The Digital Service Act ensures accessibility of services – and calls for an increasingly conscious mindset

The new legislation aims to promote digital equality and ensure that an increasing amount of people have unrestricted access to digital services. According to estimates, in Finland alone there are close to a million people with difficulty using digital services. So, we're talking about a significant number of people –  end users of the services we develop – who are affected by this.

The Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland (AVI) monitors whether websites and mobile applications within the scope of the Digital Service Act meet the accessibility requirements. According to legislation, operators may be subject to administrative guidance, and services can be placed under supervision. If guidelines still aren’t met, the last resort is to impose fines. However, if an app bearing a company's name excludes some users due to inadequate features, this can entail potential PR damage significantly more harmful than the cost of a fine.

At Nitor, accessibility is seen as an all-encompassing, holistic entity. The goal is to streamline the culture of creation to enable the creation of high-quality and compliant services. Such goals are met by providing designers, developers, content creators, and other professionals support in their work, as well as helping organizations develop operational models pertaining to accessibility. Nitor has been involved in building a more inclusive digital society for many years through various web service and application projects. These include the Service Map of the Helsinki metropolitan area and the design and development of services for OP Financial Group.

The building blocks of better accessibility

Key factors for successful accessibility include technical accessibility, a smooth user experience, and the clarity and comprehensibility of provided content. Accessibility can be challenging if all aspects are being implemented at once. Thus, it is beneficial to provide employees time and support to learn new things while developing the workplace culture.

Accessibility is a long-term goal, and projects will become successes via conscious and collaborative effort. Taking accessibility requirements into consideration in the planning and technical implementation phases are just a part of promoting accessibility. An important addition is the drive, motivation, and commitment to work towards better accessibility.

These aren’t technically insurmountable challenges - the core issue is often a lack of understanding. One may need to absorb a large amount of information depending on the context, but taking the time to explore the topic will undoubtedly yield new ways to create more accessible services. It's good to start off small, and try not to worry about making mistakes, as they are par for the course for us all. Practice makes perfect.

Accessibility is a shared responsibility

Alongside competent personnel, successful accessibility requires an accessibility plan at the organizational level. Goals, roles, and responsibilities should be outlined – successful implementation relies on good planning. It's important to ensure that people have the right tools in hand and enough time to absorb new information, with guidance. Expertise should be shared, and new issues addressed together.

If the people involved in service development comprise a diverse group, it is much easier to take different perspectives and potential usage constraints into account during implementation. It's beneficial for both the design and development phases if the team can leverage experience from users who may have limitations with using technology or struggle with comprehension challenges. It is vitally important to involve those for whom accessible digital services enable a full-fledged everyday life.

Accessibility should always be part of the discussion when talking about quality code or a user experience that accounts for all users. Early consideration can also cut costs in the long run. This will also mitigate the risk of having to rush to fix issues unearthed by accessibility audits – a difficult and expensive endeavor.

The future holds a promise for better accessibility

Tampere University's Sustainable Digital Life Master's degree pays special attention to accessibility as part of sustainable digital development. This is a positive step towards ensuring a future where accessibility is a default feature of service development.

Improving accessibility is a joint endeavor with room and need for everyone to take part. It should never be the responsibility of a sole digital engineer. An inclusive and diverse work environment is a prime asset here, as different cultural and experiential perspectives can provide fresh insight within teams and the entire organization.

The tangible value of developing accessibility should never be underestimated: with better accessibility comes better products – for everyone.

For us at Nitor, responsible and sustainable digital development is more than just a bunch of buzzwords – it's part of our everyday work. Learn more about how Nitor is making digital development sustainable!