How do you convince internal stakeholders to take the leap towards digital inclusion?

The will is often there. But becoming digitally accessible requires more than that: it also takes a considerable amount of time, effort and money. Organisations therefore often keep putting it off. As a UX designer, how do you convince your internal stakeholders to go ahead with these investments? Our accessibility experts Jeffrey and Bjorn shed some light on the matter.

The importance of digital accessibility

How long has UX designer Jeffrey Lauwers been focusing on accessibility? ​‘For years. Long before it became a hot topic.’ Nowadays, all his work revolves around accessibility: he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jeffrey’s motivations are simple: as a designer, he wants as many people as possible to be able to use his designs.

He only really realised just how important accessibility is a few years ago, when he spoke to three men with visual impairments.

Navigating with a keyboard

The organisation ​‘Oog voor iedereen’ arranged the visit, and Jeffrey welcomed the men to Happy Labs. The aim: to learn how to use websites or apps. Armed with their keyboards and screen readers, they navigated the PostNL and Albert Heijn websites. They were given two tasks: track a parcel and buy a bottle of shampoo. It certainly didn’t go smoothly. One of the men, for example, managed to add something to the digital shopping trolley, but couldn’t access the trolley using the keyboard. Try as he might, he simply couldn’t complete the checkout.

‘A man with tunnel vision, who also had blurred vision, said to me: ​“People have designed this site for a keyboard. But I can’t use it with a keyboard.”’ That really struck a chord with me. And I also realised: it could happen to any of us. One of the men had gone from perfect vision to 20% in the space of three months. That really made an impression.’

The EEA as a catalyst for change

And not just on him – but also on the stakeholders at PostNL and Albert Heijn. The presentation setting out the findings from the research day was well received. ​‘I saw their eyes light up. At PostNL, it prompted them to get started on accessibility straight away. And now they’re leading the way.’

Jeffrey’s key advice for convincing stakeholders is therefore: bring the target group to life. Tell their stories. It’s better to organise a meet-and-greet than a formal UX study. That way, you gain insights straight away, and you can resolve issues quickly.’

Bjorn has noticed that the group of people with disabilities can be very invisible. ​‘For example, because stakeholders don’t know anyone in their own circle.’ At Funda, we therefore held an inclusive session with the target group, which proved very valuable. We noticed that this generated more enthusiasm at a higher level within the organisation. In that respect, the EEA is a useful incentive.’

Base your design on the WCAG guidelines

Jeffrey’s second piece of advice: start by designing as accessibly as possible yourself. ​‘Use insights from research and the WCAG guidelines to underpin your design,’ he says. ​‘For example, explain that you’ve chosen a particular colour scheme because it complies with the contrast guidelines for people with visual impairments. Or that you’re using plenty of white space to minimise distractions for people who find it difficult to concentrate. By justifying your design, you can present them with compelling arguments.’

It starts with raising awareness

As Lead Product Designer, Bjorn has been heavily involved in redesign projects for large organisations. Accessibility is often a key topic in these projects. In his view, convincing stakeholders starts with raising awareness within the organisation. ​‘They need to realise that this group of three million people in the Netherlands alone is a large one, that they all want to participate in society, and that they all have money to spend. What’s more, many more people benefit from digital accessibility: dark mode, for example, was devised with accessibility in mind, but is a welcome feature for everyone.’

WCAG guidelines: tackle the small hurdles first

If you’re starting out with accessibility, tackle the easy things first, says Bjorn. ​‘For example, start by looking at text alternatives for images and videos. These are easy to add without affecting the visual experience, yet they make a big difference. Then check the contrast. And sort out that one bit of text that’s just a touch too light grey before you start the discussion about the primary brand colour not having sufficient contrast. These are often complex issues to resolve, as they have a major impact on the overall brand experience.’

‘Brand designers often don’t think in terms of accessibility, such as font weight or contrast. They think in terms of brand values and experience. It can take time to understand each other’s perspectives and priorities. Seek each other out, start a conversation. And from there, see what changes can be made to make the brand accessible.’

The whole of the Netherlands is your target audience

In practice, Bjorn has noticed that accessibility is taken for granted in some organisations, whilst in others it is not yet a priority. ​‘Sometimes there’s an internal drive to get things right,’ he says. ​‘Zilveren Kruis is a good example of this. We were tasked with completely rebuilding their entire sales platform for health insurance. The old one wasn’t accessible. There was no question that the new one had to be.’ ​‘Our target audience is the whole of the Netherlands,’ they said. Everything was being overhauled anyway, so we incorporated this straight away.’

Penalties for an inaccessible website

At present, there are no penalties for an inaccessible website. But Jeffrey believes things could soon change. ​‘There have already been court cases in the United States, the best-known example being the blind woman who sued Beyoncé because her website was not accessible. And in Norway and Switzerland, too, companies are already being held to account. If people with disabilities continue to be disadvantaged in the digital world, I can see that happening in the Netherlands too. It’s true that the WCAG guidelines won’t be mandatory for every organisation by 2025. But you’ll always miss out on revenue if your site isn’t accessible. And don’t underestimate inclusion as an added value: you’ll be judged on that as a brand too.’

Exactly, agrees Bjorn. ​‘Digital accessibility is simply part of the package if inclusion and corporate social responsibility are part of your brand. It’s not just a nice gesture. It’s the only right thing to do. And who knows, you might be doing it a little bit for your future self as well.’

Read more:

Look beyond the WCAG guidelines

Whether your considerations are ethical, commercial or both: making your site accessible to people with disabilities is the right thing to do. But where do you start? You might think: just tick off the WCAG guidelines and digital accessibility will follow naturally.

No, says Valsplat founder Joris. ​‘You need to understand what your customer needs across the board.’