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- Accessibility: Action for Public Sector & E-Commerce Websites
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Accessibility: Action for Public Sector & E-Commerce Websites

Have you got a strong business case for website accessibility?

The lawful need for digital accessibility (undeniably) varies by industry. Morally, its the right thing to do – to accommodate with DEI practices (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and could pay your business dividends. More on this later.

If you have eCommerce website however, NOW is most definitely crunch time. Introducing the European Accessibility Act (EAA). With a deadline of June 2025, this is not one to push down the line for eCommerce.

Although this law doesn’t directly affect the United Kingdom, it is important to be aware of this rule change as anyone who wishes to sell products or services to the EU must also conform to these new standards. Unless this will not apply to companies with less than 10 employees.

What does being accessible mean?

When just a third of global businesses are on schedule to comply with the EAA, it could actually make it more difficult to detect what is good practice. Just some examples include:

  • reasonable colour contrast
  • providing text alternatives (alt-text) for images (which can be interpreted by screen readers)
  • clear instructions and error messages
  • an easy-to-operate interface (e.g online forms)
  • be compatible with technology evolution over time

Can I be rewarded for my commitment? Once I get committed to accessibility compliance, what can I expect?

Accessibility matters for SEO, having a good accessible site can help get you boosted in the search results over other competitors.

Inclusive by design, being more inclusive means more customers, by allowing for the maximum possible number of people to use your site, you can increase the traffic and potential sales of your site.

Currently the Accessibility standard in the United Kingdom is WCAG 2.2 AA. And this is what Yellow Cherry aims to achieve with our clients within legal and design constraints.

However, regardless of the legal standards, it’s considered ethicial and morally good practise to try and be as accomodating and accessible as possible when it comes to making websites. We want everyone to be included, regardless of the physical or mental abilities!

Public Sector

Its not just eCommerce sites getting all of the fun. The UK government has updated its regulation in regards to Accessibility standards in October 2024. The new standard will legally require all public-sector sites in the UK to meet WCAG 2.2 AA at minimum.

Work towards future-proofing the accessibility of your website from today – the next step is to Contact Us!