EU accessibility standards are here—will your publishing meet the mark?
As we all know, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) requires digital content across the European Union to meet the accessibility standards by 2025. As the compliance deadline approaches nearer, publishers who make accessibility a priority look forward to expanding their audience reach, increase their user engagement by making inclusivity a key part of their long-term strategy.
Why the EAA Matters
The primary purpose of EAA is to improve digital accessibility for over 87 million people with disabilities residing in the EU; this step is part of a broader commitment to strengthen inclusivity. Studies suggest about 1 billion people live with disabilities across the globe and in current landscape they represent an under-engaged market. It has been long established that accessible content increases user engagement by up to 35% especially in those groups which has traditionally been neglected dur to various factors. Moreover, 57% of people with disability in Europe experience barriers in accessing digital content; thus, highlighting the EAA’s potential to expand audience reach for compliant publishers.
Timeline and Key Deadlines
Publishers preparing for EAA compliance should keep the following deadlines to keep in mind:
June 28, 2025: Digital products and services across the EU must comply with the new standards, without any exceptions.
June 28, 2030: Existing public sector digital content must meet accessibility standards.
Whilst 2025 seems far away, it must be borne in mind that adapting content is an arduous exercise especially for complex materials. Initiating this process early on provides a time sensitive advantage - allowing publishers to avoid rushed costly updates as the deadline approaches.
Core Accessibility Requirements for Publishers
For its smooth execution, the European Accessibility Act requires focusing on four principles as part of WCAG 2.1 standards compliance process:
Perceivable: Content must be available to everyone including those using assistive technologies (for example, adding alt text for images).
Operable: Users must be able to move through the content without any difficulty by using keyboard or voice commands.
Understandable: Information, irrespective of their nature, must be presented in logical manner to reduce cognitive burden.
Robust: Content must remain accessible as technologies evolve making room for their long-term usability.
For a comprehensive understanding, refer to WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
Business Benefits: Market Opportunity in Accessibility
Accessibility compliance is not just a legal requirement; it is an opportunity to grow business and goodwill. Let us understand how:
Revenue Potential: Connecting with the 15% of the global population with disabilities has the potential to open doors for significant revenue generating opportunities.
User Engagement: Accessible content boosts engagement by 35%, especially for those who rely on inclusive design.
Improved SEO: Google recommends accessible sites- ranking them higher in search results- thus, inclusion of structured data markup to improve indexing will be beneficial.
Accessible content forms a seminal part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and reinforces a brand’s image as inclusive and progressive. Publishers who adopt accessibility measures build themselves a loyal and diverse audience.
Challenges to Accessibility Compliance
Even though the EAA promotes inclusivity the compliance has its own challenges:
Technical Complexity: Finetuning older formats like PDFs to meet the accessibility standards demands time and expertise.
Design Constraints: Trying to balance aesthetic appeal with accessibility sometimes prove challenging.
Team Training: Training is essential to achieving full compliance because it requires all teams to be proficient in best practices related to accessibility.
By addressing the above-mentioned challenges publishers may reduce the risks of non-compliance while ensuring their content meets universal standards.
Current Compliance Challenges and Solutions
Publishers face several challenges in their efforts to meet the accessibility compliance:
Cost Implications for Small Publishers: Smaller or niche publishers with limited resources may find accessibility updates to be expensive.
Technology Gap: Many publishers lack tools or expertise to implement accessibility features effortlessly.
Retrofitting Legacy Content: Upgrading larger volumes of existing content to meet the new accessibility standards might prove to be time-consuming.
Solutions
AI-Driven Accessibility Tools: AI-powered tools are known to help reduce costs and efforts by automating text conversion, optimizing content for accessibility, and generating alt-text.
Partnering with Accessibility Experts: Accessibility specialists may help streamline compliance processes while ensuring flawless implementation of accessibility features.
It must be noted that Penguin Random House adopted these accessibility standards early on and converted their backlist to accessible formats without any major interruption. This proactive approach secured compliance as well as minimized future costs, underlining the need for early adoption of EAA to ensure long-term efficiency.
How S4Carlisle Supports Publishers in Achieving Accessibility Compliance
S4Carlisle provides end-to-end support in meeting EAA standards. Their offerings include:
Accessibility Audits: Recognizing improvements needed for WCAG 2.1 and EAA compliance.
Content Remediation: Customising digital content to ensure accessibility, including websites and e-books.
Training & Consultation: Empowering in-house teams in accessibility practices.
Continuous Monitoring: Guaranteeing compliance as standards and technologies evolve.
As a Benetech Global Certified Accessible vendor, S4Carlisle is equipped to help publishers create content that is fully accessible and high-quality. Learn more about S4Carlisle’s services.
Conclusion: Embracing Accessibility for a Competitive Edge
As the European Accessibility Act makes accessibility mandatory for digital publishing in the EU by 2025, compliance protects publishers from legal risks as well as boosts reputation, engagement, and audience reach. Collaborating with S4Carlisle allows publishers to incorporate accessibility into their workflows seamlessly, positioning them as leaders in inclusive publishing.
We must realise that accessible content goes beyond legal compliance. It is a step closer to building credibility and growth that relies on socially responsible publishing strategy. Ready to ensure your publications meet European Accessibility Act standards? Contact our accessibility experts at sales@s4carlisle.com to discuss your specific needs.
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