Digital accessibility is not only a legal requirement, but also an ethical and business imperative. Ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can access and use your website or mobile application is crucial to creating an inclusive digital environment. WCAG 2.1 is an international standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that provides guidelines for making web content accessible to people with different types of disabilities.
Putting accessibility into practice
Implementing WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) requirements is essential to ensure that your websites and mobile applications are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. WCAG 2.1 is a standard with three levels of compliance: A, AA and AAA. In this article, we will discuss the steps you need to take to effectively implement these requirements.
Understanding WCAG requirements
The WCAG 2.1 guidelines are distilled into four key principles:
Perceivable: Content must be presented in a way that users can perceive. For example, images should be accompanied by alternative text so that users with screen readers can understand the graphical content.
Operable: Interactive elements must be accessible to users with disabilities. For example, all interactive elements on a page should be operable using only a keyboard, which is critical for users with mobility impairments who may not be able to use a mouse.
Understandable: Information and user interfaces need to be understandable. This means that text should be legible and clear, and page structure should be logical, making it easier for users to navigate and understand the content.
Robust: Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a range of assistive technologies. This means using the latest HTML standards and other technologies to ensure that web pages work correctly on different devices and browsers.
Evaluation and planning
Effective implementation of the WCAG principles requires careful planning and assessment of the current situation. This process can be broken down into key steps: an accessibility audit and the development of an action plan.
Accessibility audit
In order for your organisation to implement accessibility, the first step is to identify which areas need improvement. An accessibility audit is therefore the first step in identifying accessibility issues on your website or mobile application. Your company can attempt to conduct this audit “in-house” or by hiring an external organisation – either way, such an audit will include both automated and manual testing:
1. Automated tools:
- WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool): An online tool that analyses a website for accessibility and presents the results in a user-friendly way, highlighting problems directly on the page.
- Axe Accessibility Checker: A browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that makes it easy to check websites for accessibility.
- Pa11y: An open source tool for automated accessibility testing of web pages. Pa11y offers various integration options and can be used in different development environments.
Automated tools are a great starting point for identifying many problems, but they cannot catch everything. Manual testing is also essential.
2. Manual testing:
- Manually navigate the website: This involves looking at the website from the user’s perspective and assessing its accessibility. This includes using assistive technologies such as screen readers and testing on different devices and browsers to ensure a wide range of accessibility.
- Involving real users: Inviting people with different disabilities to test the website can provide valuable insights into the real-world challenges they may face.
While both automated and manual testing can help identify many accessibility issues, a comprehensive audit conducted by an external firm, especially one that specialises in digital accessibility, offers several additional benefits. Professional firms have access to advanced tools and methodologies that allow for more accurate identification of accessibility issues. A professional audit includes detailed reports with recommendations, making it easier to implement necessary changes. In addition, external firms provide ongoing support and guidance, helping to maintain accessibility compliance in the long term.
Action plan
Developing an effective action plan is essential to ensure that all necessary changes are implemented in an organised and efficient manner. The action plan should include prioritising tasks, allocating resources and assigning responsibilities within the team. Below are the key steps to consider when developing an action plan.
1. Prioritisation
Prioritising is a critical step in the process of implementing digital accessibility. Start by identifying areas that need immediate improvement, often focusing on the most critical issues that prevent users from accessing key features of the site.
- Assess the severity of the problems: Analyse the identified problems in terms of their impact on users. Prioritise those that have the greatest impact on the usability and accessibility of the site.
- Compliance with WCAG levels: Develop an action plan according to WCAG compliance levels (A, AA, AAA):
– Level A: Basic accessibility requirements that must be met to provide basic access.
– Level AA: Additional requirements that improve accessibility and are recommended for most websites.
– Level AAA: The highest level of accessibility, which may be difficult to achieve in all cases, but is an ideal goal to strive for.
2. Resources and responsibility
Identifying the resources needed to implement change and assigning responsibilities within the team is essential to the successful implementation of the action plan.
- Identify resources: Identify the resources needed to implement the changes. This may include the development team, UX/UI designers, accessibility specialists, and tools for testing and monitoring accessibility.- Human Resources: The development team responsible for implementing the changes, UX/UI designers responsible for ensuring that user interfaces are intuitive and accessible, and accessibility specialists who can provide expert knowledge.
– Tools: Automated testing tools such as WAVE, Axe or Pa11y, and manual testing tools such as screen readers (e.g. NVDA, VoiceOver). - Assign responsibility: Assign specific tasks to team members to ensure that everyone knows what they are responsible for.– Define roles: Each team member should have a clearly defined role, such as developers being responsible for fixing code errors, designers for adapting the user interface, and accessibility specialists for conducting audits and training the team.
– Set deadlines: Set clear goals and deadlines to keep work on track. Regular team meetings can help monitor progress and address issues as they arise.
Implementation of WCAG requirements
– practice
Perception
- Alternative text: Add alternative text to all images and multimedia elements.
- Colour contrast: Ensure appropriate colour contrast between text and background.
Operability
- Keyboard navigation: Ensure that all interactive elements are accessible from the keyboard.
- Buttons and links: Ensure that buttons and links are easy to click and have appropriate labels.
Understandability
- Text readability: Ensure that texts are legible and written in plain language.
- Helpful hints: Include navigation tips and labels on forms.
Robustness
- Standards compliance: Use correct HTML and ARIA coding to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies.
Testing and feedback
Testing by the user
- Users with disabilities: As mentioned above, it is valuable to invite people with different types of disabilities to test the accessibility of your website.
- Gather feedback: Regularly collect feedback from users and make the necessary adjustments. It may seem simple, but no one can provide better ideas for optimisation than the users of your website or application themselves.
Continuous improvement
- Regular audits: Conduct regular accessibility audits and monitor WCAG compliance.
- Updates: Keep content and technology up to date with the latest standards and guidelines.
Benefits of implementing accessibility
Market growth:
Making e-commerce accessible opens up a significant market of people with disabilities, estimated at around 1 billion worldwide.
Accessible websites can attract more customers and improve the overall user experience.
Brand image:
Companies that prioritise accessibility are seen as socially responsible and inclusive, which enhances their brand reputation.
Positive publicity and customer loyalty can result from accessible e-commerce practices.
You can read about how change affects the organisation in the article: How will the new Accessibility Act (EAA) affect your business?
Compliance and risk reduction:
Compliance with accessibility standards helps organisations meet legal requirements and avoid costly litigation. Accessibility efforts can save time and resources in the long run.
Data source
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI): WCAG Guidelines
- European Union Law (EAA): Directive 2019/882
Author
Agata Kuich – IT Business Partner
With over 13 years of industry experience, Agata began her career in communications consulting and PR, and has been involved in digital since 2015. She has been with SYZYGY Warsaw since 2018, serving as an IT Business Partner. Throughout this time, she has collaborated with renowned clients such as Nutricia, Żabka, Danwood, Kyocera, and currently Lufthansa Group. She focuses on building teams for complex projects and strategies centered on delivering value. Her approach combines the ability to build business awareness within teams with a deep understanding of client needs. Agata aims to create teams that support individual development and foster an environment where everyone can leverage their strengths. She also served as a mentor in last year’s Dare IT program in the Project Management path, driven by her strong belief in equality and accessibility in technology.
Ensure Accessibility
Would you like to learn more about how the new accessibility regulations might impact your business? Or perhaps you need support in implementing WCAG standards in your digital services?
Get in touch with us to:
- Understand how the EAA could affect your business
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