4.5 million people do not participate online on an acceptable level, while they do have the right.

1. Introduction

Digital accessibility: the extent to which online information and services can be used by people with disabilities.

Importance of accessibility

Our society has become increasingly digital. New online providers and online services are added every day. In the past the web used to be an extra provided service among many others. Currently, however, it often is the only avenue through which a product or service is offered. For many elderly or disabled people, websites are not accessible and therefore they cannot use the content or service.

Digital Accessibility online

Websites are considered digitally accessible when people with a disability can browse, navigate and interact with online content, while maintaining their independence, dignity and safety. "Interacting” can be done in different ways: by gathering information, making a purchase, filling in a form or contacting (emergency) services.

Reasons to improve your accessibility

You are required to do so by law
You (and your organization) prioritize inclusion
You want optimal online performance
You want to increase the amount of customers
You want more happy users
You see sales opportunities
You think ahead

The Netherlands’ population consists out of 17.5 million people

74,3%

25,7%

of which more than 4.5 million people are disabled

2.5 million people are functionally illiterate
380.000 people are blind or visually impaired
1.3 million people are hearing impaired
12.000 people are hard of hearing or deaf
1.1 million people are dyslexic
3.5 million people are older than 65

2. Inclusion

Being compliant is important. The world is becoming increasingly digital. Even though they are entitled to it, 20% of the people cannot fully participate in an increasingly digital environment.

Improve the integration and social equality of many groups of people:

The elderly

As we get older, changes occur that impact vision, hearing, motor skills, and memory. Therefore, the elderly benefit from accessibility guidelines in the same way as people with disabilities do. Because more and more elderly people use the internet, they form an important group in relation to digital accessibility.

Foreign speakers and functionally illiterate people

People who view websites written in a foreign language can benefit from being able to hear the text of a website read out aloud (through speech software. The same applies to people with a reduced ability to read and write.

Impaired motor skills

This disability can vary considerably hinder the use of digital content. Someone may be (partially) paralyzed or suffer from physical impairments, making a mouse difficult or impossible to handle.

Visually challenged

The Internet is visual in nature. This is why people with reduced vision often experience problems with the accessibility of the internet. Elements that might seem trivial at first, such as the use of color and font size, plays an ever increasing important role in the digital experience of the visually challenged.

Deaf or reduced hearing

Due to the increase in multimedia (such as YouTube videos), sound plays an increasingly important role. This is a particular problem for the deaf and those with reduced hearing.

Dyslexia

People with dyslexia experience difficulty with reading. Certain fonts, alternative text and background colors, larger characters and extra spacing, can all considerably improve legibility.

Epilepsy

In people with epilepsy, flashes of light can provoke seizures. An animation or video clip that flashes frequently and brightly can therefore be dangerous.

The internet is fantastic, but I can't access my bank account online because logging in to the bank's website is too complicated for me.

—Agnieska | Polen

3. Legislation

All digital means of communication must meet international accessibility standards by 2021. We have listed crucial information below.

Application

In 2016, the Equal Treatment Act was amended for people with a disability or chronic illness. If your organization is not digitally accessible for people with a disability, you are not treating them equally. Apart from specific guidelines (WCAG 2.1), every governmental, semi-governmental, public law organization and / or private company, should already be digitally accessible on the basis of the aforementioned act.

Free assessment

How does your website score on accessibility? Does it meet the legal guidelines? Aally can answer these questions for you and ensure full accessibility.

Since September 2019 all websites should have been accessible, as per legislation.

2016 July

The Equal Treatment Act has been amended for people with disabilities or chronic illness, based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

2016 December

EU directive on accessibility of websites and apps becomes effective.

2017 January

New standard for general accessibility has been included in the law. If a website or app is not accessible, a citizen can invoke this law.

2018 January

The Temporary Decree on Digital Accessibility of Government applies as a legal obligation for (semi-) governmental organizations.

2019 September

All newly built internal and external websites must comply with the law. Compliance with the decision is enforced retroactively.

2020 September

All internal and external websites and content must be in compliance.

2021 June

All (semi-) governmental mobile applications must be in compliance.

2024 June

Commercial organizations are under control of the government: is all documentation and digital communication in compliance with the law.

4. WCAG

Still need to familiarize yourself with the WCAG 2.1? The following list of technical terms will clarify the required standards. So it will be handy to familiarize yourself with them:

New directive

The WCAG 2.1 directive (also known as EN301549) replaces Web Guidelines 2 (or WCAG 2.0) and is in fact nothing more than an update of WCAG 2.0.

Digital services

2.1 applies to all (semi-) governmental digital services. This includes: applications, websites and all content and documents incorporated therein (with some exceptions).

Government

2.1 only applies to digital products of (semi-) public authorities, public bodies and partnerships thereof.

Commercial organiziations

By June 2019, 2.1 applies to all digital communications (including websites), and documentation of commercial organizations. The government starts enforcement by June 2024, because the change requires time.

An incremental approach

Initially, the new requirements apply only to new websites. At a later stage, old websites will be included, and finally, mobile applications.

‘Shops are wheelchair-accessible. So why is the internet not accessible to people with disabilities?’

—Ivar | Community manager - Visionair

5. Aally

Aally is proud of the fact that we are the odd one out. Compliance is our game. We look at things from all perspectives. And this is, strangely enough, unique when it comes to accessibility.

Aally’s benefits

Cloud solution
Compatible with your existing site
Versatile (applicable to all target groups)
Developed for end users
User compiled and -driven menu
Speech in the browser (no additional software required)
A predictable solution
Easy to install
Easy to configure

6. Features

Aally does what others only claim to do - Aally actually solves all of your compliancy issues.

Tricky, no. Easy-peasy, yes

Most websites are built for sighted people. They see what they expect to see within their field of view. If you are visually challenged or dyslexic, you must translate or "adjust to what you need". Without help, that is a hugely demanding task. Aally consists of various features that make that translation for you.

Aally loves customization

Our mission is digital accessibility for everyone. Do you have a specific development question? Please feel free to contact us.

Our features are ready to use, easy to implement and make end users really happy. Is there anything we have missed?

Voice

Content is read based on preferences (language, voice , reading speed).

Text

Text is displayed based on preferences (font, font size, spacing).

Contrast

Colors are shown based on preferences (palette, intensity, difference fore and background color)

Highlights

Focus is applied based on preferences (zoom in on a word, photo, link).

Guidelines

Navigational aid (where am I, what else is there, where should I go).

Simply put, Aally simplifies websites. We rank content and leave it up to the end user to decide which features they will and will not use.

7. Contact

All access to all

call / e-mail us for a demo

+31 (0)70 219 90 50 [email protected]