Like the little monkey emoticon on our smartphones: see nothing, hear nothing, speak nothing. What many of us playfully incorporate into the news is a reality for millions of people in Germany. According to federal health reporting, 14 million people between the ages of 18 and 65 in Germany have impaired vision and a further 14 million suffer from impaired hearing. Cognitive impairment is compounded by language barriers. The figures continue to rise with increasing age.

These limitations are already difficult to cope with in everyday life, but in the workplace it becomes almost impossible to be productive and efficient. This means that millions of people are sometimes deprived of the opportunity to contribute their expertise to companies, as inadequately equipped workstations and products do not take their limitations into account.

Inclusion starts in the company

It would be very beneficial in terms of corporate responsibility and for the recruitment of new skilled workers to equip workplaces without barriers. According to Section 81 of the German Social Security Code IX, every employer is also obliged to provide accessible IT. But what exactly does barrier-free IT and a barrier-free workplace actually mean?

Many people with back problems are certainly familiar with ergonomic chairs and height-adjustable desks. Even these small purchases are the first step towards greater accessibility. More comprehensive, ergonomic workstation systems also address other user restrictions. Wheelchair users or people who have difficulty sitting or walking usually find it difficult to bend and stretch. This means they have problems reaching objects that are more than an arm's length away. This problem can be solved, for example, with multi-axis swivel arms at the workstations of people with disabilities. The assistive device is easy to operate and increases the gripping space. This enables people with disabilities to work just as productively as their colleagues without disabilities. These systems also reduce the strain on the back during work and posture-related health problems are less likely to occur.

We are continuing with the redesign of digital applications. People with visual impairments benefit from high contrasts, easy-to-read font sizes and information that is conveyed by more than just color. What use is a green and a red button to operate a machine if the user has a red-green impairment? Blind people also need other aids. In addition to hardware such as screen readers or a Braille display - a device that translates characters into Braille - the software must also be designed accordingly. For example, it should be possible to control applications using the keyboard or there should be alternative texts that explain graphics. Motor impairments such as tremor or arthritis require generous touch and click surfaces in addition to keyboard operation, as well as products with large buttons in general. Subtitled videos are a blessing for the hearing impaired and short, clear and simple language helps with cognitive disorders. This list could go on and on, but it is clear that the necessary measures are actually not particularly complex - at least if they are taken into account from the outset during development.

By 2025: The European Accessibility Act requires accessible products and services

It is also becoming increasingly relevant for policymakers that inclusive measures not only take place internally in the workplace, but are also reflected externally in corresponding products. Directive EU-2016/2102, which has been in force since September 2019, already states that public bodies such as health insurance funds and social security institutions must provide accessible applications. But now things are getting serious for companies in industry too - because the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is coming. All economic players in Europe are thus obliged to provide greater accessibility. Basically, the EAA is a logical continuation of user-centered models for the development of products and services. It is no secret that the success of business models depends on the acceptance of users and customers. This is why they are increasingly being involved during the development phase in order to end up with a useful product or service that meets the requirements of the buyers. Unfortunately, this has so far not applied to the requirements of all buyers, but only to those who have no physical or mental limitations. The millions of people in the above statistics have so far been ignored. This is now set to change.

The EU directive is to be transposed into German law by 2022, and all importers, distributors and manufacturers of products as well as service providers must be barrier-free by 2025. Only micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees are exempt. The industry is therefore not getting a free pass and the list of products that must be accessible in the future is very long, even if it can still be expanded. Consumer devices for communication and audiovisual media, e-book readers, hardware and operating systems for universal computers, self-service terminals such as ATMs or check-in machines at airports, passenger transportation services, electronic communication services, online commerce, websites and apps are just a few examples. Not only the products themselves, but also all associated information such as manuals and support pages must be accessible. Some companies are already leading the way. Time for everyone else to follow suit!

No sale without labeling

If you sit back too long, you will have serious difficulties bringing your own products onto the market in the future. From 2025, every product must have an EU declaration of conformity and a CE mark. Only those who receive the marking will be able to demonstrate that they demonstrably meet the accessibility requirements. Anyone who does not meet the requirements must expect that the competent authorities will only make products available to a limited extent or even withdraw them completely from the national and European market.

The European Accessibility Act is therefore a wonderful opportunity. In the coming years, companies will have to address the issue of accessibility anyway in order to remain marketable. They can use this to simultaneously promote inclusion internally and align workplaces and applications to the needs of all employees.

André Meixner, Head of User Experience & Accessibility, T-Systems Multimedia Solutions