Digital Accessibility – How to Get Started!

Digital accessibility is crucial as organizations expand online. In light of the EU directive effective June 28, 2025, companies must enhance their digital services. We are interviewing Helen Karlsson, Digital Analyst at HiQ, who explains a five-step process for identifying and addressing accessibility challenges to ensure compliance and better experiences.

Digital accessibility is a topic that is high on the agenda right now. What makes it so relevant?

– There are several reasons why digital accessibility is receiving increasing attention. One important factor is the new EU directive, which comes into force on June 28, 2025, and will affect many organizations – especially those that charge for products and services via the web or apps.

But accessibility isn’t just about following the law. Advocates have long emphasized that improved accessibility also creates a better experience for all users, not just for people with disabilities. By adapting digital services, companies can reach more customers, strengthen their brand, and take responsibility for a more inclusive digital environment.

What does the new EU directive mean in practice?

– The directive is based on the EN 301 549 standard and relates to WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), which is an established set of guidelines for digital accessibility. Many companies and organizations that previously did not have to consider these requirements will now be affected, making it necessary to review their digital services to ensure compliance.

That sounds like a big change. How can companies and organizations begin working on digital accessibility?

It’s actually not that difficult to get started. We have a five-step process that provides a clear overview and helps companies identify and address shortcomings:

Scoping the Review
– Before beginning the analysis, it’s necessary to define what will be reviewed. Are there different language versions? Does the service have both logged-in and logged-out modes? Which content is most important? Clarifying these points early on makes the process more efficient.
Automated Testing
– Here, we use various tools, such as crawling tools, browser extensions, and guided tests, to get an initial picture of accessibility shortcomings. Common issues at this stage include incorrect or missing HTML attributes and tags.
Manual Testing
– Automated tests don’t catch everything, so we always complement them with manual tests. We particularly focus on quality and user experience. A common issue found at this stage is recurring content, such as menus.
Documentation
– It’s important to carefully document what is identified. We link each detected issue to the relevant WCAG criteria and describe the problems in a way that makes them easy to address.
Remediation and Follow-Up
– Finally, we ensure that the identified problems are prioritized and addressed, often by adding them to the development team’s backlog. In this way, accessibility work becomes a natural part of ongoing improvement efforts.

What is your most important piece of advice for companies that haven’t yet started working on accessibility?

– Start now! Many companies wait too long, but the earlier you address it, the easier and cheaper it becomes. Delaying can be costly in several ways – both financially and in terms of lost business opportunities.