The role of accessibility in the user experience

In the blog article "UX Design for outstanding user experiences" we explored the UX universe with a focus on its role in IT, the principles and process of design thinking. Today, however, we are going to analyse a very important concept: digital accessibility with an eye to UX/UI.

What is accessibility in the UX/UI field?

When we are talking about accessibility in the digital sphere, we are referring to the idea of designing the digital world so that it is accessible to as many users as possible. No digital products should present barriers that may limit their use, whether by users with or without disabilities. 

The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) tells us that:

"The Web is fundamentally designed to work for all people, whatever their hardware, software, language, location, or ability. When the Web meets this goal, it is accessible to people with a diverse range of hearing, movement, sight, and cognitive ability.".

Therefore, to be accessible, the digital world must be designed for everyone to use. 

In fact, accessibility in user experience design refers to the practice of designing user interfaces and digital interactions so that they can be used by all people, regardless of their abilities. This includes various aspects such as the following disabilities:

• auditory
• cognitive
• neurological
• physical
• vocal
• visual

Still, it is important to remember that accessibility is not only aimed at people with disabilities, but can also benefit people who, for example, find themselves in specific situational contexts such as a place where there is intense sunlight or who experience a change in their abilities due to advancing age.

By prioritising accessibility, UX designers thus offer people the opportunity to actively interact, navigate and complete their actions effectively and, above all, autonomously.

 

Why is it important?

Inclusion

Accessible design enables people with disabilities to fully participate in digital experiences, while also minimising possible barriers to information transfer and interaction. This promotes an independent and simplified use of digital products.

Enhanced usability

An accessible user experience benefits all users, regardless of their abilities because it actually improves the overall user-friendliness, making user interfaces more intuitive, smaller and easier to navigate.

Access to new target groups

The more user experience is accessible, the more people are able to access a digital product. This opens up potential target groups immediately and expands the radius of a company's future customers.

Legal and ethical compliance

In many countries there are legal requirements for digital accessibility. Compliance with these standards also demonstrates a commitment to ethical design practices. In Italy, for example, the key principles for accessible web design are regulated by the Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale (Agid) and have been defined in the Legge Stanca or legge 4/2004. At the European level, on the other hand, web accessibility is regulated by the WAD (Web Accessibility Directive), EU Directive 2016/2102.

N.b. Benefits for companies

Adopting accessibility at the digital level drives innovation because it breaks down all those barriers that can hinder it and, at the same time, enhances a company's brand, because a business that adopts accessibility demonstrates a high degree of corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, as we have said before, accessibility opens up new target groups, consider that in Italy, according to the most recent statistics, there are almost 13 million people with disabilities. Last but not least, it minimises legal risks. Yes, although legal issues related to this issue often remind us of the States, in Italy too we have a very recent legal case: the Luca Coscioni Association has filed a lawsuit against Italo Treno for digital discrimination against people with disabilities under Law 67/2006.

 

Criteria for success and basic principles of accessibility

Success criteria are the specific guidelines outlined in WCAG 2.2 that must be met to ensure that digital content is accessible to all. They are organised into three levels of conformity: A, AA and AAA. With each level there are progressively stricter accessibility requirements.  Currently, there are 86 success criteria, 77 of which come from WCAG version 2.1 while nine are new criteria added that we will see in the next section. Each one of these criteria is designed to address a specific accessibility problem that users may encounter when accessing digital content. 

The fundamental principles on accessibility are officially four, also called POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust) and are defined by the W3C and should be taken into account whenever digital products are designed.

 

‍‍Perceivable

All users must be able to perceive the content. For example, offering alternatives for non-textual elements such as images or videos and using clear and consistent visual cues.

‍Operable

User interfaces must be usable by users with different abilities. This includes providing options for keyboard navigation, minimising reliance on timed interactions and avoiding design elements that can trigger epileptic seizures or other physical reactions.

‍Understandable

The use of concise and descriptive content or informative error messages enables information to be conveyed in a logical and coherent manner. Even people with a lower level of education, poor language skills or mental disabilities should be able to understand the content.

Robust

Content must be designed in a way that can be interpreted by as many user agents as possible and thus remain robust even as technologies and user agents such as assistive technologies evolve. 

 

WCAG 2.2 Guidelines

The main guidelines concerning the realisation of digital user experiences that respect accessibility principles are contained in WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). This is the most recent version that was released in October 2023 and brings with it nine new success criteria. Of these, six must have AA compliance. Let's take a look at them.

Focus not obscured (minimum)

An element with focus must be visible on the page and cannot be hidden behind something. Some exceptions exist, such as if the element with focus is behind something that has been activated, e.g. if a user clicks a button and a pop-up appears, because the latter can be closed. If, on the other hand, an element in focus is behind another element that cannot be used, the success criterion fails.

Dragging movements

You may find yourself in the situation where you need to drag something onto the page. Usually you take the pointer, click, hold, move the pointer somewhere and then let go. This action, however, can be difficult to perform if you have some kind of disability or if you do not have access to a pointer/mouse. To overcome this success criterion, an alternative must be provided. One can make it so that one clicks on an item, lets it go, then presses somewhere else and the system detects and moves the item there. Or you can provide keyboard navigation or buttons that allow you to move around the page.

Target size (minimum)

Any clickable element or input must have a minimum clickable area of 24x24 pixels. If the element is smaller, sufficient space around it is required before it can hit another clickable element. That way, if a user has trouble clicking an element, such as a button, he or she does not accidentally click another one nearby.

Consistent help

When there is some sort of support-related link, icon or resource on a page or website, make sure it is always in the same place. If, for example, you have the chat button positioned in the bottom left-hand corner, make sure it remains in that position on all pages. Ensure consistency in the positioning of support seekers throughout the website or application.

Redundant entry

Never force the user to add information and provide it several times in the same session. When information has been requested, it should be stored so that it does not have to be requested again. There are of course exceptions to this rule. As an example, for security reasons, it may be necessary to ask a user for their password again when accessing sensitive or secure areas of the website or application. Generally speaking, if you have inputs, you could activate the autopopulation function for these input elements, so that users can use the information saved in their browsers to enter the information.

Accessible authentication (minimum)

In order to authenticate on your website or app, the user does not have to perform a cognitive function test, i.e. remember, transcribe or manipulate something. For example, users should not be required to remember their password. Provided that the username and password areas allow you to copy and paste them or populate them with a password manager, you are fine. This principle also applies to CAPTCHAs or any kind of 'I am not a robot' situation, except for CAPTCHAs with image identification.

 

Italy and accessibility

Public sector

As we have previously mentioned, in Italy the agency in charge of monitoring accessibility in the digital sphere is Agid. As far as the public administration sector is concerned, according to Agid, in 2023 only 40% of public administration websites were fully compliant with the accessibility guidelines based on WCAG 2.1 (remember that the most recent WCAG version was released in October 2023). Of the remaining 60 per cent, only half are only partially compliant. 

If we look at the use of mobile apps, the situation is even worse. In fact, in 2023 only 25% of public administration mobile apps meet the accessibility criteria set by EU Directive 2016/2102, which obliges all public bodies in the EU to make their websites and mobile apps accessible online.

The most common errors identified by Agid's monitoring in public administration are:

1. Lack of visible focus
2. Implementation of information only through colour 
3. Insufficient text contrast

 

Private sector

Within the Italian private sector, digital accessibility is not yet fully implemented, despite increasing regulations (with the D.L. 76/2020 accessibility was extended to all companies with a business income exceeding EUR 500 million) and the importance of inclusivity for users. According to a recent 2023 study conducted by Ergoproject, only 68% of the analysed companies made an accessibility statement available for their digital services, leaving the remaining 32% uncovered. Even among the published declarations, only 29% of those in PDF format are actually accessible, while the HTML format, present in 49% of cases, generally offers greater compliance with the WCAG guidelines.

The situation in mobile apps, particularly in the private sector, follows a similar trend as in the public sector, with many services still not compliant with EU Directive 2016/2102. Digital accessibility compliance will be mandatory for all by 2025, when the EU Directive governing accessibility requirements for digital products and services comes into force.

Common mistakes in the private sector include:

• Non-compliant ways of describing content;
• Use of non-accessible formats (such as non-compliant PDFs);
• Use of accessibility overlays. 

 

Conclusion

Accessibility in the UX/UI field is the ability to make user interfaces usable by all people, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. Not merely a matter of regulatory compliance, but a commitment to technology that respects and enhances every individual.

We saw how obvious the role of accessible design is: not only does it broaden the potential audience, but it also improves innovation and user perceptions of companies that apply it. Success criteria and fundamental principles of accessibility, such as perceivability, operability, comprehensibility and robustness, are the basis on which to build digital experiences that are truly inclusive and usable by everyone.

The newly updated WCAG 2.2 guidelines offer a detailed roadmap to achieve these goals, introducing criteria to help meet emerging challenges and further improve web accessibility. In Italy, where regulations are becoming increasingly stringent and social expectations higher, following these guidelines is crucial.

For companies and organisations that want to go beyond mere compliance and create truly accessible digital experiences, DevInterface offers a specialised UX/UI design service. Our integrated design approach not only meets WCAG criteria, but also focuses on customised solutions that significantly improve the accessibility of websites and apps. With us, you can turn accessibility challenges into opportunities for innovation and growth by offering digital products that are not only compliant, but truly inclusive and user-oriented. Contact us now.