Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) is watching – is your online store accessible enough?

Late March, the Dutch Public news (NOS) published: ‘Majority online stores not accessible for people with disabilities’. A harsh conclusion after the inspection of the 100 largest Dutch online stores, telecom and energy providers conducted early this year.

ACM concluded that at 61% of the investigated online stores, it proved to be impossible to complete a purchase if you use, for example, a screen reader to navigate the web. Obviously this represents significant loss of revenue and is immensely frustrating for online shoppers.

Ozlem Sehirli, Consumer Protection Manager at ACM: “This can be fixed and it needs to be fixed asap.”

Digital accessibility of online stores

Research commissioned by the ACM into companies' awareness and implementation of digital accessibility shows that plans often do exist. However, a lack of time, money, and expertise are the main obstacles to improve website accessibility. Legislation for digital accessibility applies to every company with 10 or more employees and/or an annual turnover of more than 2 million euros. ACM's conclusion should be a wake-up call for everyone. Act now to avoid a fine. The ACM wants to see progress made when it investigates companies compliance. It is therefore smart to start with the most impactful quick wins. It will demonstrate goodwill, and will turn the shopping experience into a positive one for everyone.

Subtitling, audio description and transcription for e-commerce

Many e-commerce companies use videos on their websites to enhance the digital customer experience and improve the customer journey. That is the power of video. Investing in video marketing can be very expensive, so it better be viewed by as many people as possible and leave nobody out. You can achieve this in an easy way by adding three elements to the video: subtitles, an audio description and a transcript. With these elements your video’s meet the digital accessibility criteria that are set in legislation.

Expert in accessible video content

Scribit.Pro can help make video accessibility turn into a quick win. We assess what is necessary and enrich your video content in line with accessibility guidelines, ensuring compliance with legislation. We work fast and efficient and will help you tick video accessibility off your European Accessibility Act checklist, for both existing and future content.

Let our expertise increase the reach of your online store and ensure that the videos comply with WCAG guidelines.