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In today's digital age, accessibility is not just a legal requirement but a fundamental aspect of inclusive design. As companies strive to create products that cater to a diverse audience, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) now plays a crucial role in guiding these efforts.
From ensuring ATMs and ticketing machines and digital services like e-commerce and e-books are accessible, the EAA sets the standards for creating an inclusive environment for everyone.
So why should this matter to companies that develop digital products? On the one hand, there's a straightforward opportunity in striving to make products more accessible for a broad user base. On the other hand, companies should be mindful of the right approach to design and implementation to avoid onerous penalties from market regulators.
Let's take a closer look at EAA and its potential to influence the development of digital products.
EAA Explained: What You Need to Know
The EAA is a EU directive that requires member states to enact laws and regulations aimed at improving the accessibility of products and services for people with disabilities throughout the EU.
The EAA targets products essential for daily life, including public equipment like ATMs and ticketing machines as well as things we use privately, like smartphones, e-books, and financial and travel platforms.
Not only does the Act remove barriers to harmonized standards for services across the European Union, but it also promotes healthy competition among service providers to develop better and more accessible products.
Above all, the EAA sets the framework to make millions of people more independent, therefore leading to a more inclusive society.
Expand the User Base of Your Digital Product
While the EAA is fundamentally focused on inclusivity for users, it naturally creates a rare opportunity for service providers. Making products accessible allows companies to reach a wider audience, including people with disabilities who might otherwise be unable to use the product.
According to the WHO, approximately 16% of the world's population – over 1 billion people – live with some form of disability. This includes more than 200 million people with a vision impairment and nearly half a billion people with hearing loss.
There are also cognitive disabilities like dyslexia, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders to consider. The prevalence of these conditions vary, but they all affect a significant portion of the population.
Disabled individuals benefit from digital accessibility measures such as screen readers, voice control, text-to-speech, speech-to-text, customizable interfaces, and other assistive technologies. For individuals with physical disabilities, features like keyboard navigation, switch control, and touch accommodations are essential for ensuring they can interact with digital content.
Addressing these needs as stated in the four key principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ensures all users can effectively use digital services.
Meanwhile, by taking initiative to expand their user base, there is an opportunity for service providers who stand to benefit by making the world a better place.
Accessible Products Improve the Experience for Everyone
Creating an accessible product enhances the user experience for everyone. By ensuring inclusivity and usability across a wide range of abilities and environments, all users stand to benefit.
Features such as clear navigation, legible text, and intuitive interfaces benefit all users, not just those with disabilities. Meanwhile, larger buttons (for older people), voice commands, or simplified navigation, can improve the overall usability of a product.
Someone using a mobile phone in bright sunlight benefits from high-contrast text, similar to someone with visual impairments. And then there are those with temporary disabilities, like a broken arm or recovering from surgery. Features like alternative input methods become particularly useful in these situations.
As the population ages, more people experience some form of disability, such as reduced vision or hearing. Designing for accessibility ensures that products remain usable by older adults, enhancing their experience and maintaining their independence.
Best Practices for EAA-Compliant Digital Products
So how to build EAA-compliant digital products? Here are a few ways to start:
Support Dynamic Font Sizes and Auto Layout
Dynamic Type allows the user to size up (or down) their preferred font size so the app/web can adjust accordingly. Together with auto layout rules, your app/website can look exactly as you expect it to look, with any font size your user feels comfortable with.
Separate Images and Text
Avoid displaying text on images to ensure screen reader compatibility, text scalability, and localization. A good rule of thumb is to sort your images in the following three categories. If your image fits one of the categories, don't display text on it.
Image is provided by your users (e.g., Instagram)
Image conveys information (e.g., tab bar icon)
Image is only decorative (e.g., logo)
Consider that by displaying text on images, Screen Readers won't be able to read out the text. The text size won't increase (even though you support dynamic type), and the text won't be localized.
Alternative Texts for Graphics
Alt text allows screen readers to describe graphics (images, symbols, control elements) to visually impaired users, ensuring they understand the content, context and function of the element.
Keyboard Operability
Many users with disabilities rely on keyboards or keyboard-like devices for navigation through the application. Therefore, it is necessary to design the application in a navigable way and with clear focus states like paragraphs, lists and headings.
Color Contrast
Information-bearing elements need to have a sufficient contrast and should not transport the information only by color.
Best practices and implementations are not enough if they are not tested with impaired user groups. It’s crucial to understand how these users operate applications and where problems can arise.
For a deeper dive into practical steps you can take to make your digital products more accessible, check out our comprehensive guide.
intive’s Commitment to Accessibility
At intive, we have long been dedicated to creating inclusive and ethical digital products. Our team undergoes rigorous training and certification in accessibility, ensuring it is seamlessly integrated into every phase of our project lifecycle.
Our extensive experience – spanning e-commerce, television, transportation, and more – speaks for itself: from an enhanced ticketing platform for Heathrow Express to the accessible, award-winning Cookidoo digital ecosystem for Thermomix to the user-friendly toom mobile app, accessibility is part of our DNA.
In light of the upcoming EAA 2025 legislation, we are already involved in numerous customer projects related to implementing accessibility in both new and ongoing projects.
If your company needs support developing accessible applications compliant with the EAA, contact us today.
Together, we can create products that are accessible to everyone, fostering a more inclusive and barrier-free society.