Digital accessibility trustmarks and certificates? Here's the situation
As an organization, you have worked on digital accessibility and you want to show it! But how do you do that? Are there quality marks or certifications? And if so, what status do they have? In this blog we will discuss the meaning of trustmarks and certifications for digital accessibility.
If you as a person or organization have taken concrete steps with digital accessibility, you want to make that clear. Think of an icon for an accessible site or PDF or a certificate for trained employees. The good news is that there are trustmarks and certifications. The not so good news is that there is no trustmark with legal status. So to be digitally accessible for the law, a trustmark is neither necessary nor sufficient. Find out what trustmarks and certifications exist and their value here.
Is there a trustmark for a digitally accessible website?
A trustmark is neither necessary nor sufficient for a digitally accessible website. If you want to demonstrate that your site or app is accessible, you need to have an accessibility study done. You may do that yourself if you have the knowledge to do so. Digitoegankelijk lists these requirements that the audit must meet:
- The research was conducted following the research method WCAG-EM;
- All success criteria of WCAG 2.1 AA have been examined;
- All parts and types of content of the site or app have been examined;
- The survey is no more than 3 years old;
- The report meets the requirements.
Your website complies with the law if it meets all the success criteria of WCAG 2.1 level AA (we also test for WCAG 2.2). Can you prove this with a trustmark? No, because there is no seal of approval with legal status. Sometimes you see the Drempelvrij quality mark. This is given to websites based on an accessibility survey through this organization. Good to know: there are different levels of this hallmark. So if you see a Drempelvrij logo, it does not always mean that the site complies with the law. Moreover, the label has no meaning for the law. So it is not necessary for an accessible website.
In short, demonstrate the accessibility of your site with a report based on thorough research. Put this clearly on your site. That way you show in a transparent way how far you are with accessibility.
Trustmark for accessibility agencies
If you are looking for a good accessibility agency, it is nice if there is a quality mark that provides guidance. Unfortunately, there isn't one yet. Or rather, there is no recognized and independent hallmark.
While the Dutch Digital Accessibility Index contains a list of agencies, but this is a commercial initiative of an accessibility agency. So it is not an independent and recognized trustmark.
So how do you find a good accessibility agency? There are several things you can look for. For example, look at the reports an agency produces. Do they meet the requirements of a good report? Furthermore, it is of course good to see which clients an agency works for. Then find out what experiences others have had with an agency. Another indication is to what extent accessibility is an agency's focus. Is it the core service or something they do in addition? The more expertise an agency has, the further they can help you become accessible.
Accessibility certifications for employees
Employees are key to your organization becoming and remaining accessible. They can gain the necessary knowledge through training. For example, you can get yourself certified, but there are no certifications with legal status. Nevertheless, it is obviously important to invest in knowledge and experience. Trainings help with that.
Internationally known and recognized certifications can be obtained from the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). This organization offers various certifications that allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and experience. Useful for employees who deal with accessible documents, website technology and conducting accessibility research, for example.
By the way, an IAAP certification is not required to gain practical knowledge. Several agencies offer training courses that will help you further. This will help you better apply accessibility in your work and gain more experience. If you want to specialize in this area, you can thus work toward IAAP certification.
