Web Accessibility News: October 2024

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What happened in digital accessibility news this month?

Each month, we round up some of the top headlines for website managers and web accessibility professionals, with some help from our a11y expert friends at QualityLogic.

This month, our accessibility news roundup includes:

Starting this month, UK public services websites will now be monitored for WCAG 2.2 (Level AA) compliance.
In the US, the FCC has adopted new rules to make video conferencing services like Zoom and Microsoft Teams more accessible.
Apple AirPods get FDA approval as the first ever over-the-counter hearing aid.
San Francisco rallies held against ride-sharing apps to raise awareness of hurdles faced by blind passengers.
A new survey shows that 6 out of 10 Irish businesses are ‘not prepared’ for the upcoming 2025 European Accessibility Act (EAA).

Read on for the top digital accessibility news stories this month.

UK public service websites will be monitored for WCAG 2.2 compliance starting this month

As of October 2024, public services websites in the UK will now be monitored for WCAG 2.2 level AA compliance. The UK government has published updates to its Design System website to help public agencies comply with these new requirements.

Previously, these websites were monitored for adherence to older versions of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), but several notable changes in WCAG 2.2 will require attention and likely website updates, including 9 additional success criteria introduced since the previous 2.1 version of WCAG. (Read “What’s New in WCAG 2.2” to familiarize yourself with the changes.)

According to the GOV.UK Accessibility Blog:

“WCAG 2.2 AA is the new minimum accessibility standard for all UK Government public sector websites and mobile apps. Starting from October 2024, services across the UK government will be monitored for WCAG 2.2 AA compliance.

Thousands of government services will require WCAG 2.2 updates in 2024, so we’ve updated our design system to anticipate the needs of service teams across the UK public sector. The GOV.UK Design System provides teams with accessible code and important guidance for designing consistent, usable, and accessible services in the GOV.UK ecosystem.”

[Source: GOV.UK Design System Update]

The FCC adopts new rules to improve accessibility on video conferencing services like Zoom and Microsoft Teams

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently adopted new rules to improve accessibility for video conferencing services. This builds on last year’s clarification from the FCC that interoperable video conferencing services (IVCS) — like Zoom and Microsoft Teams — are governed by FCC accessibility requirements for advanced services and equipment.

The updated requirements mandate that these video conferencing services:

Provide accurate, real-time captions.
Enable third-party captioning and sign language interpretation.
Allow users with disabilities to customize the display of captions, speakers, and signers independently.

This change addresses digital accessibility issues that have been exacerbated since the COVID-19 pandemic when a rapid shift to online meetings left many disabled professionals and students without usable options.

The FCC’s latest measures for video conferencing aim to ensure that individuals with disabilities can participate fully in virtual settings, as is increasingly necessary in our workplace and learning environments.

[Source: FCC Press Release]

Apple AirPods get FDA approval as the first over-the-counter hearing aid.

Last month, Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro and its hearing aid features received approval from the US Food and **** Administration (FDA) to be sold as the first ever over-the-counter hearing aid sold in the United States.

More than 30 million US adults report some degree of hearing loss, according to the FDA. Until now, there has long been a significant financial barrier to obtaining hearing aids, which can retail for anywhere between $1,000 and $8,000, on top of the related fees for audiologists and other medical practitioners. The lower price point for AirPods (often under $200) combined with their hearing aid features may help more people access the hearing care t

[Source: FDA Announcement]

On October 15, the National Federation of the Blind led rallies outside of the San Francisco headquarters for major ride-sharing apps Uber and Lyft.

With hundreds in attendance, the group hopes to draw attention to the hurdles vision-impaired people face when using these popular ride-sharing platforms, including ride refusals for customers using guide dogs. Organizers said these ride denials violate not only the companies’ own state policies but also state and federal law.

“Uber and Lyft provide a service that is of tremendous benefit to blind people, but these companies are failing to address discrimination against us that often leaves us stranded,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “This is no mere inconvenience; it violates the law, strips us of our dignity, and often endangers our health and safety.

[Sources: NBC Bay Area article, “Blind people rally against Uber, Lyft in SF claiming discrimination” and National Federation for the Blind Announcement ]

6 out of 10 Irish businesses are ‘not prepared’ for the 2025 European Accessibility Act (EAA)

A new survey by Mason Hayes and Curran reveals that 6 out of 10 Irish businesses are ‘not prepared’ for the upcoming 2025 European Accessibility Act (EAA) and have not yet conducted an accessibility audit.

The EAA regulations will take effect on June 28, 2025, and will affect a wide range of companies operating in the European Union, including e-commerce websites and consumer banking services.

The survey further revealed that:

62% of businesses have not yet conducted an accessibility audit.
58% of businesses are not confident their organization understands the EAA requirements.
42% of businesses said they did not have the proper expertise to undertake the changes required for EAA.

[Sources: Mason Hayes & Curran Survey and The Irish Times, October 16 article]