products, information and services delivered through information and communication technologies. The original policy refers to WCAG 2.0 as an accessibility reference. [1] [2]
Oman’s accessibility landscape has continued to develop. In 2025, the Ministry published a newer digital accessibility guideline aimed at developers, designers, project managers, decision-makers and accessibility professionals. The guidance connects current practice with WCAG 2.1, while several government entities now publicly state commitments to Level AA under WCAG 2.1 or a more recent WCAG version. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Scope note This article addresses websites, applications, digital services and electronic documents in the context of government entities and organizations operating in Oman. It does not assume that every organization is legally required to follow the same WCAG version. It distinguishes between the national policy, newer government guidance and the accessibility commitments published by individual entities.
The Answer at a Glance
Oman has a formal digital accessibility framework that began with a national policy issued in 2022 referring to WCAG 2.0, and later developed through government guidance published in 2025 based on WCAG 2.1. In practice, the unified government portal states conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA, while other government entities refer to the latest WCAG version at Level AA. [1] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Area
Current position in Oman
Practical implication
National framework
National Digital Accessibility Policy in place since 2022
There is a formal government foundation that can be referenced when designing and evaluating digital services.
Reference standard
The original policy refers to WCAG 2.0, while newer guidance refers to WCAG 2.1
Each project should clearly define the required WCAG version and conformance level.
Common practical level
Several government entities publicly state Level AA
Evaluation should not be limited to web pages alone.
Accessibility scope
Websites, applications, forms, documents and media
Commission an appropriate app scope
Testing approach
Automated testing combined with human or user testing in newer guidance
Automated scanning alone is not sufficient evidence of conformance.
What Is Oman’s National Digital Accessibility Policy?
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology issued the National Digital Accessibility Policy on 25 August 2022. According to the Ministry, the policy was developed to support the effective participation of people with disabilities and older people in accessing public products, information and services delivered through ICT platforms and equipment. [1]
The Ministry’s policy and governance pages explain that the national policy refers to WCAG 2.0, developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), with the familiar A, AA and AAA conformance levels. [2]
This does not mean WCAG 2.0 represents the end point of accessibility development in Oman. The national policy provides the formal foundation, while newer guidance and government practice show a gradual move toward more recent WCAG versions.
How the Reference Has Evolved from WCAG 2.0 to WCAG 2.1 and Beyond
In April 2025, the Ministry published an accessible apps and websites guideline and subsequently announced the Digital Accessibility Guideline in May 2025. It is intended for developers, designers, project managers, decision-makers and accessibility specialists, and focuses on applying accessibility principles from the design and development stages. [3]
The guideline refers to international practices based on WCAG 2.1 and covers areas such as alternative text, avoiding reliance on color alone, clear labels, semantic structure, keyboard support, contrast, time limits and media controls, as well as testing websites and applications using automated tools and participation by users with disabilities. [3]
The important point is that the reference version is not necessarily identical across every entity. A sound professional approach is to identify what the relevant policy, entity documentation or project requirements specify, and then assess the product against a clearly defined WCAG version and conformance level.
What Current Government Practice Shows
Unified Government Portal Gov.om
The unified government portal states that it is committed to inclusive digital services in accordance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. It also explains that its website, application and digital content are designed to work with operating-system accessibility features, modern browsers and screen readers, while acknowledging that some current content or functionality may not yet meet every requirement. [4]
Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health states that its eHealth portal is committed to the latest WCAG version at Level AA. Its scope goes beyond web pages and includes e-forms, dashboards, web-based applications, iOS and Android applications, downloadable documents such as PDF, Word and Excel files, as well as video, audio and live streaming. It also refers to support for NVDA and JAWS, periodic testing, staff training and incorporating accessibility requirements into supplier and procurement processes. [5]
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes a similarly broad approach, covering the website, forms, dashboards, applications, digital documents and multimedia. It states that it works to the latest WCAG version at Level AA and also refers to work toward WCAG 2.2 within accessibility improvement tools used on the website. [6]
These examples do not establish that every government entity in Oman uses exactly the same WCAG version. They do, however, show a clear direction toward making digital accessibility an explicit part of government digital service quality.
What This Means for Government Entities and Organizations
Having a national policy and government guidance does not automatically make a website or application accessible. Accessibility is affected by design, code, content, forms, interactive components, documents, media, service journeys, testing methods and ongoing maintenance.
The work should therefore begin by defining the scope: which websites, applications, services, languages, user journeys and documents are included; which WCAG version and conformance level are required; and which assistive technologies and testing environments will be used.
Why Automated Testing Alone Is Not Enough
An automated accessibility checker can help Omani teams identify selected technical failures, such as missing accessible names, certain contrast issues and invalid ARIA patterns. Website accessibility testing must also review whether content makes sense, alternatives communicate the intended meaning and people can complete essential tasks with a keyboard and screen reader. Tool findings therefore need validation within the agreed assessment scope.
Oman’s modern accessibility guidance itself combines automated tools with user testing, supporting a layered testing approach rather than reliance on a single scan result. [3]
A more reliable approach typically combines automated scanning, expert manual review, keyboard testing, assistive technology testing, content review and testing of critical user journeys.
Reviewing Documents, Media and Complete Digital Services
A website may have well-designed pages while its downloadable documents remain difficult or impossible to use with screen readers. Accessibility evaluation should therefore include PDF, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files when they form part of the service, with review of heading structure, reading order, alternative text, tables, links, form fields and interactive elements.
The same principle applies to video, audio and live streaming, where captions, transcripts, audio description and media-player operation may affect accessibility. Recent accessibility statements from Omani government entities demonstrate this broader scope clearly. [5] [6]
It is also important to test the complete service rather than an isolated page. A homepage may be accessible while a user encounters a barrier during registration, sign-in, form completion, file upload or request confirmation.
Building Accessibility into Projects from the Start
Oman’s accessibility guideline encourages websites and applications to be designed with accessibility principles from the beginning, helping organizations reduce the cost and complexity of later remediation. [3]
In practice, this means incorporating accessibility requirements into project documentation and tenders, user experience design, design systems, development, content management, quality assurance, supplier requirements and project acceptance criteria.
The earlier barriers are identified, the easier it is to address their root causes rather than repairing hundreds of pages or files after launch.
What Organizations in Oman Should Do Now
- Identify the policy, standard or contractual requirement that applies to the digital service, and clearly name the WCAG version and conformance level.
- Carry out an initial assessment of the website or application to identify barriers with the greatest impact on users.
- Use automated scanning to broaden coverage, but do not treat it as complete evidence of conformance.
- Conduct expert manual review and keyboard and screen-reader testing of representative pages and critical user journeys.
- Evaluate Arabic and English versions independently when the service is bilingual.
- Review downloadable documents and media, not only HTML pages.
- Prioritize issues by user impact and root cause, then establish a trackable remediation plan.
- Include digital accessibility requirements in procurement, contracting and acceptance of new projects.
- Retest after remediation, major updates or the launch of new services.
- Establish an ongoing process for monitoring, training and improving content and shared components.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Oman Have a National Digital Accessibility Policy?
Yes. The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology issued the National Digital Accessibility Policy in August 2022 to support access by people with disabilities and older people to public digital products, information and services. [1]
Which WCAG Version Is Referenced in the National Policy?
The Ministry’s pages relating to the national policy refer to WCAG 2.0. By contrast, the guideline published in 2025 refers to WCAG 2.1, while some government entities currently state commitments to more recent versions at Level AA. [2] [3] [5] [6]
Is WCAG 2.1 Level AA Used in Omani Government Services?
Yes, in some publicly documented services. The unified government portal Gov.om, for example, states conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. [4]
Should PDF Files and Other Documents Be Tested Too?
If documents form part of the service or information provided to users, they should be included in the evaluation scope. Accessibility statements from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs include downloadable documents within their accessibility scope. [5] [6]
Is an Automated Accessibility Scanner Enough to Prove Conformance?
No. Automated tools are useful for detecting specific technical patterns, but many requirements involving meaning, context, interaction and assistive technology require human evaluation. Oman’s newer guidance also refers to both automated testing and user testing. [3]
Should the Arabic Version Be Tested Separately?
Yes, when Arabic or bilingual interfaces are provided. Text direction, focus order, pronunciation, mixed-direction content, translation and form behavior can create accessibility issues that differ from the English version.
Related Reading
- Digital Accessibility in the GCC
- Digital Accessibility in the UAE
- Digital Accessibility in Saudi Arabia
- Digital Accessibility in Qatar: Standards and Requirements
- What Does a Professional Accessibility Audit Include?
- Automated vs Manual Accessibility Testing: What Each Method Reveals
- WCAG 2.2 Level AA Explained
How VisiAble Can Help
VisiAble helps government entities and organizations assess the accessibility of websites, applications and digital services using an approach that combines technical evidence with real-world usability.
Our professional accessibility audits can include automated scanning, expert manual review, keyboard and assistive technology testing, evaluation of representative pages and critical journeys, content and document review, prioritization by user impact, practical remediation guidance and retesting.
VisiAble can also help teams identify the appropriate WCAG version and conformance level, integrate accessibility requirements into design, development, content and procurement, and establish an ongoing process for verifying improvements.
Want to understand the accessibility level of your website or digital service? Request a professional assessment from VisiAble.
Official Sources
- Ministry of Transport, Comm. IT, National Digital Accessibility Policy, issued 25 August 2022
- Ministry of Transport, Comm. IT, policy and governance page referring to WCAG 2.0
- Ministry of Transport, Comm. IT, Accessible Apps Guideline / Digital Accessibility Guideline, 2025
- Gov.om, Accessibility Statement
- Ministry of Health, Digital Accessibility Statement
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Digital Accessibility
