According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide have a significant disability, affecting more than one in six people.
According to OKEENEA, 17% of the global population suffers from visual impairment, 6% from hearing impairment, and 2.6% from intellectual disability.
Thus, in France in 2021, **6.8 million French people**, or 13% of those aged 15 and over, reported having at least one severe limitation in a physical, sensory, or cognitive function.
French law defines disability as follows:
A disability is any limitation of activity or restriction of participation in social life experienced in one's environment due to a substantial, lasting, or permanent alteration of one or more physical, sensory, mental, cognitive, or psychological functions, a multiple disability, or a disabling health disorder.
Including people with temporary disabilities due to illness or accident, we reach a figure of 9.6 million people, or 24% of the working population aged 15 to 64 according to INSEE, which is substantial.
But what is their relationship with digital technology?
According to the Homère study, 65% of visually impaired people use the internet daily, and while 60% of them are independent in writing emails, only 10% are independent for online procedures, which is far too low!
Yet, it only takes applying a set of best practices to design quality and adapted digital services that facilitate their daily lives.
What is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility refers to the design, development, and implementation of websites, applications, and online content so that they can be used, understood, and accessed by all users, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The goal of web accessibility is to enable all individuals, including those with visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, or other disabilities, to navigate, interact, and access online information effectively and independently.
In other words, Web accessibility aims to remove barriers that might prevent some people from fully benefiting from the services and content available on the Internet. This includes the use of assistive technologies such as screen readers for blind or visually impaired individuals, subtitles for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, as well as trap-free interfaces for screen interpreters and a clear content structure to facilitate navigation for everyone.
The Different Standards
Various international, European, and French standards are in place to promote Web accessibility and ensure an equitable online experience for all.
Often in the form of a reference framework, they outline the approach to make the experience easier for people with disabilities.
By adhering to these standards, developers can ensure that their creations are inclusive and provide an equitable experience to all users, regardless of their usage context.
International Standard
The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) are developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
They provide detailed guidelines for making Web content accessible. They are structured around four fundamental principles for Web content accessibility:
- Perceivable,
- Operable,
- Understandable,
- Robust.
And thirteen guidelines provide the basic objectives.
The WCAG are divided into three levels of compliance: A, AA, and AAA, each with increasingly stringent accessibility criteria.
European Standard
The European standard EN 301 549 is based on WCAG 2.0 and adopts the same levels of compliance (A, AA, AAA). It aims to harmonize accessibility requirements for ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) products and services within the European Union.
French Standard
The RGAA (General Accessibility Reference for Administrations) is the web accessibility standard in France for public websites.
It is aligned with the WCAG and evolves according to WCAG updates.
The current version of the RGAA is 4.1 and was published on February 18, 2021.
The RGAA includes 106 criteria, and its version 4 eliminates the distinction between level A and AA, which is no longer justified as all these rules are mandatory.
But who is it for?
According to French law, you must consider accessibility rules if you are:
- a state service;
- a local authority;
- a public institution;
- organizations entrusted with a public service mission;
- companies with a turnover in France exceeding 250 million euros;
- organizations of general interest.
Prejudices related to accessible websites
A normative and legislative framework provides the foundation for creating an accessible digital service or business application, so why don't websites always take the leap?
It is true that there are many apprehensions and quite a few questions regarding web accessibility.
"Web accessibility is not necessary because people with disabilities are not our target audience."
Are you so sure about that? What allows you to determine this?
Among your collaborators using your business application or your clients utilizing your digital services, some may have visible or invisible disabilities.
Moreover, it is a real gain in terms of social responsibility and brand image: committing to web accessibility shows that the company cares about its users and their experience. This can enhance brand image and strengthen the trust of your customers and employees.
In reality, web accessibility benefits all users, including the elderly, users of assistive technologies, and those experiencing temporary limitations.
"Web accessibility is too expensive and time-consuming."
Yes and no, we would be lying if we said it doesn't require dedicating a minimum amount of time, but think of it as a profitable long-term investment.
Additionally, by integrating accessibility from the start of a project, you will avoid additional costs later on.
Considering web accessibility from the beginning of a web project is essential to ensure it will be accessible to all users, making accessibility a priority throughout the project. This requires raising awareness among all stakeholders, from design creation to content development and site development.
At each stage of the project, conduct accessibility testing with users with disabilities, assistive technologies, and validation tools. Identify issues and make necessary corrections.
These tests will also be beneficial for the quality of your deliverables.
"Are accessible sites always ugly?"
Why should it be? It is often mistakenly thought that an accessible site means sacrificing an attractive and modern design. In reality, an accessible design can be aesthetically pleasing while being functional for all users.
For example, ensuring good contrast between text and background to facilitate readability or prioritizing certain color choices, knowing that in France, the proportion of colorblind individuals is about 8% among men and 0.45% among women, helps make life easier for many people.
Web accessibility practices often have positive impacts for all users, even those without disabilities. Thus, a clear layout and simplified navigation make the user experience more enjoyable for everyone.
"Accessibility standards are too complicated and difficult to understand."
It is true that accessibility standards, such as WCAG, can seem complex for those unfamiliar with the subject. However, many tools and resources are available to help understand and implement these standards in a gradual and pragmatic manner.
You have seen that there is ultimately nothing insurmountable about making your digital service accessible. We must realize that each of us, at our level, can take action whether we are designers, developers, content producers, or advertisers. In conclusion, web accessibility is essential to ensure an inclusive and equitable digital society, where all individuals have equal access to information, services, and opportunities online, regardless of their abilities.