More Accessible Goods and Services - How to Achieve It?
At the end of June, the new European Union Accessibility Directive (European Accessibility Act) will come into force in Latvia, requiring manufacturing, retail, and various service companies to make significant adjustments to the channels used for communication with consumers. The main goal of the directive is to make goods and services more accessible to all potential customers, including people with physical, mental, or intellectual disabilities.
Information Accessible to Everyone
To implement the directive's requirements, the Goods and Services Accessibility Law, adopted a year ago, will come into force on June 28. It stipulates that in certain areas, only accessible goods and services may be distributed and provided. Specifically, those that can be perceived through more than one sensory channel.
The requirements will apply to self-service terminals, financial services, large online stores, passenger transport, electronic communication services, and other sectors[1].
Accessibility requirements mandate that e-commerce websites and applications must be accessible to all users, including those using assistive technologies. Information must be clear, easily perceivable, and available in various formats. Texts must have appropriately sized and sufficiently contrasting fonts so that people with low vision can read them. Importantly, the requirements also apply to information provided on the product itself, in instructions, as well as on websites and mobile applications associated with the product or service.
Check and Prepare in Time
The requirements listed in the law clearly show that businesses will need to significantly improve the accessibility of their content, which will entail additional expenses. To get an idea of the necessary improvements and reduce costs, various digital tools can be used to adapt to the new requirements.
One of the first tools for initial situation assessment is the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool. By entering the address of any website, this tool provides a general overview from an accessibility perspective. It highlights errors in the website structure, including empty headings and links that lead nowhere, and warns about hard-to-read text and insufficient contrast on the page. WAVE can also be used as a browser extension to evaluate a website directly from the respective browser's perspective.
A similar evaluation is offered by the Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browser extension axe DevTools. This free extension is particularly useful for creating new websites or their sections. By clicking on the evaluation icon, axe DevTools performs a thorough accessibility analysis and identifies potential issues. It is strict but fair, immediately pinpointing all discrepancies and leaving no room for doubt. Following the tool's recommendations can help avoid the need for corrections later.
Once the problems are identified, solutions are needed. At least partially, these are offered by the NVDA screen reader, which allows testing how a website is perceived by users with visual impairments and making improvements. This downloadable free program was developed by people with visual impairments, ensuring it truly fulfills its function. It is compatible with popular browsers, email platforms, office programs, and even music players. NVDA suggests changes to font types and sizes to make them easier to see for people with low vision. The tool can also convert text to speech in at least 55 languages and reads text under the cursor or finger on touchscreens. It also reads text from PDF documents and infographics.
Products Must Also Be Adapted
It should be noted that the new accessibility requirements extend far beyond websites, covering a wide range of products, services, and communication channels. Goods must be designed and manufactured so that they can be used by as many people with disabilities as possible[2]. This means that user interfaces must provide functionality and features that enable access, perception, use, understanding, and control of the product.
Additionally, products must prevent light sensitivity seizures, protect user privacy, offer alternatives to biometric identification, and ensure functional consistency and flexible interaction times. Self-service terminals must provide text-to-speech technology, allow the use of personal headphones, warn the user using more than one sensory channel if a response is required within a specific time, offer the option to extend the available time, ensure adequate contrast, and have tactilely distinguishable keys and control devices, as well as compatibility with hearing technologies.
Packaging and information on packaging must be accessible, including information about opening, closing, usage, and disposal, as well as information about the product's accessibility features.
If a company fails to meet the requirements, supervisory authorities will first encourage voluntary correction of non-compliance within a specified period. If this is not done, fines of up to €10,000 may be imposed[3].
[1] Goods and Services Accessibility Law. Article 3. Scope of the Law.
[2] Goods and Services Accessibility Law. Article 6. Manufacturer's Obligations.
[3] Administrative Procedure Law. Article 370. Coercive Fine Imposed on the Addressee.