Web Accessibility Directive (WAD) is not perfect, especially because it is only applied to public sector (some countries added parts of private sector as well). But it has amazing effects also on the private sector, that’s for sure. Web agencies that serve public sector must learn about WCAG and I guess their knowledge is then applied also for their private sector deliveries. Private sector is for sure understanding the importance of inclusion, at least they should think of all the possible customers they are missing if they are not accessible. And media coverage builds awareness – especially when people with disabilities explain where they experience barriers and even how to fix them.
And quite soon EU will also start with the European Accessibility Act (EAA, opens in new window), that will scope it’s ambitions out of the web but will also be extremely important for the web.
EAA aims to remove barriers and improve product and service accessibility for persons with disabilities and elderly people. EAA identifies that following products and services needs more accessibility and less barriers:
- computers and operating systems
- ATMs, ticketing and check-in machines
- smartphones
- TV equipment related to digital television services
- telephony services and related equipment
- access to audio-visual media services such as television broadcast and related consumer equipment
- services related to air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport
- banking services
- e-books
- e-commerce
I will not go into details but focus on the web part in this post.
Online commerce investment in accessibility will affect all of us
Computers and operating systems are basis for online accessibility, along with their smartphones, so it is logical that they are included. Banking services are already investing in accessibility and I hope that EAA will not be the initiator there.
As with other sectors – e-commerce needed some awareness on accessibility. And when percent of potentially excluded people landed on their boards it is not surprising that they calculated their potential returns on investment and all other business metrics.
The EAA is not totally new – it started in 2019. So market have enough time to prepare before 2022. This will also mean that e-commerce will improve for all of us, not only for people with disabilities and elderly. Good contrast, predictive page structure, alternative texts and so on benefits everybody. And search engine optimization robots are also deaf-blind, so it will for sure make some impact also there.
