An inaccessible mobile application or digital service is not just a technical issue. It poses real risks such as loss of customers, increased operational costs and regulatory consequences resulting from WCAG guidelines and the European Accessibility Act. With key business processes moving rapidly into digital channels, accessibility has become a business-wide concern.
In this article, you will learn:
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why accessibility is becoming increasingly important in the design of mobile applications and other digital services,
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what a digital accessibility audit looks like in practice,
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and how, based on our project experience, to implement universal design principles that genuinely support diverse groups of users.
Accessibility has a direct impact on revenue, service quality and the overall user experience. This is why an increasing number of organisations are treating digital accessibility audits as a reliable means of assessing their products and informing design decisions. Based on our experience of working with clients and our observations of the market, we have found that a well-conducted audit aligned with WCAG guidelines helps organisations to remove barriers more quickly, minimise risks and develop applications that are truly designed for everyone.
Why is digital accessibility becoming increasingly important?
In recent years, mobile applications and other digital products have become an essential part of our daily lives, from banking and e-commerce to healthcare and organisational systems. We often use them in less than ideal conditions: when we’re in a hurry, in poor lighting, while wearing gloves, on screens of varying quality or in noisy environments.
Accessibility, therefore, is not only about people with disabilities. It concerns all users who, at a given moment, may experience limitations in perception, mobility, or attention. For this reason, digital accessibility is becoming a standard increasingly valued by both users and businesses. This trend is particularly visible in the financial sector — 87% of companies in the US and Europe report increased revenue after implementing accessibility measures, 94% consider it a competitive advantage, and 92% observe improved customer retention.
Poorly designed interactions and non-intuitive processes, on the other hand, often lead to a loss of trust, customer churn, and increased pressure on customer support teams. Legal considerations and the growing risk of regulatory non-compliance are also becoming increasingly important.
What risks do you face by ignoring digital accessibility in applications and online tools?
It is estimated that as many as 1 in 4 adults in the EU experiences some form of disability. In Poland, this may affect up to 7 million people (European Funds data). This represents a significant group of users who are often unable to fully access digital services and products. It is also important to remember that ageing societies will steadily increase these numbers. By 2050, every third person in Poland will be a senior, further strengthening the need to design accessible digital tools.
It is therefore no surprise that access to products, services, and information has become a matter of legal regulation. In recent years, both European and national regulations have increasingly emphasised the obligation to ensure digital accessibility.
The European and Polish Accessibility Acts: new obligations
The Polish Accessibility Act (adopted on 26 April 2024) implements the requirements of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and enables people with disabilities to legally enforce equal access to products and services. The regulations apply to sectors such as telecommunications services, transport, retail banking, the distribution of e-books, e-commerce, and access to audiovisual media services. These are areas where mobile applications often serve as the primary point of contact between organisations and their customers. For many organisations, this means accessibility must be considered already at the stage of designing and developing mobile applications and digital services.
The Act clearly specifies who is responsible for ensuring accessibility. In the case of products, the responsibility lies with manufacturers, authorised representatives, importers, and distributors. For services, responsibility rests with service providers. The regulations apply to both the public and private sectors, with the exception of micro-enterprises.
What legal consequences result from the Accessibility Act?
The consequences of non-compliance can be significant. Financial penalties may reach up to ten times the average monthly salary, but no more than 10% of a company’s annual turnover. The Act does allow for specific situations in which an organisation may be exempt from the obligation to ensure accessibility. However, such cases are subject to strict scrutiny. It is therefore unsurprising that organisations in sectors such as finance, energy, and MedTech are intensifying efforts to adapt their mobile applications and digital services to accessibility requirements.
What does a WCAG-compliant digital accessibility audit look like?
When discussing accessibility in digital products and services, it is difficult to overlook the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standard developed by the W3C. It is a set of criteria that can be directly translated into concrete design and technical solutions.
The currently applicable standard is WCAG 2.1, referenced in the Polish Act on the digital accessibility of websites and mobile applications adopted on 4 April 2019.
However, an accessibility audit involves much more than simply checking whether an application meets a checklist of WCAG criteria. A reliable process combines three essential components: testing, expert evaluation, and user research. We discuss each of these elements below.
Automated tests and testing with assistive technologies
Auditors use tools such as TalkBack, VoiceOver, screen readers, and system magnifiers. At this stage, automated tests are also performed to verify contrast levels, heading structures, code correctness, and basic technical errors. This helps quickly identify obvious barriers that can often be removed relatively easily.
Expert evaluation aligned with WCAG guidelines
An expert analyses user flows and key interface elements in terms of compliance with WCAG guidelines. The assessment typically includes:
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navigation and focus order,
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alternatives for visual content,
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resilience to user errors.
In mobile applications, particular attention is also given to the usability of touch interactions and the ease of operating interface elements.
User research — why is it essential?
This is the stage where the audit turns into an observation of real behaviour. Testing tools with blind and visually impaired users, seniors, or people working in challenging environments reveals barriers that are often invisible from the perspective of design and development teams.
What is the outcome of an accessibility audit?
The result of an audit is not just a list of issues. Most importantly, it includes:
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a prioritised set of design and technical recommendations,
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identification of quick wins,
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a roadmap of improvements that require larger investments,
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and materials that can feed directly into the product backlog.
As a result, design, UX, and IT teams gain clarity on what should be addressed first in order to reduce regulatory risks, improve user experience, and continue product development without disruption.
How to prepare your organisation for a WCAG accessibility audit
The more context and materials auditors receive, the more precise and valuable their recommendations will be.
Key processes and user journeys
Identify the processes in your mobile or desktop application that are critical for both the business and users, such as:
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login and authentication,
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payment handling,
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key transactional processes (e.g. submitting applications, ordering products),
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self-service features (e.g. updating personal data).
Screens that require particular attention
Indicate areas that:
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generate the highest traffic,
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are the source of the most frequent errors or user drop-offs,
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or are particularly important from a regulatory perspective (e.g. consent forms, legal information).
Data that helps understand the context
From an auditor’s perspective, access to contextual data is extremely helpful. This may include quantitative data such as user behaviour analytics in mobile applications and other digital tools, findings from previous usability audits, insights from customer support teams, and a list of known issues or technological constraints.
Important
We see that organisations that prepare well for audits implement recommendations more quickly and make better use of investments in accessibility.
Universal Design in Mobile Applications and Other Online Tools – How to Implement It?
Universal design is an approach that aims to create products that are inherently accessible to the widest possible range of users. It is guided by eight principles:
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Equal Opportunities for All – Equal access to features and the same usage rules, e.g., alternative login methods.
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Flexibility in Use – Users should be able to use tools regardless of their abilities (e.g., for right-handed and left-handed users).
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Simplicity and Intuition – The interface and processes should be understandable regardless of the user’s level of technological knowledge.
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Perceptibility of Information – The app should allow content to be received through various senses (sight, hearing, touch), e.g., with alternative texts or audio descriptions.
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Tolerance for Errors – Tools should minimize the risk of mistakes and allow for easy corrections.
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Effortless Use – Designing spaces and objects so that they can be used without physical strain.
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Sufficient Size and Space for Use – Adjusting elements, such as buttons, to the needs of users with various disabilities.
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Perception of Equality – Equal access to products and services in a way that users do not feel stigmatized or discriminated against.
Examples of Solutions Supporting Various User Needs
In practice, universal design means providing solutions such as: alternative authentication methods in the login process (e.g., biometrics, voice login), access to documents with clear research results, or technologies based on AI (e.g., clear applications reminding users to take their medication).
We treat universal design as a consequence of thinking about accessibility from the very beginning, not as an additional layer added at the end of the project.
Digital Accessibility as a Process: What Our Projects Have Shown
We apply the principle:
the earlier you consider accessibility, the lower the implementation cost and the higher the usability of the entire product.
Based on our experience, even minor design changes, such as improving contrast, refining error messages or optimising the size of touch elements, can significantly enhance the effectiveness of mobile applications and other online tools for all users.
Based on our projects (including those in the financial and MedTech sectors) and the results of the ‘Accessibility in Banking’ study, it is clear that much still needs to be done to adapt products to the needs of different user groups.
An accessibility audit is:
- a starting point that allows for a reliable diagnosis of problems,
- a foundation for making informed design and strategic decisions,
- a tool that helps organise the backlog and prioritise changes.
We help organisations adapt mobile apps and online tools to WCAG guidelines through audits, user research, testing and establishing standards for the latest technologies.
Where to begin?
The key steps to improving the accessibility of apps and online tools are simple and involve taking a conscious approach to analysing the current situation. It is enough to view the final product from the perspective of the various user needs.
If you want to genuinely improve your product’s accessibility:
- Map out key processes and screens.
- Focus on paths with the highest business importance and regulatory risk.
- Collect data on user issues.
- Use analytics, customer service reports, complaints and findings from previous research.
- Plan the accessibility audit as part of the product development cycle.
- Treat accessibility as an ongoing process, not a one-time fix.
- Integrate universal design principles into your standard workflow.
- Set minimum requirements to help your team prepare the product for different types of users.
If you need support conducting a mobile app audit and translating the findings into specific product changes, we can help at every stage, from diagnosis to design to implementation.
