According to the World Health Organization, 16% of the global population, or 1.3 billion people, live with a significant disability, a percentage expected to increase as the population ages. In Italy, ISTAT data confirms a similar reality: almost 3 million people, or 5% of the population, live with severe disabilities, with an additional 16.5% affected by milder limitations.
These individuals may encounter significant barriers in accessing products and services, including digital ones, which have become increasingly central to everyone’s lives, impacting everything from daily shopping to public and private services. Improving the quality of life for millions of people thus depends on the inclusiveness of digital tools, a need that has brought digital accessibility into focus.
What is Digital Accessibility and Why It’s a Business Priority
Digitalization aims to simplify life and work, improve business processes, enhance customer satisfaction, and foster better relationships among people. However, if the tools for achieving these, such as an app, website, or ATM terminal, are not accessible to everyone, digital technology loses much of its value.
Companies developing digital solutions cannot treat accessibility as a mere technical detail, first because it is a heavily regulated topic, with national and international obligations and penalties, and second because it is a genuine strategic priority. Creating digital experiences accessible to all potential users maximizes the audience reach, promotes solution adoption, and, naturally, boosts business growth.
Additionally, an accessible product demonstrates social responsibility and can strengthen a company’s reputation by highlighting its commitment to a fairer, more inclusive society. In other words, it’s an investment that brings only benefits: starting with compliance—especially considering the upcoming European Accessibility Act in Italy (June 28, 2025)—but also impacting customer loyalty, competitiveness, and talent attraction, as more professionals are increasingly interested in the purpose of the company they work for.
From the 2004 Stanca Law to today's Accessibility Act
The accessibility of an IT system has been a focus for Italian and European legislators, aiming to promote an inclusive approach to digital tool development.
The first Italian legislative intervention was the so-called 2004 Stanca Law, aimed at ensuring the "accessibility of Public Administration websites.” The law also provided a clear definition of digital accessibility as the "ability of IT systems [...] to provide services and deliver information in a usable way, without discrimination, including by those who, due to disabilities, require assistive technologies or special configurations." The law became effective the following year with the establishment of technical requirements, which were later reformed in 2013.
In the last two decades, there have been many complex legislative interventions regarding digital accessibility. In the public sector, a notable mention is the EU Directive 2016/2102 (transposed in Italy in 2018), which applies to websites and apps of public entities and technically refers to international WCAG standards, which are currently the main reference for ensuring the accessibility of systems and content based on web technologies. Following this, AgID issued its Guidelines on the Accessibility of IT tools, requiring public entities to fulfill certain obligations, including publishing an Accessibility Statement and Accessibility Objectives, both on an annual basis.
In the private sector, a key moment was Decree 76/2020, which extended accessibility regulations, already in place for the public sector, to private companies with revenues exceeding 500 million euros over three years. Another important step is the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882), which aims to harmonize accessibility regulations and obligations across the European Union. This directive, which must be transposed into national law and will take effect from June 28, 2025, applies to a wide range of devices, including payment terminals, ATMs, hardware systems, operating systems, websites, and mobile applications. It sets out specific requirements that companies must meet to ensure their products and services are accessible to all users, thus promoting an inclusive digital environment.
Accessible websites and applications: a 5-step process
Making a website, mobile application, or, more broadly, a software system accessible requires a methodical approach. Fortunately, as we've seen, developers are not alone; there are indeed standards and guidelines (some mandatory, like those from AgID) that can guide any project and the individuals involved, from architects to developers, in the right direction. As usual, attention to company culture is also key: it must head in the right direction.
Let’s then outline a simple but effective process for developing a software product that fully integrates and meets challenging accessibility requirements.
Understand User Needs
When developing a digital product, it's crucial to consider the needs of all users, especially those with disabilities. Organizing interviews and focus groups with potential users can help create detailed user profiles or specific user personas. This allows the design team to have a clear understanding of the experiences and needs of all users, ensuring that the final product also meets specific accessibility requirements.
Adopt accessibility guidelines
Whether due to a requirement or a deliberate choice, adopting guidelines like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a fundamental step in ensuring inclusivity in the design and development of the application. WCAG offers a clear, systematic framework that helps create inclusive digital experiences based on the four accessibility principles—perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness—which must be integrated into every project phase.
Focus on user experience
A user-centric approach is essential for developing accessible software solutions. Guidelines provide necessary recommendations to manage various disabilities (contrast, typography, sounds, colors, element placement, sizes...). Navigation must also be intuitive and consistent, with a clear hierarchy of information.
Test accessibility
A key element in creating accessible applications is testing. Automated testing can be used extensively, but the best approach is to also involve real users to gather direct feedback and identify any unforeseen issues. It's also important to create a test environment that simulates real situations users may face.
Continuous updates
Since every design decision must consider the needs of the users it serves, team members need to stay up-to-date on the evolution of accessibility guidelines and tools. Investing in training not only improves technical skills but also raises awareness among team members about the importance of creating increasingly inclusive products and services.
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