We recently attended a digital accessibility seminar and thought we’d share some insights.
Accessibility is gaining more attention and impact across industries, especially digital industries like ours, and will eventually be enforced by law at a global level.
The UN defines accessibility as a human rights issue as well as a development issue. It is about ensuring that digital communications develop on equal terms.
There are no ‘normal’ users!
There are no ‘normal’ users! Around 25% of all users suffer from some form of disability, whether permanent or temporary. It’s not always what you might think it is – disabilities can also include poor reception, stress, different devices, users coming from other countries, etc.
Accessibility means a better experience for everyone and is a given part of UX. We’re used to hearing “mobile-first”, but as this is becoming commonplace, it has become increasingly common to say “accessibility first”. We see big companies incorporating accessibility into everything they do, such as Microsoft’s inclusive design:
https://www.microsoft.com/design/inclusive/
Accessibility means making things easier for everyone
At how-many.herokuapp.com you can see how many users, based on the total number of users, have a disability and of what kind in per cent.
What increased accessibility means for your product/service:
- Easier to use
- Easier to maintain
- Facilitates onboarding
- Reduces pressure on customer service
- Increases conversion with optimised user journey
Accessibility & SEO
As search engines start to take more account of accessibility when ranking sites, this is becoming a specialised profession. Here are some examples of how accessibility and SEO work together:
- Unique and explicit page titles (most relevant content first)
- No “read more…” links, all links should be unique and explanatory
- No broken links
- Clear heading structure, as this is a form of navigation that frames content
- Content that is easy to understand improves the experience for everyone, including Google
- Alt texts for video and images
- Don’t use PDF format
- SEO loves performance
Accessibility is also good for your brand. It provides intrinsic value for users and colleagues alike and facilitates marketing and branding. It also serves as a benchmark for competition while reflecting company values.
In Sweden, there is currently a law in place that requires government sites as well as government-funded sites (including websites, applications, documents and third-party solutions) to implement WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Agency for Digital Government https://www.digg.se
This summer will also see the inclusion of the European Accessibility Act which comes into force in 2025. Here are examples of the industries that will be affected:
- Computers/phones/TV equipment/phone services/operating systems
- Point of sale and payment terminals
- Audiovisual media services
- E-books
- Air/bus/rail/boat services
- Banking services
- E-commerce
More information on the European Accessibility Act can be found at https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1202
Angry Creative has been aware for some time of the changes required and what needs to be prepared for 2025. This means we have been actively working on accessibility within our products, services and workflows. There is still work to be done, but we are well on our way, ensuring that we comply with the European Accessibility Act.
Need help ensuring your digital presence complies with the upcoming EU directive? Contact us and we’ll show you how to prepare and how our products and services can help.