In a world where technology is king, digital accessibility is no longer a luxury but a basic necessity. Unfortunately, the convenience and ease it offers remain elusive for individuals with disabilities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that around 15% of the global population experiences disability. Unless digital content and technology are made inclusive, a huge chunk of the population will continue to be excluded from fully participating in society.
This isn’t just a matter of convenience – it’s a question of ethics and social responsibility. After all, progress that leaves a huge segment of society behind isn’t really progress at all.
Unlocking innovation through digital accessibility
In recent years, digital accessibility has been rightfully thrust into the spotlight. It’s not just about making websites and apps more inclusive for people with disabilities, but also about driving innovation and unleashing creativity. By designing and creating accessible digital content, organisations can open doors to untapped markets and user groups. This will spur new opportunities for growth and advancement.
Creating a more inclusive world should also be thought of as a legal requirement. When we think about the physical world, there are now legal requirements and legislation coming to the fore. For example, in the UK, any new public buildings must be built with accessibility for everyone in mind. But this should be no different when it comes to the digital world.
Accessible web design aims to create features that accommodate different needs. For example, some of us may struggle with small text or low contrast on a screen, so websites should offer options to adjust these settings. While other people may find using a mouse challenging, websites should provide alternative keyboard-based navigation.
The bottom line? Accessibility isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a must-have for any organisation looking to thrive in the digital world.So, what can businesses do?
1. Gain a stronger understanding
Start by educating the internal team about digital accessibility and the benefits it can bring. Businesses need to understand accessibility regulation and why it is important, championing key business stakeholders one at a time and scaling up. This can include reading articles and blogs and following experts to understand the potential ‘cost’ (legal risk, increased resources to fix defects in production rather than during Design & Development) and opportunity (community size and spending power, organic search improvement) of accessibility.
2. Uncover the blind spots
Conduct an accessibility audit. To fully understand an organisation’s state of accessibility compliance, both automated and manual audits should be conducted. These audits must align with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This will help to understand any accessibility issues and root out any barriers across the web and app. These audits include testing for the likes of:
- keyboard accessibility
- screen reader compatibility
- colour contrast
- image alt-text
- and more to ensure digitally inclusive spaces.
3. Create processes
Accessibility can become unnecessarily expensive if organisations get stuck in an audit-fix-audit-fix cycle. To prevent this, create an accessibility process that teams can follow to operationalise accessibility as a practice and embed it into day-to-day tasks. This means more issues are picked up during Design and Development rather than post going live.
4. Training for all
To support accessibility operationalisation run training for core Product teams to upskill. This will empower them in their ability to understand and manage accessibility ongoing. Once you’ve trained core teams, look to scale to other influencing or peripheral teams who may need to know about accessibility. For example, Brand, Marketing, Data & Insights, IT.
5. Remediation
Just as important to rooting out the issues, is being able to undergo remediation allowing the business to immediately address and resolve any challenges once identified. Depending on resources available and levels of executive investment, issues can be tackled within existing design and development sprint cycles. Or even as a separate task force to speed up the pace of change.
Digital accessibility is no longer a bonus feature but an essential component for any electronic device, from smartphones to smart home gadgets. Everyone should have the right to access and use technology. Not only does it create a level playing field, but it also makes good business sense.
By focusing on digital accessibility, companies can improve their customers’ experience. But what’s more, it can lead to better organic search engine optimisation and lower legal risk. This will ultimately assist with reducing costs.
Why now?
Accessibility should always be an important foundation of any business strategy and plan. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it shows the values and ethics of a company. It should be something every business is already striving to do. But if not, now is the time to act.
Starting June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will make it mandatory for all digital products and services available in Europe to comply with industry standards like WCAG. Or else face some hefty fines. Even though the EAA only applies to the EU bloc, its impact will be felt far and wide. Much like its data protection regulation counterpart, GDPR.
Accessibility cannot just be approached with a ‘winging it’ attitude. It takes time to get right. The sheer size of the EU market means that a massive number of global digital operations will fall under the EAA’s watchful eye. In fact, lawsuits around accessibility are already on the rise. There was a new record of 3,255 legal claims recorded in 2022 – a 12% increase from 2021.
It’s time to act now and bring digital assets in line with the new standards. Because come June 2025, organisations without a solid accessibility strategy will be left in the dust – and at risk of serious consequences.