Irish firms need to ensure they are compliant with new European accessibility rules or risk significant penalties, a digital design expert has warned.
The European Accessibility Act comes into force on 28 June, requiring certain products and services to be more accessible to people with disabilities.
The aim of the directive is to make critical services as accessible to people with disabilities as they are to other users, which in practice means making them adaptable to different use cases.
"It's one of the most comprehensive acts we've had for accessibility," says Rachael Joyce, head of product and research at the UX Design Institute. "Whether that's for someone who uses a screen-reader because they're blind or have low vision, or somebody who uses their keyboard to navigate instead of a mouse.
"Really it's about making things usable so that people with disabilities can participate like the rest of us."
Despite the law coming into force in a matter of weeks, awareness among Irish companies appears to be low.
A recent survey by law firm Mason, Hayes & Curran found that nearly 60% of firms were not confident they understood the act's requirements, with 40% saying they lacked the expertise to make the changes required.
The act covers a wide variety of products and services, including any form of ecommerce offered in the EU - meaning any company selling through its website or app also need to comply.
"It's really, really broad - businesses based in the EU or that sell to customers in the EU will be covered in this act," says Ms Joyce. "It's a really wide range of products - anything from websites and apps, to ATMs, ticketing machines, smart TVs, ereaders."
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How much work a company needs to do will depend on the services they offer, as well as the level of accessibility they already offer.
Ms Joyce said that, for companies to get the best results, they need to bake accessibility into the design of their services from the start.
And doing so could potentially be of benefit, as it could open their offerings to a wider audience. Data from the Central Statistics Office says that 22% of people in Ireland reported experiencing a least one long-lasting condition or difficulty.
However there is also another significant incentive for companies to comply, as they could face hefty fines - and even jail time for senior staff - if they are found to be in breach.
"In Ireland, for example, companies can face fines of up to €60,000, or face up to 18 months in prison - so it is pretty serious stuff and something that every business needs to be thinking about," says Ms Joyce.
