Black Sun Global recently hosted the fifth in our Toolkit Series: Website Accessibility and Complaince: Prpeairing for the new EU Regulations 2025, featuring expert voices from across the accessibility landscape, including Richard Dixon, Chief Digital Officer at Black Sun; Erwin Blomeyer, Head of Technology Development at Black Sun; Jon Avila, Chief Accessibility Officer at Level Access; and Mark Applin, Co-Founder of Signly.
This is your comprehensive guide showing why accessibility matters, how regulations like the European Accessibility Act (EAA) affect your organisation, and how to build and run accessible websites.
There are over 1.3 billion people globally living with a disability. For them, access to digital experiences isn’t just about convenience—it’s about inclusion, independence, and opportunity. Whether it's banking, online shopping, education, or entertainment, the web must work for everyone.
But it’s not just about doing the right thing. Accessibility is good for business. According to Level Access’s annual survey:
And then there’s compliance. Legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the U.S., the Equality Act in the U.K., and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) are creating real legal obligations for organisations to provide accessible digital experiences.
Mark Applin’s journey into accessibility was both inspiring and powerful. After doing pro bono work for a deaf charity, he had a moment of realisation: many deaf people, especially those born deaf, use sign language as a first language, and written English, including captions and text descriptions, may not be accessible.
That sparked the idea for Signly—a platform that overlays sign language onto websites, much like a screen reader does for visually impaired users. What started as a side project landed on BBC Breakfast and was soon adopted by major clients like Lloyds Bank.
This personal, user-centred approach is at the heart of why accessibility can be so impactful—and why every digital touchpoint must be designed with inclusivity in mind.
Level Access is a company that specialises in digital accessibility solutions. They help organisations ensure that their websites, software, mobile apps, and digital documents are usable by people with disabilities and that they comply with relevant accessibility standards such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Level Access provides a mix of software tools, consulting services, training, and support to help businesses identify accessibility issues, and build accessibility into their development processes. They offer accessibility audits, automated testing, manual assessments by experts, compliance reporting, and accessibility program management.
Their goal is to help companies create inclusive digital experiences that are both legally compliant and usable for everyone.
The European Accessibility Act, effective June 28, 2025, covers a broad range of consumer-facing digital products and services, including:
The core technical standard it references is EN 301 549, built on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) but with some added requirements.
To comply, organisations should:
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the global standard for accessible digital content. They’re based on four foundational principles:
1. Start with Discovery & Planning
Set goals. Choose which standards (e.g., WCAG 2.2, EN 301 549) to follow. Identify your target audience’s needs and current barriers.
2. Design for Inclusion
Accessibility starts at the design stage. Use high contrast, logical layouts, keyboard-friendly navigation, and clear call-to-actions.
3. Develop with Accessibility in Mind
Front-end developers should write semantic HTML, ensure keyboard operability, and follow best practices for ARIA attributes and tab order.
4. Use the Right CMS Tools
Your CMS must support accessible content creation. Features like required alt text fields, template-level controls, and asset management integration can make a big difference.
5. Test, Then Test Again
Use both automated tools (to catch common issues) and manual testing (to assess screen reader usability, keyboard navigation, etc.). Establish reusable test cases for consistency over time.
Erwin highlighted 10 best practices during the session:
Accessibility doesn’t end at launch. Governance is key for tracking progress and maintaining compliance. Use reporting tools to:
Accountability not only helps justify budgets but ensures long-term commitment across teams.
A crucial component of any successful accessibility strategy—prioritisation. With the right monitoring tools, you can focus your efforts on the most critical issues impacting users. These platforms don’t just help you fix what’s broken—they also act as sentinels, keeping an eye on your digital ecosystem to make sure new issues aren’t inadvertently introduced during routine updates or content changes.
This proactive approach was exemplified in a demonstration of Signly’s service, integrated into the Lloyds Bank homepage. With a few clicks, users can interact with the widget to resize it or activate translations. It’s fast, seamless, and impactful—demonstrating that accessibility doesn’t have to be complex to be meaningful.
Mark also explained that adding Signly to a website is a low-code process taking just 10 minutes, empowering D/deaf users to request translations on demand. The system intelligently identifies content changes and sends them for sign language translation, ensuring continuity and up-to-date accessibility.
Accessibility needs to be embedded into your process, not added on at the end. Accessibility is a journey—one that should begin at design and continue indefinitely through publication, monitoring, and improvements.
Practical steps any organisation can take include:
Accessibility isn’t just a checkbox. It’s a strategic differentiator that touches every aspect of your digital experience—from UX and SEO to legal compliance and brand trust.
By embedding accessibility into your digital DNA—through design, development, content, and governance—you don’t just open your website to a wider audience, you help shape a more inclusive space for everyone.
Whether you're just starting or further along the accessibility journey, the key is to keep moving forward. If you're unsure where to begin or need help assessing your site, training your team, or embedding user-facing tools—we're here to help.
Get in touch by emailing Bob Crosbie-Dawson at bcrosbie-dawson@blacksun-global.com to find out more information on how we can support your accessibility goals.
Black Sun Global is a stakeholder advisory and engagement agency that's been driving transformation and positive change for ambitious brands for more than 20 years. With deep expertise in disclosure and reporting, ESG, sustainability, and digital engagement, we reshape how organisations connect with customers, investors, employees, and the wider world.
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