This time Product Activists is concerned with a topic that is still often underestimated in digital product development: accessibility. In this episode, Product Activists talk to experts Marcel Bertram and Daniel Diener, both founders of A11YPLAN, about the importance of accessibility in digital products and why it is not only relevant for people with disabilities.
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Accessibility creates accessibility and improves overall user satisfaction
Accessibility is much more than a legal requirement. Accessible products generally create a better user experience. They ensure that there are no obstacles in the way when people want to use digital services. Regardless of whether someone is blind, has a temporary disability (carrying a baby in one arm, for example) or simply works in poor lighting conditions – good UX design and accessible digital products make life easier. And in the end this affects everyone, because everyone can find themselves in situations where a website or app becomes more difficult to access. Things like a slow internet connection or poorly designed mobile sites can also create barriers.
Since the introduction of the European Accessibility Act, which comes into force in June 2025, companies offering digital products or services will have to create accessible offerings – not only for new websites, but also for existing ones if they receive significant views. However, the obligation to ensure accessibility is not just a question of law, but a clear business case: easily accessible products reduce support requests, increase customer satisfaction and boost sales.
on the road to access
Taking accessibility into account in product development not only saves costs, but also makes a long-term investment in customer satisfaction. Marcel Bertram and Daniel Diener recommend that product owners who have not yet delved deeply into the topic start with an inventory. There are already many tools that perform automated checks, such as Google Lighthouse or Deck. But that alone is not enough: manual reviews and real user testing with people who have limitations are necessary to ensure that the product is truly accessible.
At the end of the episode, two experts offer practical tips for getting started in the world of accessibility. Empathy is a central point: product owners should actively address the question of how people with disabilities use their products. A simple exercise could be testing the accessibility settings on your smartphone or observing people in your environment interacting with products.
Accessibility is a challenge that companies should not avoid. It is the key to better products, happier users, and long-term success. If product owners want to take their product to the next level, there is no way other than barrier-free design.
Mobile development: Google launches Desktop View for Android tabletsThe current version of the podcast is also available on the ProductWorker blog: “Accessibility of digital products”. This time a transcript of the episode is also available there.
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to one The website is really hassle-free And to make it accessible to everyone, you have to take into account a number of possible restrictions on the user side: Are colors and contrast easily recognizable? Are all texts and menus compatible with screen readers? EnterJS Accessibility Day On November 7, you will learn what you should consider when developing an accessible website and what the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BSFG) means for you and your company.
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