'Digital Accessibility' chosen as the word of 2024

As a creative agency, we navigate through emerging trends every year in the field of design, communication and technological advancements. Not every year brings exciting new developments, but once in a while, something happens in the market that everyone wants, or even needs, to be a part of.

For example, in 2010, you noticed that everyone suddenly wanted to switch to a WordPress website (read here why that was a good choice). A few years later, in 2012, all websites suddenly had to become ‘responsive’ so that they would work well on all mobile devices.

The latest trend in the market is the one of ‘digital accessibility.’ It’s not entirely new, as it already started back in 2018 when all government websites were required to be digitally accessible. This topic then received a small boost when the EAA (European Accessibility Act) was adopted in 2019, but especially since the end of last year, we’ve suddenly seen a lot of attention for it again. For instance, in November 2023, it was reported in the news that as many as 47 of the 80 hospital websites are not digitally accessible. At the beginning of this year, research showed that 8 of the 15 largest webshops in The Netherlands are not digitally accessible. And this latest news is not entirely surprising, since it is going to be mandatory for webshops to comply with the EAA by June 2025.

What exactly is digital accessibility?

Digital accessibility, as defined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), is an approach to designing and developing digital content and applications with inclusivity in mind. It takes into account the needs of people with various disabilities, such as visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments. WCAG establishes criteria that must be adhered to make your digital application accessible. Examples include the use of alternative text for images, creating well-structured HTML, providing keyboard navigation, and ensuring sufficient contrast ratios. This is essential to give everyone equal access to digital applications and contributes to a more inclusive (digital) society.

Does this mean that by June 2025, all digital applications must be adapted?

No, the obligation initially applies only to webshops (and not websites) that go live from that moment forward. This means that all existing webshops get more time to improve this. However, it is expected that this obligation will eventually also apply to websites. In addition, there is of course still the question you should ask yourself: “Do we want to have a website/webshop that not everyone can use?” Besides the fact that you might just want to be inclusive to all your clients, you might also miss out on a larger group of potential new customers!

Won’t websites and applications become terribly boring (in terms of design) if we have to fully comply with this?

No, not at all. There are many beautiful and creative ways to design, build, and optimize your website or application so that the visitor’s experience remains unique while simultaneously meeting the requirements of digital accessibility.

If you want to check how your digital applications are doing in terms of digital accessibility, or if you are interested in actively working on this, please contact erwin@totaldesign.com. We specialize in this topic and are happy to help you get started!