By M. Benassaya - User Experience & Accessibility Expert at SQUAD
What context?
InFrance, the law of February 11, 2005, on "equal rights and opportunities" requires variousonline public communication services to be accessible to people with disabilities. This law is part of a regulatory framework which, like disability itself, does not stop at French borders. Its scope and even its origin are linked to a European and international context. Europe characterizes digital accessibility as a civic obligation in the sense that wider distribution of accessible digital products and servicespromotes professional integration, social inclusion, and independent living.In the United States, digital accessibility has been taken into account since 1998, with the adoption by Congress of an amendment on the accessibility of federal websites and government electronic resources.
In France, this legal framework comes at a time when12 million French people(Talentéo, 2015)are affected by a disability. That is nearly one in five French people. Among them, 80% have an invisible disability.1.5 million have a visual impairment and 850,000 have reduced mobility.Thus, INSEE estimates that:
- 13.4% have a motor impairment,
- 11.4% have a sensory impairment (hearing or visual),
- 9.8% suffer from an organic impairment,
- 6.6% have an intellectual or mental disability
- 2 to 3% of the population uses a wheelchair.
In addition to these figures, we must not forgetolder people, who may face challenges as significant as those faced by people with disabilities (difficulty moving around, poor eyesight, cognitive decline, etc.). Nor should we forgetpeople with characteristics that hinder their access to information(dyslexia, color blindness, illiteracy, etc.).
We can therefore see that accessibility can affect a large number of people, especially as these figures are likely to change due to thegeneral aging of the population(Blanc, 2007). In light of these figures and developments, the implementation of these legal provisions can also be explained bythe desire to reduce the digital divide for people with disabilitiesin a society where new web technologies are becoming increasingly widespread in our daily lives.
Nowadays, whenever we have a question, feel curious, or need something, we look for the answer on the web. In 1995, there were around 23,000 websites, butby 2016 there were over 1 billion(Internet Live Stats.2016). This exponential growth gives us the opportunity to quickly access different types of information and services without having to leave our homes. In other words, it makes our lives easier.
It is precisely in this sense thatthe digital divide exists, because the availability of information and services should be revolutionary for people with disabilities. However, it is clear thatthe inaccessibility of interfaces is a source of exclusion, despite the use of assistive technologies designed to facilitate access to computer content, which is limited by the failure to take accessibility into account when designing interfaces. Despite the existence of standards (WCAG, RGAA), very few websites are accessible: in several surveys conducted by the European Union(Report of the UK presidency of the EU, 2009),less than 20% of the sites evaluated comply with international accessibility standards. A recent review even suggests that only 5% of websites worldwide are accessible.
Today, how is digital accessibility taken into account in design?
As mentioned above, national design standards emerged following the 2005 law. The French RGAA decree, namely the General Accessibility Reference Framework for Administrations(General Secretariat for the Modernization of Public Action, 2015),firstpublished in 2009 and heavily inspired by WCAG 2.0, is currently in itsthirdversion. These standards explain how to design an accessible websitethrough a set of recommendations. The purpose of making these standards available is to raise awareness and guide designers inintegrating accessibility into IT projects.
Most of the accessible sites listed comply with the standards set out in this reference document, which corresponds tonormative accessibility(Giraud, October 2014), which remains predominant at present. For example, in the context of accessibility for people with visual impairments, this type of accessibility involves applying a set of design rules to enable the accurate transcription of visual information into auditory information by a screen reader that reads aloud and sequentially all the information on the screen. This accessibility addresses the question of existence: Is this object present? Is this rule being followed? This approach is certainly useful for integrating accessibility into interfaces and can be considered a technical basis for design. However, this approach is not entirely satisfactory becauseit omits an essential element: observing the actual activity of people with disabilities during their interactions.
Tomorrow, how should digital accessibility be taken into account in design?
Observing users with disabilities during their interactions allows us to gain a detailed understanding of their needs, their objectives, and the means they use to achieve their goals effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily. This means takingeffective accessibilityinto accountusing ergonomic analysis methods. Integrating accessibility is not just a matter of choosing one approach or another, but ratherof taking into account both types of accessibility (normative and effective)in order to meet the needs of visually impaired users, which have changed with the evolution of web interfaces. As interfaces become increasingly rich, offering more and more possibilities in terms of interactions and more and more possibilities in terms of information and services, accessibility needscan no longer rely solely on standards butmust beapproached in a more nuanced waywith a real understanding of the characteristics and constraints of people with disabilities. Ultimately, accessibility should no longer be perceived as a divide between two types of web, one for people with disabilities and one for everyone else, but as a catalyst for a universal, open web.
Today, how is digital accessibility perceived in design?
Accessibility, through this law and in general, is perceived as beingcoercive. On the one hand, it is coercive because it is imposed by a legal framework and therefore by penalties for non-compliance with the law. On the other hand, it is coercive in many aspects inherent to its design. Firstly, in terms of impact, many believe thataccessibility is intended only for a small proportion of peoplewith disabilities. Given this observation, integrating accessibility impliesa complex and very costly implementation for a very low ROI, since it would only concern a very small population. It is also often said that taking accessibility into account means sacrificing the graphic design of a website.
Accessibility would result in an outdated and unattractive look and feel. In other words, there seems to be little point in considering accessibility when designing an interface, as this would really run counter to current objectives and trends. Thisrather negative stereotypical representation of accessibilityand its consequences, or at least its very limited contribution, obviously does not encourage the launch of a dynamicthat could nevertheless be beneficial in many ways and for many people.
Tomorrow, how should accessibility be perceived in design?
Accessibility, as it is currently perceived, would be a mistake and would lead to counterproductive implementation, whereas it represents a springboard for opportunities on several fronts.
Firstly,the fundamental issue is societal, involving the integration of people with disabilities into the digital development of our society.However, accessibility should not be limited to this alone, even if this is the main issue at stake. As mentioned above, we are in a context where the population is aging across the board. Accessibility also impacts older people, who may experience significant losses in their hearing, vision, mobility, and cognitive abilities.
Putting accessibility aside also means putting these elderly people aside and therefore losing a lot of potential users and traffic. Thinking about accessibility now also means preserving the long-term added value that we gain from using new technologies today. Not only because we will grow older and potentially face the same difficulties, but also becauseat any given moment, we may find ourselves in a situation that limits our abilities(broken arm or glasses, bright or noisy environment). The societal benefits of accessibility exist in terms of usage and do not only concern people with disabilities.It is a societal springboard that concerns us all.
Then there is another important aspect to consider:the economic challenge. There is a realparadox between the lack of accessibility of websites and the enormous potential market that the needs of people with disabilities can generate. It is this population that has the greatest need for access to online services and home delivery, without the constraint of having to travel. Another potential market that should not be overlooked is that of "seniors." They represent the fastest-growing consumer segment, with a projected 2 billion seniors by 2050. They may even become thelargestconsumer group, with their purchasing power doubling by 2020(Lignon, 2014).
Older people also represent a significant proportion of online consumers, seeing the same benefits as people with disabilities. Accessibility is therefore a wise investment and a public service. Like any investment, it may require difficult efforts at the outset, but it hasundeniable and profitable benefits.
Making a website accessible is a complex task that poses challenges in terms of both design and development. It is precisely at this point that accessibilitycan be a driving force for the future, depending on how it is perceived and how much effort is put into it. This iswhere innovation comes in. Accessibility requires creativity and innovation in order to overcome the barriers inherent in the different characteristics of the target populations. Accessibility is a source of innovation and makes it possible to offer features that benefit everyone. An innovative solution that enables people with disabilities to perform a task that was previously difficult or even impossible will be immediately adopted by the rest of the population because it will also make things easier for them.
Some examples of inventions initially designed and intended for people with disabilities, but which are very useful to us:
Beyond the various challenges mentioned above, accessibility is alsoa guarantee of quality and highly valued by markets and public opinion. Accessibility is part of implementing a long-term quality approach. Indeed, making a website accessible contributes to the implementation of best practices that improve navigation, comprehension, and readability of content. What's more,redesigning your site in terms of digital accessibility also allows you to completely overhaul its ergonomicsin order to present information in a relevant way. These points therefore help to reduce maintenance costs but also optimize SEO and thus its performance in terms of traffic.
Conclusion
We have seen previously that accessibility does not only concern people with disabilities, but that we can and mustall be concerned. Looking at the figures listed in this article, we can draw correlations to demonstrate not only the need toimplement digital accessibility, but above allthe opportunities and added value associated with it.
New technologies are experiencing rapid growth, with new needs emerging. There are also many people (with disabilities, elderly, etc.) who have a genuine interest in benefiting from these technologies, with numbers tending to increase. The combination of these two variables demonstrates a genuine interest in considering and developing the integration of accessibility into IT projects. By asking the right questions at the start of a project and quickly identifying the right issues, we will certainly see thatthinking about accessibility means innovating for everyone.
References
Blanc, Paul.Disability Law: Following the Reform. Senate, 2007 [Online].http://www.senat.fr/rap/r06-359/r06-359.html, accessed April 11, 2016.
Giraud, Stéphanie (October 2014).Accessibility of rich computer interfaces for the visually impaired. University of Nice Sophia Antipolis.https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01154444/document, retrieved April 11, 2016.
Internet Usage & Social Media Statistics. Internet Live Stats. InternetLive Stats, n.d. [Online]. http://www.internetlivestats.com/, Accessed April 11, 2016.
Lignon, Célia.Digital accessibility: good news or bad news? Journaldu Net(October 2014).http://www.journaldunet.com/ebusiness/expert/58704/accessibilite-numerique—bonne-ou-mauvaise-nouvelle.shtml, accessed April 12, 2016.
Report by the UK presidency of the EU (2009).Accessibility of public sector services in the European Union.European Unionreport.
General Secretariat for the Modernization of Public Action.Reference framework. InReference documents of the State Information System, 2015 [Online].http://references.modernisation.gouv.fr/rgaa-accessibilite, accessed April 11, 2016.
Talenteo.2015: Key figures on disability. Talenteo, 2015 [Online]. http://www.talenteo.fr/chiffres-handicap-2015/, accessed April 11, 2016.
[1]Some European countries are leading the way: Ireland (Disability Act, 1999); Great Britain (Disability Discrimination Act, 1995); Germany and Spain (2002); Greece (2003), etc.
