Four Great Reasons to be Digitally Accessible
3rd February 2025
4 min read
What Is Digital Accessibility?
> Key point: this assists people with vision, mobility, hearing & cognitive disabilities.
Digital Accessibility simply refers to digital content (e.g. a website) that either is or is not, “accessible” to people with disabilities and assistive technology.
Why Be Accessible – Four Great Reasons:
Examples of digital content that should be accessible include; websites, apps, videos, PDF documents, podcasts, graphs, financial ATM’s, kiosks, & ticket machines.
1. Be Inclusive
Some form of disability can happen to any one of us, at any time. Disabilities can be situational, temporary, or permanent.
For example, something as unpredictable as a stroke or Parkinson’s Disease, can mean someone no longer has the hand mobility needed to use a computer mouse. Without the use of a mouse, how would that person send an email, bank or shop online?
Other disabilities that influence how people access digital content include; blindness, low vision, colour-blindness, deafness, hard of hearing, & numerous cognitive issues.
Currently, 27% of the EU has some form of significant disability, which is a sobering thought.
It is also a huge opportunity to apply existing technology to include people with disabilities.
Code that follows inclusive design principles can allow assistive technology to provide equal access to digital content for everyone.
2. Grow Your Audience
We are all subject to economic factors in one way or another. As returns on spends go, making your digital content accessible is definitely a solid investment.
The establishment & ease of secure payment systems now means people are more comfortable purchasing online.
However, many people with disabilities are currently excluded from the freedom that online shopping & services can offer, which effectively means businesses are turning away customers who are seeking to spend.
It makes far more sense to adapt inaccessible content & gain a competitive edge on rival firms that do not adapt.
3. Promote Your Brand Loyalty
Being inclusive tells all your customers they matter.
Your brand image will be stronger because you made access to content easy, & in return, your customers will reward you with repeat business.
4. Avoid Legal Penalties
In Europe, new legal implications will take effect from 28th June 2025 with the European Accessibility Act (EAA). Hefty fines & sanctions apply with the EAA.
Firms with 10 or more employees, operating in the following sectors* of the European market, are required to follow the adopted EAA standard of WCAG 2.1 level AA for digital content:
E-commerce.
Banking.
Telecoms.
Transport (air, bus, rail & waterborne passenger transport services).
Technology products (computers, mobile phones, e-readers, ticketing & check-in machines, point-of-sale devices, ATM’s, information kiosks).
*sectors mentioned also include firms that are not based in Europe, but who have dealings with Europe (e.g. air transport firms that are registered outside of the EU, but who fly into the EU).
The UK, within its own borders, is not affected by the EAA. However, UK based firms that provide their products or services to the EU, will be required to comply with the EAA. The same applies to firms based in the United States that provide products or services to the EU.
Learn more about the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Other countries require firms to follow the regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the UK Equality Act, and the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), to name but a few.
Contact me today if you wish to know more about digital accessibility, WCAG & country specific regulations.