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Digital accessibility starts with awareness as well as small, concrete steps.
UX designer Jiska Smit - Meulman (Azerty) became captivated by the subject of Digital Accessibility during the 2024 Webwinkel Vakdagen. It has since become not only her expertise, but also her mission. In this interview, she tells UX-designer Britt Kerkhoven and Marketer Maud Vermeulen of Online Dialogue how she put the subject on the map within her organization and how to get others in your organization on board.
Jiska recalls the moment when her fascination with digital accessibility began. ‘A colleague attended a presentation during Webwinkel Vakdagen and gave me a leaflet. That was the first time I really read about the upcoming legislation. When I looked into it further, I thought: this touches everything we are working on now.’
Once back in the office, things moved quickly: ‘We were just in the middle of a number of other legislative and regulatory processes, from security to sustainability. Digital accessibility was a perfect fit. I got to work right away.’
To make a real impact within Azerty, Jiska took a practical approach: having a baseline measurement performed on the existing website. ‘That gave us a clear starting point. You can do your own sleuthing, but a professional looks with different eyes. What are the biggest bottlenecks? And how do you solve them?’
The findings were detailed in an Excel file, including solution directions, themes and teams involved. ‘That way we could see exactly where the impact would be greatest. With those teams we sat down structurally: this is where we are, what are we going to do?’
UX designers still often face preconceptions about accessibility. ‘There is a perception that accessible design is automatically boring or ugly,’ says Britt. ‘And that sometimes provokes a lot of resistance.’
Jiska recognizes that: ‘That's really a misconception. Accessible design is often in small things: a slightly darker shade of blue, a slightly different contrast, consistency in buttons. They are nuances, not a break in style.’
Britt: ‘Changing a complete corporate identity sounds big, but if you reduce it to, say, a slightly different color code, then it becomes doable. Then people think: oh, that's not so bad.’
‘Because we were adjusting our corporate identity, I had to rebuild my design components in Figma as well,’ adds Jiska. ‘That immediately gave me a chance to take accessibility from the ground up. With contrast checks and structure plug-ins, I now look at each element more critically.’ Thus Jiska Smit - Meulman on her approach.
As far as Jiska is concerned, accessibility is about much more than just blind or visually impaired users. ‘Think of someone with dyslexia, AD(H)D or a temporary disability. Or just wanting to read something outside in the sun on your phone, then you also want good contrast. It really affects everyone.’
A moment that really changed her outlook? ‘During an expert group at Shopping Tomorrow, a visually impaired speaker gave a demo. He showed how he wanted to use a screen reader to order a pair of running shoes. But he got no further than ‘button, button, button. No good labels, so he couldn't choose his size. Then it really hits home: this is what we do it for.
How do you get colleagues and stakeholders on board? ‘By making it tangible and personal,’ says Jiska. ‘Use examples of real people. A colleague with colorblindness. A friend who has difficulty reading. Show what obstacles they experience.’
Britt recognizes this from her work at Online Dialogue: ‘We notice a lot of backlash when we point out inaccessible elements to customers, such as yellow text on a white background, for example. Then there is quick criticism: ‘but we see that everywhere like that.’ Awareness is still often lacking.’
Jiska: ‘You can break through that by bringing it not as a reproach, but as a common challenge. Not: this is wrong. But: this is the problem, let's look at the solution together.’
Jiska's most important tip for other companies? ‘Don't be put off. Start small. For example, use free tools like the Axe DevTools extension to get a first impression. And have a baseline measurement done. Then you'll know where you stand.’
‘I myself also work regularly with NVDA, a free screen reader,’ she says. ‘If you take a look at your own site with that, you can immediately see where you stumble.’
She also stresses the importance of collaborating with developers. ‘We work with an external party, but are fortunate that our party has a lot of knowledge of the WCAG guidelines. Sometimes they even come up with better solutions than I had thought of. That's the best part: when you strengthen each other.’
Britt asks Jiska what her most important advice is for young designers. Jiska: ‘Make sure your user base is as diverse as possible. Not only in age or background, but also in cognitive diversity. Think of people with AD(H)D, autism or limited digital skills. And try navigating through your design yourself with a screen reader. Then a world really opens up for you.’
When asked what she hopes the legislation will ultimately accomplish, Jiska is clear: ‘More awareness. Ultimately, we do this for each other. Whether you run a small Web store or a platform with millions of visitors, digital accessibility is about Noaberschap. Helping each other. And if the law gives that a push, I'm happy.’
Jiska's tips in a row:
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