Accessibility – Definition, Use Cases and Best Practices at a Glance
Design of software and websites so they are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. From 2025 mandatory in the EU for many digital offerings.
What is Web Accessibility? WCAG, EAA & Tips
Digital accessibility is not only an ethical goal but increasingly a legal requirement. With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and national laws (e.g. BFSG in Germany), many digital products and services must be accessible from June 2025.
Beyond that, everyone benefits from accessible interfaces – accessibility and good usability go together.
This glossary entry for Accessibility gives you a clear Definition, practical Use Cases and Best Practices at a glance – with examples, pros and cons, and FAQs.
What is Accessibility?
- Accessibility – Design of software and websites so they are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. From 2025 mandatory in the EU for many digital offerings.
Accessibility (a11y) in a digital context means that websites, apps and software can be used by everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive limitations.
This includes visual (blindness, low vision, colour blindness), auditory (deafness, hard of hearing), motor (limited dexterity, assistive devices) and cognitive (reading difficulties, attention). The international standard is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), currently 2.2, with three conformance levels: A, AA and AAA.
How does Accessibility work?
Accessible development follows four principles (POUR): Perceivable – content must be available through at least one sense (e.g. alt text for images, captions for video). Operable – all functionality must be usable with keyboard, screen reader and alternative input.
Understandable – content and navigation must be clear and predictable. Robust – content must work with different technologies (browsers, screen readers, zoom). This is implemented with semantic HTML, ARIA, sufficient contrast (at least 4.5:1), keyboard support and skip links.
Practical Examples
Alt text for images: Informative images get descriptive alt text for screen readers, e.g. 'Bar chart showing 15% revenue increase in Q3 2025'.
Keyboard navigation: All interactive elements are reachable with Tab and have a visible focus indicator.
Captions and transcripts: Videos have captions and full transcripts for screen reader users.
Colour contrast: Text on coloured backgrounds meets at least WCAG AA (4.5:1), including buttons and form fields.
Clear error messages: Form errors are stated clearly and shown next to the field, not only by colour.
Typical Use Cases
E-commerce: Accessible shops reach the large audience of people with disabilities
Public sector: Government sites must meet accessibility requirements
Banking and finance: Services in scope of EAA must be accessible from 2025
Education: Accessible learning materials support inclusive education
Intranet: Internal tools should be accessible so all staff can participate
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Legal compliance: Avoid fines and complaints by meeting EAA/accessibility laws
- Larger audience: Over a billion people worldwide have a disability
- Better SEO: Semantic HTML, alt text and structure help search rankings
- Better usability for everyone: Accessibility improves experience for all users
- Positive brand: Inclusive products strengthen trust and image
Disadvantages
- Upfront effort: Retrofitting accessibility can be costly
- Expertise: Correct ARIA, screen reader testing and WCAG need know-how
- Design constraints: Some visual effects (low contrast, motion) may need adjustment
- Ongoing care: New features must be checked for accessibility
Frequently Asked Questions about Accessibility
What does the European Accessibility Act require?
National laws (e.g. BFSG in Germany) implement the EAA. From 28 June 2025 many digital products and services must be accessible: e-commerce, banking, telecoms, e-books and more. B2C providers are in scope. Requirements align with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Non-compliance can lead to fines (e.g. up to €100,000 in Germany).
How do I test my site for accessibility?
Automated tools (axe, Lighthouse, WAVE) find about 30–40% of issues: missing alt text, contrast, labels. Add manual testing: keyboard (Tab, Enter, Escape), screen reader (e.g. VoiceOver, NVDA), zoom to 200%, and check all interactive elements. Testing with users with disabilities is ideal.
What does implementing accessibility cost?
For new builds, accessibility often adds about 10–15%. Retrofitting existing sites is typically €5,000–30,000 depending on scope. An accessibility audit is roughly €2,000–8,000. Long term, accessibility can reduce cost through better maintainability, broader reach and fewer legal risks.
Direct next steps
If you want to apply or evaluate Accessibility in a real project, start with these transactional pages:
Accessibility in the Context of Modern IT Projects
What this glossary entry gives you
This page gives a concise definition of Accessibility. You also get practical use cases and best practices at a glance.
You can use it to evaluate the technology for your next project. Accessibility sits in the domain of Design. It plays a significant role across many IT projects.
Look beyond isolated technical merits
When you judge whether Accessibility is the right fit, look beyond isolated technical merits. You should weigh the full project context.
Consider the following factors:
- Existing team expertise
- Current infrastructure
- Long-term maintainability
- Total cost of ownership (TCO)
Drawing on our experience from over 250 software projects, we have found that correctly positioning a technology or methodology within the broader project context often matters more than its isolated strengths.
How we help you decide
At Groenewold IT Solutions, we have worked with Accessibility across multiple client engagements. We know its advantages and the typical challenges during adoption.
If you are unsure whether Accessibility suits your requirements, ask us for an honest, no-obligation assessment. We analyze your situation. We recommend the approach that delivers the most value. We may suggest an alternative solution if that fits better.
Where to go next
For more terms in Design and related topics, open our IT Glossary.
For concrete applications, costs and processes, use our service pages and topic pages. There you will see many of the concepts from this entry applied in practice.
Related Terms
Want to use Accessibility in your project?
We are happy to advise you on Accessibility and find the optimal solution for your requirements. Benefit from our experience across over 200 projects.