Modern platforms need inclusion
Why Accessibility?
Quite simply, because 15 per cent of the world’s population live with some form of disability. In Germany, there are around 7 million severely disabled people and over 60 per cent of them are active in working life. Severe disabilities account for only a fraction of this, as there are a variety of impairments that are sometimes only temporary. Anyone who has ever tried to read a website without zooming after an eye surgery or who must perform mouse gestures that go beyond simple clicking with a sprained wrist will be familiar with this problem.
Our mission is therefore inclusive communication. We want to create services that work for everyone, regardless of their limitations. Accessibility is also a real benefit for everyone: because what is essential for some people is simply helpful for everyone else.
Focus on Front-end development
Accessibility starts with the code. In Front-end development, this means semantic HTML and a clean structure to support assistive technologies.
The correct use of semantic HTML elements such as <header>, <nav>, <main>, <article>, <section>, <h1> bis <h6>, <ul>, <button> is decisive. Why is that? Because these tags convey meaning. Not only for browsers and search engines, but above all for screen readers and other assistive technologies. They create a real structure and therefore accessibility.
Making images, audio and video perceptible
Marketing lives from images. But an image that nobody can “see” is in doubt simply invisible. That’s why every relevant image needs an Alt attribute, i.e. brief, factual information about what can be seen. And purely decorative images, including logos, are given an empty Alt attribute (alt=””) so that assistive technologies ignore them.
The same applies to audio and video: everything that is said or important must be recognisable, e.g. through transcripts or subtitles (.VTT files). For content creators, this means simply include the appropriate text when uploading and use descriptive titles. An image title such as “Summer holiday – family playing on the beach” helps everyone more than the simple title “Ad 3”. This way, assistive technologies also recognise the correct context.
The socoto Platform is a Rich Internet Application, a web-based application with complex functions, dynamic and interactive. To make all elements accessible for people with disabilities, we also use the WAI-ARIA guideline, i.e. ARIA Attributes in HTML that provide semantic information or link elements with explanatory text.
Legal framework conditions
Accessibility is not only morally right – in many cases it is also required by law. In Germany and throughout the EU, there are legal requirements that apply depending on the size of the company and the sector:
- EAA (European Accessibility Act)
- BGG (Disability Equality Act)
- BITV (Barrier-free Information Technology Ordinance)
- WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
socoto is orientated towards WCAG Level AA, as stipulated by the BITV. This means that we always develop new tools, features and content with a special focus on Accessibility.
Clear labelling, useful tips
This also means that where digital inclusion is difficult to implement – for example with drag & drop functions, map modules or certain advertising tools – we work with clear labelling and provide tips on how users can still reach their destination.
Accessibility is not just an additional feature – for us, it is an integral part of modern system development and therefore also a sign of our UX quality. We want all users to be able to navigate our system and access content without any problems.
Would you like to know more about Accessibility in socoto applications? Then please contact us!
