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Our agency isn’t subject to accessibility obligations, but we chose this path anyway. Because today, accessibility is much more than a legal requirement: it’s a concrete opportunity to improve user experience, increase online visibility, and strengthen your brand.
In this article, we will explain step by step:
- What web accessibility is and what needs it addresses;
- Who is required to comply (and what happens if they don’t);
- How to quickly check if your site is accessible;
- Why we decided to make our website accessible;
- What steps we took to achieve this goal.
What Do We Mean by Web Accessibility and Inclusion?
Talking about web accessibility means talking about digital rights. It’s about designing and developing websites that are truly inclusive and usable by all people, regardless of visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments.
It’s a simple but powerful idea: no one should be excluded from the internet just because they use different tools — a screen reader, an alternative keyboard, a braille display — or because they interact with websites under less-than-ideal conditions.
Accessibility is the principle that the web should be a place for everyone. Not just for those who can click, read, listen, and interact in the “traditional” way, but also for those who face obstacles that technology has the power to remove.
Being inclusive means opening the doors of the digital world to a significant portion of the population that is often overlooked: more than 1.3 billion people globally live with a disability (that’s 16% of the world population), and many of them can’t even browse the web freely.
At Antartika, we believe that accessibility is a responsibility, but also an opportunity: to improve user experience, strengthen our brand, and contribute to a more equitable digital world. We discusses this further in this article: Accessible Websites: A Crucial Step Towards Digital Inclusivity
Legal Requirements for Businesses and Websites: What to Know
Digital accessibility is soon becoming a concrete legal obligation for companies. It is no longer just a best practice: it comes with deadlines and requirements.
In Italy, it is already mandatory for public administration and large enterprises. But with the EU Directive 2019/882, the requirement will extend to much of the private sector.
Starting June 28, 2025, the following must be accessible:
- All websites, apps, and digital services offered to the public;
- Exemptions will apply only to microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees or under 2 million in revenue).
Anyone managing a website, even a small one, will have to comply with the minimum accessibility standards outlined in the WCAG 2.1 (and soon WCAG 2.2): alternative texts, keyboard navigation, sufficient contrast, and screen reader compatibility.
What Happens If a Company Fails to Comply?
- Administrative fines ranging from €2,500 to €40,000 for SMEs, up to 5% of revenue for large corporations;
- Exclusion from public tenders and funding opportunities;
- Legal action from users unable to access services;
- Reputational damage, which significantly affects brand perception.
A Real Example: Beyoncé’s Inaccessible Website
This may seem like a distant issue, but accessibility complaints are increasingly common — often initiated by individual users.
A well-known case is the official website of singer Beyoncé, which in 2019 was the subject of a lawsuit from a blind fan because the site was not screen reader compatible, preventing independent navigation
This case received widespread attention, showing how easy it is for users to report inaccessible content, especially when no official accessibility statement is available.
In Italy, in such cases, complaints go directly to AGID (Agency for Digital Italy), which can start an investigation and require the necessary changes.
Publishing an accessibility statement, even when not legally required, is not just good practice — it’s a concrete way to demonstrate transparency and protect your business.
How to Check if Your Site Is Accessible: A Few Tips
Already have a website and wondering if it meets accessibility standards? The good news is that today there are many free and easy-to-use tools that can help you make a quick initial assessment.
One of the most well-known is WAVE – Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool.
It’s simple: enter your site URL and get a detailed visual map of accessibility errors and alerts, with clear explanations and severity levels.
Among the most common issues:
- Content not readable by screen readers;
- Images without descriptive alt text;
- Incorrect heading hierarchy or semantic structure;
- Poor contrast between text and background;
- Missing labels on forms and buttons.
Naturally, these tools do not replace usability testing performed by real users with disabilities, but they are a useful first step to understanding the state of your site and identifying critical areas.
Why We Decided to Make Our Website Accessible
From a legal standpoint, we didn’t have to. We are a microenterprise with fewer than 10 employees and under 2 million in revenue, so for now, we are not subject to the European directive. But we decided to make our site accessible anyway, for reasons that go beyond compliance.
1. Because it’s an inclusive and practical choice
Accessibility means making content available to 100% of online users, including people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities. That’s over 1.3 billion people worldwide — excluding them, even unintentionally, means giving up a real and significant part of your audience.
2. Because it improves the overall quality of the site
An accessible site is more organized, more coherent, and more clear — in short, a better site. And that benefits not only people with disabilities but everyone: on any device, in any context (think of slow connections or direct sunlight). Many accessibility improvements align with best practices in UX.
3. Because it directly impacts SEO
Accessible websites tend to see significant increases in organic traffic. A study by SEMRush and Accessibility Checker on over 600 websites found that 73% saw traffic growth, and 66% experienced increases above 50%. Why? Because accessibility principles — semantic structure, alt texts, readability, visible focus — overlap with search engine ranking factors.
4. Because it strengthens our brand image
An accessible site communicates trust, user focus, and long-term vision. It’s a clear message, even to those without disabilities: it shows care, transparency, and a willingness to invest in quality. In a market increasingly focused on social impact, this matters.
5. Because accessibility improves everyone’s experience and supports the business
From sidewalk ramps to closed captions, solutions designed for accessibility often benefit everyone. This is universal design: building with accessibility in mind creates more functional, intelligent, and user-friendly experiences.
Online, it’s no different: an accessible site is easier to read for someone in a hurry or without their glasses, easier to navigate from a smartphone, and more usable for everyone.
Better legibility, cleaner content structure, more predictable navigation — these all lead to better user experience for all.
And from that shared quality come tangible business benefits: lower bounce rates, higher conversions, better SEO, and a broader audience.
How We Made Our Website Accessible
We followed a practical, gradual approach: first, an objective analysis of the current state and potential improvements.
1. Initial scan with automatic tools
We audited our site using WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool), which helped us immediately identify key issues:
- Missing alt text on some images;
- Heading hierarchy errors;
- Color contrast issues in certain sections;
- Forms and buttons without accessible labels.
2. Code adjustments
Based on the findings, we optimized the code, correcting or redesigning non-compliant elements. These included:
- Adding descriptive alt text to images;
- Reorganizing headings for better keyboard navigation;
- Increasing color contrast for main texts;
- Adding visible, semantically correct labels to forms.
3. Accessibility Statement
Once we resolved the issues, we drafted and published our accessibility statement, specifying:
- The level of WCAG compliance achieved;
- Any remaining limitations (if minor or temporary);
- How users can report issues or request assistance.
Conclusion
Accessibility is no longer a niche issue: it is now a key element of digital quality, on par with security, performance, and SEO. Not just because the law says so, but because users demand it. They care about usability and the values behind the brands they interact with.
For companies, this is a real opportunity: to reach more users, increase visibility, build trust.
At Antartika, we chose not to wait for the legal deadline. We acted early, with method and vision. And today, we can help you do the same.
Want to make your website accessible? Contact our agency: we can perform a full accessibility audit, identify critical issues, and guide you through the process.
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