Fixing digital accessibility issues with the press of a button: too good to be true?
Can overlays really make your website more accessible, or are they just a quick fix? Discover what works and what doesn't!
In March 2024, Eleven Ways conducted its first ever study to check the presence of mandatory accessibility statements on Belgian government websites. Read the results here.
This study was carried out independently and on our own initiative. It was conducted using an internally developed application and artificial intelligence. The results retrieved through AI were subjected to sample checking and minimal manual correction, resulting in a margin of error on the figures obtained of less than 3%.
A total of 1,697 websites were checked, including federal, municipal and regional websites.
Our study shows that 53.4% of websites tested today do not have an accessibility statement. Such a statement should explain in detail and clearly the extent to which the website meets the preset standards.
Having an accessibility statement is required by law for all government websites.
Complies completely | Complies partially | Does not comply | Unknown. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Federal | 1.9% | 43.3% | 5.2% | 49.6% |
Municipal | 2.6% | 47.2% | 4.8% | 45.4% |
Flemish Region | 0% | 17,3% | 0% | 82.7% |
Brussels-Capital Region | 5% | 23.3% | 1.7% | 70% |
German-speaking Community | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
Walloon Region / French-speaking Community | 4.9% | 28.8% | 8% | 58.3% |
The study further revealed that 41.6% of websites have a statement that was updated more than two years ago. In addition, 18.3% of websites do not mention dates.
It further shows that only 64% of websites mention where citizens with disabilities can go with questions or complaints. This too is a violation of what the legislature requires.
Our study on accessibility statements on Belgian government websites shows that more than half of these websites do not have a valid, mandatory accessibility statement. In a future study, we will try to identify the root cause of this.
Can overlays really make your website more accessible, or are they just a quick fix? Discover what works and what doesn't!
Curious about the benefits of web accessibility and the European Commission’s policy? Wonder how AI impacts accessibility's future? Our senior experts, Christophe Strobbe and Régine Lambrecht, share insights on these topics and more. As certified Web Accessibility Specialists, they train and coach teams and conduct audits ensure your site meets WCAG and EN 301 549 standards. Listen to our interview to gain valuable advice from their nearly 50 years of combined experience.
We must legally comply with WCAG. What is the scope of the project?
We want to train our teams in accessibility. Who should be trained?
We need external expertise. A temporary reinforcement, is it possible?
We want to test our application with users with disabilities. How to organize it?