Questions About Long-term Accessibility Strategy
Accessibility is an ongoing process requiring strategic planning. The following questions address long-term aspects: how does a website remain conformant after initial optimization? How do standards evolve? And how do you sustainably integrate accessibility into corporate culture?
- How will the accessibility landscape change in coming years? The W3C is working on WCAG 3.0, which pursues a fundamentally new approach to evaluating accessibility: instead of binary pass/fail assessments per criterion a continuous scoring model will be introduced. WCAG 3.0 is currently in draft stage, adoption is not expected before 2027. EN 301 549 will foreseeably be updated to WCAG 2.2 soon. Companies implementing WCAG 2.2 AA today are therefore well positioned.
- How do we permanently integrate accessibility into our development processes? Three measures are decisive: first training for all relevant roles (developers, designers, editors). Second automated accessibility tests in the CI/CD pipeline that detect new barriers at every commit. Third regular manual audits (at least annually) covering aspects automated tools cannot capture.
- Is accessibility worthwhile for websites with little traffic? Yes, for several reasons: first the accessibility obligation under the BFSG is independent of visitor numbers. Second accessibility improves general user experience and SEO performance, which can increase traffic medium-term. Third the effort for websites with few page types is usually manageable.
- What happens if we are only partially conformant? Partial conformance is better than no conformance. In the accessibility statement you can indicate partial conformance status, name non-conformant areas and present the planned timeline for full conformance. Market surveillance authorities will likely consider whether a company is making recognizable efforts.
- How do we measure progress of our accessibility efforts? We recommend three metrics: WCAG conformance degree (proportion of met criteria), number of critical barriers (trend over time) and Lighthouse Accessibility Score (as a quick automated indicator). Our compliance monitoring delivers these metrics regularly enabling objective progress assessment.
- Can we use accessibility as a marketing advantage? Yes, though with moderation. An accessibility statement on the website demonstrates responsibility. The improved user experience appeals to all visitors, not just people with disabilities. In public sector tenders BITV 2.0 conformance is frequently an award criterion. However avoid exaggerated promises: accessibility is a continuous process, not a one-time achievement.