Digital accessibility a priority ahead of new European law
With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) due to come into force next month, 84 percent of respondents to a new study say that digital accessibility is a priority for their company.
The EAA aims to make technology products and services easier to use for people with disabilities. The study, from quality and testing specialist Applause, shows 94 percent of organizations are preparing for the EAA by the June 28, 2025 deadline.
The global survey of over 1,500 developers, engineers and QA, UX and legal professionals, reveals that 80 percent of organizations now have a person or group responsible for ensuring products are accessible -- up from 52 percent in 2022.
It finds 86 percent now employ inclusive design principles at the planning stage, although problems still slip through into production. The top issues cited by users include videos lacking captions (32 percent), website incompatibility with screen readers (30 percent) and error alerts that are not descriptive (27 percent).
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"Our latest survey reveals an increasingly inclusive mindset among the software development community," says Bob Farrell, vice president, solution delivery and accessibility at Applause. "Organizations want to optimize digital experiences for all users -- not just check the compliance box, though the upcoming EAA deadline is certainly on their radar. Organizations are creating dedicated teams to help ensure digital experiences are inclusive -- but unless they have access to testing experts and end users with disabilities for feedback, it will be a significant challenge achieving this goal. Ultimately, they want to give all customers an amazing experience that lives up to their high standards for digital quality -- ensuring usability for all."
Lack of expertise is an issue, 68 percent of respondents report that they lack the expertise and resources to test for accessibility independently, on an ongoing basis. 48 percent don't have, or don't know if they have, processes in place to stop the release of inaccessible features into production.
There is optimism around the ability of AI to help though, 47 percent of respondents say AI currently provides significant value to accessibility testing, while another 37 percent believe it will in the next two years.
The full report is available from the Applause site.
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