Accessibility and reporting: impacts and implications

Read Time: 3-4 mins

The EAA has a wide-reaching impact.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) kicked in this year, and its reception in the UK so far has been… well, mixed. The legislation is so far-ranging, it can be hard to know where to start (or whether to start at all).

However, the objective of equal access to products, services and media for all is one that shouldn’t be diluted.

We, at LB, think this offers an opportunity for thoughtful reflection on how our media is consumed and how it can be optimised – not only in terms of the format of the project, but also for the audience and how they might receive it.

The legislation itself is so wide-reaching; it mentions all sorts of disabilities, divergencies and difficulties – from the expected (like those who are of limited mobility due to wheelchair use or age) to the surprising (like those of limited mobility as they are carrying luggage!).

The scope is clear(?) that any company (expect micro companies) who offers ‘goods or services’ in the European Union needs to consider the EAA principles. The uptake in the UK so far has been a tad unenthusiastic, perhaps as it feels too diffuse, people aren’t sure what’s expected, whether they really need to comply or if it’s more a ‘nice-to-have’. And indeed, sometimes, it feels like we have many more pressing issues to worry about (and not just from the EU). But we think it’s worth making accessibility accessible, and it all represents a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in a very tangible way for your investors, employees and wider audiences.

Who’s engaging and how?

So, who is engaging with the kinds of media we produce and what difficulties might they face? We’ve got a dichotomy between human and machine readers quickly emerging. I’ve actually heard FTSE 100 companies say at IR events “only bots read our reports, so we optimise it for that audience”. I enthusiastically disagree, however!

Having clear, straightforward, jargon-free language has a dual purpose of improving accessibility and improving clarity of messaging for AI digestion, GEO and SEO.

Regardless of the Act, we believe it’s fundamental that a reader can grasp the story first time, without having to decipher jargon, cliché or abstract words. The Economist advises writers to first think what you want to say, then say it as clearly as possible.

One of our copywriting partners recently quoted Warren Buffet: “Too often, I’ve been unable to decipher just what is being said in company reports or, worse yet, had to conclude that nothing was being said.” His advice is to “free yourself of impediments to effective communication… and you will be amazed at how much smarter your readers will think you have become.”

Interpretations of how best to meet the accessibility requirements of the Act are varied, but aiming for a B1 (upper intermediate) English level is commonly recommended and will widen participation and often enhance understanding.

Angles of accessibility

But it’s not just the accessibility of language that can be optimised. It’s the format and the design, too.

You can make PDF reports readable for those who use screen-reading technology for reasons ranging from limited vision to a neurodivergence or a preference for audio over visual content. Screen readers don’t always consume, recognise or order text correctly for screen-reader users, let alone the images or charts, and the aim is to equal the playing field and ensure no information is left behind for screen-reader users.

This involves adding a technical layer to enable machine readers to recognise text, structure and hierarchy, and imagery to enable the POUR principles – that is, to make the text, images and charts perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. The report wouldn’t look any different to human eyes, apart from alt text being visible when rolling over charts and images.

This PDF/UA (universally accessible) PDF is considered a best practice way to achieve accessibility standards for PDFs. It can be added onto the project at the end to the web PDF with minimal impact to the process. This process, again, has a dual purpose – it will also help text from PDFs become more readable to AI audiences.

For further visual impact that’s tangible in both print and online, the web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) are the gold standard of accessibility and can be layered atop the less visible PDF/UA elements. These cover considerations such as minimum font size, colour contrast, font clarity, chart colour rationale and text and image overlays. Meeting the WCAG requirements in your annual report or website would be a discussion to have at the beginning of the project so we can build in regular review points and incorporate suggestions in the design concepts from the outset. This level of accessibility is worth getting to grips with as it has the greatest impact on the largest audience and improves visual clarity, which can never be a bad thing.

If you’d like to chat about the accessibility of your documents, please get in touch.