Digital accessibility refers to the practice of designing and developing digital products, including websites, applications, and software development kits (SDKs) in a way that ensures individuals with disabilities can use and interact with them effectively. The goal of digital accessibility is to provide an inclusive online environment that allows all people, regardless of their abilities, to access and engage with information and services.
Importance of accessibility
Digital accessibility is vital for several reasons:
- Inclusivity: accessibility ensures that everyone, including people with disabilities, can participate fully in the digital world, promoting a more inclusive society.
- Legal and Ethical Compliance: in many countries, there are legal requirements and guidelines mandating accessibility for digital products, making it essential for organizations to comply with these regulations.
- Wider Audience Reach: an accessible website or application caters to a broader audience, including people using assistive technologies or facing temporary barriers to access.
- Business Benefits: an accessible digital presence can lead to increased customer satisfaction, improved brand reputation, and potential new markets.
- User Experience: accessibility features often enhance the overall user experience for all users, not just those with disabilities.
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template
A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a standardized document created to assess the accessibility of a product or service. It allows product vendors to provide potential customers with detailed information about the level of accessibility in their offerings, particularly for those in the public sector or organizations with accessibility procurement requirements.
Adyen has partnered up with Level Access to obtain a VPAT for Web Drop-in and Components. In this document, the performance of Web Drop-in and Components is tested against all the criteria included in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 is a set of guidelines developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It provides a framework for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG covers a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments.
Core principles
The WCAG 2.1 guidelines are organized around four core principles, commonly referred to as POUR:
- Perceivable: information and user interface components must be presented in a way that users can perceive it using their available senses. This includes providing text alternatives for non-text content, captions and other alternatives for multimedia, and ensuring content is adaptable and distinguishable.
- Operable: users must be able to interact with and navigate the interface, including using a keyboard and other input devices. Time limits must be adjustable, and navigation should be straightforward.
- Understandable: information and operation of the user interface must be clear and easy to understand. This includes legible text, predictable navigation, and input assistance.
- Robust: content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
Adyen's commitment to accessibility
Achieving a flawless Level AA rating
At Adyen, we take digital accessibility seriously. Our commitment to inclusivity means that we diligently follow WCAG 2.1 guidelines, ensuring that Drop-in and Components meet the Level AA conformance level. The Level AA criteria from WCAG 2.1 are appointed as a standard of best practice for compliance.
Through rigorous testing and continuous improvement, we have obtained a flawless Level AA rating (supported by the VPAT available for download below), ensuring that Web Drop-in and Components v5.49.0 or later are accessible to the widest possible audience.
Download VPAT for Checkout Web
Ongoing efforts
Accessibility is an ongoing journey. As technologies evolve and user needs change, we remain dedicated to maintaining and improving the accessibility of our digital products. By staying up-to-date with the latest accessibility standards and best practices, we aim to not only maintain our Level AA rating but also strive for higher levels of accessibility.
What can you do?
If accessibility is important to you, and you want to take advantage of the accessibility improvements we made, we highly recommend upgrading to Web Drop-in or Components v5.49.0 or later.