The Importance of Digital Accessibility

The importance of Digital Accessibility: Comply with legislation and creating inclusive experiences

In the modern digital world, digital accessibility has become an increasingly important topic. It's not just about creating user-friendly interfaces, but also about ensuring equal access to information and services for all users, including people with various disabilities. In addition, legislation has been developed to oblige organizations to ensure digital accessibility. In this blog, we will discuss why digital accessibility is so important and how organizations can meet it, both by collaborating with agency specialists and by paying attention to accessibility in the construction process.

Why is digital accessibility important?

Digital accessibility is not only a matter of ethics, but also of legal requirements. Governments around the world have passed legislation that requires organizations to make their digital platforms accessible to people with various disabilities, such as visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities. This legislation, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), lays down specific requirements for the design, development and maintenance of accessible websites and applications.

Some examples of requirements that a web or mobile application must meet under the WCAG guidelines include:

• Alternate text for images: Images must include alternative text so that visually impaired users can understand the content.
• Keyboard navigation: Users should be able to control all functions of the application using just the keyboard, without having to rely on mouse actions.
• Color contrast: Text and images must have sufficient contrast to ensure readability for visually impaired users.
• Reading function: A web or mobile application must be compatible with screen readers and other read-aloud software so that visually impaired users can read the content aloud.
• Multimedia text alternatives: Video and audio files must include text alternatives so that users with hearing disabilities can understand the content.

How can organizations meet these requirements?

Complying with this legislation is not only an obligation, but also an opportunity for organizations to create inclusive online experiences. By striving for digital accessibility, they can reach a wider audience and have a positive impact on the lives of people with various disabilities. However, this requires a conscious effort, both when designing and developing new digital products and updating existing applications.

In many cases, it can be wise for organizations to work with agency specialists who have expertise in the field of digital accessibility. These specialists can help identify accessibility issues, implement best practices, and conduct tests to ensure accessibility to digital platforms. By taking advantage of an agency's expertise, organizations can ensure they comply with legal requirements while providing high-quality, accessible experiences to their users.

Use accessibility principles from the first moment

In addition to collaborating with external specialists, it is also important to pay attention to digital accessibility during the construction process itself. By taking accessibility principles and guidelines into account from the start, organizations can prevent many problems and reduce the costs of adjusting accessibility errors later in the development process. This requires a conscious effort by everyone involved, including designers, developers, and testers, to ensure that accessibility is an integral part of the development process.

The conclusion: digital accessibility is vital to complying with legislation and creating inclusive online experiences. By collaborating with agency specialists and paying attention to accessibility in the construction process, organizations can not only meet legal requirements, but also create an inclusive and accessible online environment for all users.