Digital accessibility following WCAG 2.2 web standards
Digital accessibility as a starting point
With an aging population and a growing digital society, the importance of accessible, reliable and user-friendly websites is growing. This is why we use our expertise to make a positive impact and make your online presence more accessible to a wider and more inclusive audience.
We zorgen ervoor dat al onze websites voldoen aan de richtlijnen voor toegankelijkheid, zodat deze voor iedereen bruikbaar is, ongeacht beperkingen.
Also an accessible website?
We create websites that are accessible and user-friendly. At the same time, we provide a design that impresses.
The importance of digital accessibility
Did you know that an accessible website not only benefits people with disabilities, but also a much broader audience? Find out why digital accessibility is essential to your success and how it can improve your SEO, user experience and even your image.
Increase your reach
An accessible Web site is basically a Web site that is usable by everyone. This means that your site is accessible not only to people with disabilities, but also to the elderly, people with temporary disabilities or users who rely on specific technologies (such as voice-activated software).
Compliance and legislation
Many countries have laws and regulations for digital accessibility, such as the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). Complying with these guidelines is not only good for your users, but also necessary to avoid legal risks. Websites that do not meet accessibility standards.
Better user experience
Clear navigation, easy-to-read text, adequate color contrast and quick access to important information ensure that users can find what they are looking for effortlessly. This prevents visitors from dropping out. The result is a lower bounce rate and more conversions.
Besides accessibility, technical performance plays a major role. Read here how Core Web Vitals and the new INP metric contribute to an optimal Page Experience.
Make your website accessible to everyone
Accessible websites not only expand your reach, but also improve your user experience, SEO and brand image. Together we will create your inclusive online presence!
The European Accessibility Act (EAA): The transition phase is over
Since June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act has officially been in effect for commercial organizations in the EU. We now see that the market has split: companies that modernized their WordPress architecture in time are reaping the benefits of a broader reach and better SEO/AI discoverability, while laggards struggle with technical issues and increasing pressure from regulators.
What does current legislation in 2026 mean for your platform?
- Mandatory Compliance: For e-commerce, financial services, and communication platforms, meeting WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 (Level AA) is no longer a choice, but a legal minimum.
- Enforcement and Risk: Regulators are now looking more strictly at the 'native' accessibility of websites. Temporary solutions like accessibility overlays are no longer accepted as full legal compliance.
- New Standard: Every major update or redevelopment of a website you carry out now must immediately meet accessibility requirements to be legally secure.
Accessibility is not a project you finish once, but something you must structurally organize within your platform and processes. This is the only way to maintain control over your digital growth and reach.
Bob van den Broeck Founder / Design
Quick Scan: Is your website accessible enough?
Now that the June 2025 deadline is behind us, this check is essential to determine if your website is accessible enough:
- Color contrast (4.5:1): Does your brand identity on digital channels meet contrast standards? This is crucial for readability in all circumstances.
- Keyboard navigation: Can users navigate through your entire conversion funnel without a mouse? Since 2025, this has been a hard requirement for e-commerce.
- Focus indicators: Are active elements visually recognizable while navigating? The lack of these is one of the most common reasons for non-compliance.
- Semantic HTML: A logical structure is the most important factor for GEO, as it helps AI models separate facts directly from code noise. Without this clear hierarchy, your most important content gets drowned in the source code, leading to lower rankings.
- Alt texts: Images and interactive elements (such as icons without text) are invisible to search engines and the visually impaired if they don't have a textual description.
- Form labels: Are all your input fields technically correctly linked? Without this foundation, a website is unusable for many users.
- Text level and understandability (B1): Is your message clear to everyone? Accessibility doesn't stop at the code. In 2026, the readability of your content is a crucial factor for both your visitors and AI models.
Frequently asked questions about accessibility (WCAG)
When accessibility is included from the first line of code, the extra costs are marginal. The real costs lie in having to 'fix' a poorly built site afterwards (technical debt) or missing out on 25% of your market potential.
We use a combination of automated tools (Lighthouse) and manual tests (keyboard-only navigation and screen reader simulations) to guarantee that the site not only meets the rules but also works really well.
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. This is an international collection of technical standards that determine how to make digital content accessible to people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments. The guidelines are divided into three levels: A (basic), AA (the business standard), and AAA (expert). At Studio Brabo, we apply at least the AA standard, as this is the legal minimum for most organizations in 2026. Following these guidelines ensures that a website is robust, understandable, and operable for any technology, from a modern browser to a braille display.
This is a common misconception, but at Studio Brabo, we see accessibility as a catalyst for better design. Although factors like color contrast and text size create frameworks, these rules force us to design interfaces that are more intuitive and calm for every user. An accessible website absolutely doesn't have to look 'boring' or like a government portal. In 2026, 'good design' is by definition design that can be used by everyone. Through smart choices in typography, white space, and interaction elements, we create a unique brand experience that both makes a visual impact and technically meets all standards.
In 2026, accessibility is no longer an 'extra', but a hard condition for market reach. About 25% of the population experiences a limitation when using the internet at some point, whether due to old age, a temporary injury, or a permanent disability. When your website isn't accessible, you effectively exclude a quarter of your potential customers. Additionally, Google rewards accessible websites with a better Page Experience score, and AI models understand your content faster if the code is built with correct semantics. Inclusivity therefore leads directly to greater online visibility and higher conversion rates.
The European Accessibility Act is a European directive stating that many digital products and services must be accessible to everyone by June 2025/2026 at the latest. While previously mainly government agencies had to meet strict requirements, this now also applies to e-commerce, banks, transport services, and providers of electronic communication. Failure to comply with this legislation can lead to legal sanctions and significant fines. For companies, this means they must have their WordPress architecture critically tested for WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 compliance to remain future-proof.
There is a huge overlap between accessibility and modern SEO. Search engines 'read' a website in a similar way to a screen reader for the blind. By using logical headings (H1-H6), descriptive ALT texts for images, and a clean HTML structure, you help Google better understand the context of your page. A website that is technically accessible often has a lower bounce rate and a higher dwell time, because the interface simply works better for everyone. These are signals Google uses to increase your authority in search results.
No, it's not about 'simplifying', but about clarifying. For specific professional articles, the level can certainly be higher, but the core message, navigation, and action buttons must be immediately understandable for everyone. At Studio Brabo, we advise the 'pyramid method': start with the most important information in simple language (B1) and go deeper into the matter for the expert who wants to know more. This serves both humans and the AI bot indexing your page.
