Notes # 17: EAA In France, WWDC 2026, State Of Digital Accessibility Survey...

Personal Notes

Last week, I couldn’t write my notes to you due to… ehem… a World Cup trauma caused by the Turkish National Team. No, no, don’t take it seriously. That’s not the real reason. We attended four concerts at the İstanbul Music Festival, and most of our nights were filled with concert events, which was a dream come true for me. So, I couldn’t spend any time compiling news and articles.

By the way, we saw a great accessibility practice at the İstanbul Music Festival. Most of the concerts were classical music concerts. And there were printed concert programs distributed just before the event. They are important for reading about the details of the composer, the pieces, and the movements. But unfortunately, most of the time, they are printed materials, and I cannot read the small font size. Thankfully, İKSV placed a QR code on the printed concert brochures, so I could read all the details from a web page easily by using my phone. An easy, affordable and impactful accessibility solution. Thank you İKSV!

News

France’s Major Court Decision Supporting Digital Accessibility Under The EAA

Source: Deque

Finally, we have seen a concrete legal decision for the EAA from France after a year. In November 2025, four of France’s largest retailers, including Carrefour, were taken to court by disability rights organisations for failing to make their online grocery services accessible. Subsequently, “the Tribunal judiciaire de Caen (Normandie) ordered Carrefour France to make its online commerce services fully accessible to people with disabilities. The court has given the organization six months to comply, with fines to accrue for each day of delay.” Happy to see the EAA in action and waiting for more concrete steps.

WWDC 2026: The Best One I Have Ever Had

Source: Taylor Arndt

Here is a review of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference by Taylor Arndt. In Notes # 6, I mentioned an AppleVis study, according to which the general satisfaction rate with Apple’s accessibility solutions has decreased. However, this year’s updates announced at WWDC have excited some users, including Taylor. VoiceOver is getting richer descriptions of images, the magnifier and camera can provide smart descriptions, captions can be generated for videos automatically and sign language will be supported on FaceTime. All of these features will go live this fall.

Call For Participation - Eighth Annual State of Digital Accessibility Survey

Source: IAAP - Surveymonkey

Digital accessibility is not yet the most mature sector in the world. There is no clear definition of an “expert” and no agreed-upon answer to “how to become a digital accessibility specialist.” That’s why this kind of sector research is so important. We need to share our insights with one another to reach a common ground. Moreover, all of us are trying to convince someone in this field, and to be successful, we need data. We are stronger together. Please participate in the State of Digital Accessibility Survey by IAAP - International Association of Accessibility Professionals and Level Access.

Inspirations

Why Are There So Few Accessibility Complaints From Users?

Source: Metamatrix

If you are trying to convince executives to launch an accessibility program, most of the time they will ask how many people are affected by accessibility issues and how many users complain about accessibility. It is difficult to talk about numbers in the field because this is a complex issue related to individuals' habits, risk perception, energy, and some other practical barriers. This article contains a very useful infographic summarizing all these reasons. Perhaps you can use it in your high-level presentations.

A Deep Dive into Contrast Themes

Source: Harvard University Information Technology

In Notes # 10, I wrote an “In Detail” section on Windows High Contrast Mode, but this article is even better than mine. I had included several screenshots and explained the common accessibility issues encountered when High Contrast Mode is turned on. In this article, you can also find code-level explanations and solution suggestions.

Dyslexia, Fonts And Finding Out What Works

Source: Funka Foundation

A great article explaining what dyslexia is. “In accessibility, we know there is no solution that works for everyone. That’s why we build flexibility. We give users choices. (…) So, instead of forcing a ‘magic dyslexia font’ on people – give them the tools to adjust things themselves. Character spacing, line spacing, text size, font, contrast, zoom. Trust that they know what works for them.”

In Detail: Is the Use Of Accessibility Overlays For Dyslexia Meaningful?

Read this article on its own page

The topic of accessibility overlays is still the most controversial issue in the field. Overlays are extensions that cause problems in terms of usability, legal compliance, and technical capabilities. I previously wrote a detailed article explaining this topic, and I still stand by it. “Are Accessibility Overlays Really Meaningful?”

In summary, accessibility overlays are extension-based solutions. They try to modify elements by integrating into your website and they generally cannot be very successful. Furthermore, the customizations mentioned in the Funka Foundation article—such as character spacing, line spacing, text size, font, contrast, and zoom customizations—are already features that users can control directly from their own devices or browsers.

The important thing is to ensure that when line spacing is increased, the content does not break or disappear. Or, to pay attention to contrast rules. In short, your content must be inherently accessible from the start. That’s the key thing.