Accessibility, a Mandatory Standard for Public Institutions

Accessibility is a major issue. While accessibility in public spaces is still struggling to be fully implemented, despite having been a mandatory standard since 2005, web accessibility faces even greater challenges. Indeed, it is difficult to monitor every website available on the Internet, with the number of websites reaching 947,029,805 in 2014.

Nevertheless, accessibility checks primarily focus on institutional websites. These requirements apply not only to public communication services directly linked to government departments, but also to local authorities and the public institutions that depend on them. These websites provide public information that must be available and accessible to everyone.

Failure to comply with accessibility requirements may result in penalties.

If you are currently considering a complete redesign of your website or simply planning to improve it, it is strongly recommended that you take accessibility into account. But what exactly does accessibility mean in the context of the web?

Since the official creation of the Web, it was in 1999 that a circular issued by the French Prime Minister stated:

“Those responsible for [public] websites shall pay particular attention to ensuring that information is accessible to all Internet users, particularly people with disabilities, including those who are blind, visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing.”

It was not until 2005 that web accessibility for public services became a legal requirement under Article 47 of the French Law of 11 February 2005 (No. 2005-102) on “equal rights and opportunities, participation and citizenship for people with disabilities,” which states:

“Online public communication services provided by government departments, local authorities and the public institutions under their authority must be accessible to people with disabilities.”

For most of us, the concept of web accessibility remains somewhat unclear.

At a national level, accessibility aims to ensure that all places open to the public are equipped to accommodate people with disabilities. An institutional website, which is intended for the general public, can therefore be considered a public “place”.

In other words, web accessibility means that a person with a disability, whatever that disability may be, must be able to use the Internet. Being able to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact effectively with the Web are four fundamental principles of web accessibility.

Taking the definition further, every Internet user should also be able to create and contribute content. Web accessibility addresses all types of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, cognitive, neurological, and speech-related disabilities.

Furthermore, accessibility can also benefit people who do not have a disability. For example, one of the fundamental principles of web accessibility is flexibility, which means accommodating a wide range of needs, situations, and preferences.

This flexibility benefits everyone using the Web, including people who, without having a disability, may face particular circumstances such as a slow Internet connection or a temporary impairment, such as a broken arm.

Therefore, when a website complies with accessibility guidelines:

Paul, who has a physical disability, can navigate through the website without ever using a mouse, relying instead on a standard keyboard or an adapted device.

François, who is blind, can listen to the content of each page using a screen reader and navigate with the guidance provided by the software.

Grandma and Grandpa are not limited by the size of the text, as they can use their browser’s text enlargement or zoom functionality.

When you want to make your website accessible, there are three fundamental principles to follow. These principles are defined by technical standards established by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), an international community that develops standards to support the long-term growth and sustainability of the Web.

1. A Better Page Structure

People who are visually impaired or blind can access online content using text-to-speech systems, screen readers, or Braille displays that read pages sequentially, moving from heading to heading, paragraph to paragraph, or link to link. This requires a rigorous approach to web development. The role of the web designer and developer is therefore essential: they must ensure that tags, headings, and paragraphs are correctly structured and properly closed. A clean and consistent structure is essential.

The website architecture should provide a spacious design that makes content simple and easy to read. Visual elements such as images, videos, and animations must also be taken into consideration. W3C recommendations state that these elements should systematically be accompanied by text describing their content.

The choice of colors is also crucial, with strong contrasts recommended to improve readability. For example, flat design—a graphic interface design style characterized by minimalism, simple shapes, solid colors, and typography—can be particularly suitable when creating an accessible website.

2. Keep Content Simple

From an accessibility perspective, a website's editorial content should remain understandable for people with different levels of education and comprehension. This means using simple, clear language that can be understood by everyone.

For the same reason, scrolling text should generally be avoided. Everyone reads at their own pace, and automatically scrolling content may not give users enough time to read and understand the information.

Similarly, keeping menus simple, avoiding overly complex navigation structures, and considering the overall usability of the website all contribute to better accessibility. Clear and intuitive navigation makes information easier and faster to understand.

3. Limit the Use of Certain Technologies

It is important to stay informed about the latest technologies while carefully considering their advantages and disadvantages in terms of accessibility.

Care should be taken when using proprietary or document-based formats such as Word or PDF files, as well as legacy technologies such as Flash, as they can create additional accessibility barriers, particularly when files are protected or encrypted. One solution is to provide accessible alternatives in formats such as HTML or RTF.

In addition, certain technologies and implementation techniques, such as AJAX, may require particular attention to ensure accessibility. JavaScript should be implemented in a way that does not prevent users from accessing essential content or functionality, as it may be disabled or unavailable in certain browsing environments.

Web accessibility has become an essential component and a key driver for improving the overall quality of websites. Nevertheless, the actual level of accessibility across websites remained relatively low in 2014.

It is important to remember that content accessibility is not a fixed state that, once achieved, is guaranteed to remain unchanged. Every new piece of content, feature, or service added to a website must be incorporated into an ongoing process of monitoring and evaluation.