British Standard 8878 (BS 8878) is a Web Accessibility Code of Practice which was published by the BSI Group (also known as the British Standards Institution or BSI). The standard was officially launched on 7 December 2010.
BS 8878 defines a process for creating and embedding a web accessibility strategy within an organisation. It is written in non technical language and is aimed at people within an organisation who have responsibilities for web strategy or development.
The term “web product” is introduced in BS 8878 to describe any web-based service. It encompasses web sites, web applications, software as a service, cloud based services and other services accessed via a web browser.
BS 8878 is not intended as a competitor or alternative to the WCAG standard developed by W3C WAI. Rather, it defines the processes needed in the planning and deployment of accessible web products. This can include the selection of WCAG guidelines. BS 8878 is part of the UK government's broader self-regulatory approach to standardization.