Building Accessible Assistive Digital Technology

Article updated on 07/07/26

Questions to consider:

Is it…

• Easy to find?
• Easy to understand?
• Easy to use to solve your problem?
• True no matter who you are?

One billion people worldwide – 15% of the world population – have some form of disability (per worldbank.org).

To better serve this 15% of the population, technologies need to be accessible to maximize their usefulness. Even better, technologies can make activities and solutions accessible where accessibility would otherwise be impossible.

That said, there are regulations in some locales for accessibility in software applications, we support that. But because we want to empower people with IT, we’ve gone further. We believe the core purpose of technology is to improve people’s lives, and we want to maximize that by maximizing how many people it can enable. This article explores what accessible technology is, the regulations in the USA and Europe, and common ITSM features in software for those with disabilities.

What is accessible technology?

Accessible technology refers to any hardware, software, or digital system designed so that people with disabilities – including visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments – can use it as effectively as anyone else. The goal is not to create separate “disability versions” of tools, but to build systems that work for the widest possible range of users from the outset. In an ITSM context, this means service portals, ticketing systems, and self-service tools that are compatible with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies.

It is worth drawing a clear distinction between two related but different concepts. Accessible technology is any technology designed from the outset to be usable by people with and without disabilities – for example, a website with proper color contrast and keyboard navigation. Assistive technology, by contrast, refers to specialized tools that people with disabilities use to interact with technology – such as JAWS (a screen reader) or ZoomText (a magnification tool). Both work together: accessible technology ensures compatibility, while assistive technology provides the interface.

Sometimes technology can have unnecessary barriers that make it difficult (or impossible) to use, and that is especially so for people with disabilities – much like physical barriers of road curbs can prevent someone with limited mobility from accessing the sidewalk. Accessible and assistive technology help remove these digital barriers for people with disabilities. Accessibility in IT Service Management (ITSM) is the practice of creating and implementing IT services that are designed and operated to be accessible to all users, regardless of whether they have a disability or not. It’s up to IT teams to consider how to make sure their IT services can be used effectively by individuals with diverse abilities.

Not all accessibility needs that we should address are ITSM specific. There are some commonalities that can be addressed across many websites and applications.

Common website barriers for people with disabilities

• Videos with no captions
• Poor color contrast
• Lack of keyboard navigation
• Inaccessible online forms
• Complex language and jargon that increases cognitive load
• Inconsistent navigation structures that disorient users with cognitive disabilities
• Time-limited interactions that do not allow sufficient time for users with motor or cognitive impairments

Common examples of digital accessibility

• Image alt text: Graphical items (flowcharts, graphics, infographics) have complete text descriptions for screen readers to interpret for visually impaired users
• Keyboard accessibility: Websites can be used via keyboards to change tabs and menus
• Properly formatted hyperlinks: Proper linking and formats promote readability (uses normal language), clarity (identifies the content of the link), and distinctiveness (distinguishes the link from the body copy)
• Reliable navigation: Every webpage provides a consistent layout and similar navigation controls

Accessible Technology Features Every ITSM Platform Should Support

1. User Interface (UI) Layout: Easy to navigate and understand interfaces, with clear labels, logical navigation, and consistent layouts.
2. Alternative Input Modes: Alternative input methods (e.g., keyboard shortcuts) to accommodate users who have difficulty using a standard mouse or touch pad.
3. Text Alternatives: Non-text content (e.g., images, videos and audio) is accompanied by text alternatives.
4. Assistive Technology Compatibility: ITSM tools are compatible with common assistive technologies, such as screen readers (e.g., JAWS), magnifiers (e.g., ZoomText), or speech recognition software (e.g., Dragon NaturallySpeaking).
5. Color and Contrast Considerations: Avoiding reliance on color alone to convey information and ensuring there is sufficient color contrast for users with visual impairments.
6. Readability: Appropriate font sizes and readable fonts are used. Options to adjust text size and spacing are available.
7. Cognitive Accessibility: Interfaces are designed to reduce cognitive load through plain language in service desk communications, consistent menu structures, clear error messages, and timeout warnings. This is particularly relevant for users with dyslexia, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or acquired cognitive impairments. WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2 include specific success criteria addressing cognitive accessibility, including requirements for consistent navigation and error prevention mechanisms.

US and European Digital Accessibility Technology Standards

While there are no universal regulation standards for technology that every website and online technology system must follow in the United States, there are some mandates in Europe. The table below summarizes the key differences between U.S. and European accessibility requirements.

USA Standards

In the US, there are suggestions from the US Department of Justice for web accessibility to fit with their interpretation of the nondiscrimination and effective communication provisions. The guidance and technical standards they use are Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 Standards – what the federal government uses for its websites. That said, Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by “public accommodations” (businesses open to the public). So, to remain in compliance with the ADA, businesses open to the public must provide full and equal enjoyment to people with disabilities (websites and technology included).

There is a practical co-benefit worth noting here: accessible design and search engine optimization are not competing priorities, they reinforce each other. Image ALT text, which exists to help screen readers describe visual content to users with visual impairments, also signals image context to search engine crawlers. According to Google’s Search Central documentation, descriptive ALT text helps search engines understand image content and can improve image discoverability. Properly structured heading hierarchies, which improve navigation for users with cognitive disabilities, also improve how search engines parse and rank page content. Accessible design, done well, benefits every user and every crawler.

WCAG is organized into three conformance levels. Level A represents the minimum accessibility threshold. Level AA is the standard required by most regulations, including Section 508 and EN 301 549, and should be the target for most organizations. Level AAA is the highest level of conformance and, while not required by most laws, is recommended for maximum accessibility.

Organizations should also be aware of version differences: WCAG 2.0 was the original standard; WCAG 2.1 (published 2018) added 17 new success criteria covering mobile accessibility and cognitive accessibility improvements and remains the current baseline for most compliance requirements; WCAG 2.2 (published October 2023) introduced nine additional success criteria and is increasingly referenced in procurement requirements. For more detail, see the official WCAG documentation at w3.org.

European Standards: EN 301 549 and the European Accessibility Act (EAA)

EN 301 549 is the European accessibility standard for digital technology. It applies to businesses selling digital products and public organizations operating in Europe. Covered technology includes websites, software, and mobile apps. The foundation was established in 2018 and is built on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). All 27 European Union (EU) member states, 3 European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland), and EU candidate countries have adopted the mandate. Public organizations that fail to comply with EN 301 549 face the potential of legal penalties and fines. As for private-sector companies, they can potentially face limited procurement opportunities.

Private-sector organizations operating in Europe must also be aware of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which extends accessibility requirements beyond the public sector. The EAA – formally Directive 2019/882 – came into force with a compliance deadline of June 28, 2025 for private-sector companies. It covers a broad range of digital products and services, including banking, e-commerce, transport, and telecommunications platforms.

Importantly, EN 301 549 is the technical standard used to demonstrate EAA conformance: organizations that achieve WCAG 2.1 AA conformance are well-positioned to meet EAA requirements. IT leaders procuring or deploying ITSM platforms in European markets should request a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) or equivalent conformance documentation from vendors to verify compliance before purchase.

Principles of Digital Accessibility

The web accessibility standards, referred to by the acronym POUR, are based on WCAG:

• Perceivable: Can the information be viewed in different ways? In other words, can the user adjust the color contrast or font size?
• Operable: Is the web page usable with a keyboard or voice commands if a person can’t use a mouse?
• Understandable: Is the information clear and easy to navigate?
• Robust: Can the content be interpreted by a variety of users and different types of assistive technologies?

The Business Case for Accessible Technology: Risk, Reach, and ROI

Accessible technology is increasingly a business imperative, not just a compliance obligation. According to the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, accessible design expands market reach, reduces legal risk, and improves usability for all users – not just those with disabilities. The numbers reinforce this: the global population of people with disabilities represents significant combined spending power, and organizations that exclude this segment through inaccessible design are leaving measurable value on the table.

The legal risk landscape is equally compelling. ADA-related web accessibility lawsuits have grown substantially year over year, with more than 4,000 federal cases filed in 2023 alone, according to accessibility research firm UsableNet. For organizations operating in Europe, the EAA’s June 2025 private-sector deadline adds regulatory urgency to what was previously a public-sector concern.

There is also an operational efficiency argument that is directly relevant to IT leaders. When ITSM platforms are built accessibly, support burden decreases: employees with disabilities can resolve issues through self-service rather than escalating to the service desk, keyboard navigation reduces friction for power users across the organization, and plain-language interfaces reduce misrouted tickets. Accessibility, in this framing, is not a cost center – it is a lever for service desk productivity and employee experience improvement.

How IT Teams Can Build an Accessible Technology Program: A Practical Starting Point

Review accessibility standards

• Section 508: Section 508 requires access for people with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities to ICT developed and used by federal US agencies (e.g., computers, printers, websites, and software).
• WCAG 2.1/2.2: Developed through the W3C process, WCAG is a technical standard to help web content developers (e.g., site designers) and web authoring tool developers understand how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities. WCAG 2.1 is the current baseline for most compliance requirements; WCAG 2.2 (October 2023) introduced additional criteria increasingly referenced in procurement.
• ADA: While your business may not fall under federal regulations, you could still benefit from reviewing the ADA’s Title II and Title III legislation to understand how your web content can be more accessible for those with disabilities.

Conduct an internal audit

• Before developing anything for external parties: Make sure your internal portals and platforms are accessible for those with disabilities. By doing an internal audit, you’ll have a better understanding of where your blind spots are, as well as what the process is like for improving technology to make it more accessible.
• Introduction to Web Accessibility Course: This course, hosted by W3C (the World Wide Web Consortium, the international standards body that develops WCAG), helps users develop foundational knowledge in digital accessibility to make their websites work well for those with disabilities.
• Accessibility testing tools: Several free and low-cost tools can help structure your audit. WAVE (a browser extension) provides visual feedback on accessibility errors directly on your pages. axe DevTools offers automated accessibility testing for development teams and integrates with common browsers and CI pipelines. NVDA, a free screen reader for Windows, allows you to test how your ITSM portals and service desk interfaces behave for visually impaired users. Running your highest-traffic pages through at least two of these tools before engaging an external auditor will give you a realistic baseline.

Develop a plan

Once you understand where your organization needs to improve its digital accessibility for internal and external systems, translate those findings into a structured roadmap. Prioritize WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance for your highest-traffic pages and most-used ITSM interfaces first – this is where non-compliance carries the greatest risk and remediation delivers the greatest return.

Assign a named accessibility lead or working group with clear ownership of remediation tasks and vendor conversations. Set a timeline with quarterly milestones and a target conformance date that aligns with your broader digital transformation objectives. Organizations that approach accessibility systematically – rather than reactively after a complaint or audit finding – consistently spend less on remediation and build more resilient IT environments.

Accessible technology is no longer a compliance footnot, it is a foundational expectation of modern IT service delivery. Organizations that treat it as such gain a measurable advantage: lower legal exposure, broader user reach, and ITSM environments that work for every employee, not just the majority. The path forward is not complicated, but it does require intentionality. Start with an internal audit of your current ITSM tools against WCAG 2.1 AA criteria. Identify your highest-impact gaps. Build a roadmap that connects accessibility improvements to your broader digital transformation objectives. The organizations that do this systematically – rather than reactively – are the ones that avoid costly remediation and build IT environments that scale inclusively.