Digital accessibility: a step towards greater inclusion
Companies are faced with the task of making their digital products and services accessible to all users. For the more than 1.8 million people in Switzerland who live with some form of disability, this is an important step towards greater inclusion. This challenge for companies was the focus of Nils Kümin's bachelor's thesis.
He addressed the question of how the need for accessible digital products and services in Swiss companies can be determined and implemented. His work was awarded this year's UBS Sustainability Prize for outstanding bachelor theses at the HWZ Zurich School of Business.
In view of the increasingly digital world, it is particularly important that companies' digital products and services are also accessible to people with disabilities. This is now also required by EU Directive 2019/882. Nils Kümin's award-winning bachelor's thesis develops the key factors for the appropriate implementation of digital accessibility, taking particular account of this directive.
New requirements due to EU Directive 2019/882
In April 2019, the European Parliament adopted EU Directive 2019/882, which must be transposed into national law by June 2025. It sets accessibility requirements for products and services. Although Switzerland itself is not a member of the EU, this directive is binding for Swiss companies of a certain minimum size operating in the EU. The work thus addresses a highly topical issue whose significance extends beyond our national borders.
Concrete solutions for Swiss companies in practice
Nils Kümin has skillfully prepared a complex and highly relevant issue and examined it in a scientifically convincing manner. Through qualitative interviews with two key groups, namely people with disabilities and company representatives, the author succeeds in shedding light on different perspectives on the topic of digital accessibility. Based on scientific research, he is able to show that there is still a long way to go and that there are still some obstacles to implementation. On the part of those affected, there is a need for accessible products and services with competent and accessible customer support. On the corporate side, however, barrier-free development is often hampered by a combination of economic concerns, a lack of awareness and a lack of technical know-how.
At the heart of the work are the valuable recommendations for action that the author provides to the companies concerned. In a first step, they help companies to identify the need for accessible products and services and, in a second step, offer assistance in meeting the new legal requirements. Nils Kümin has thus developed concrete practical solutions in addition to his theoretical achievements.
The awarding of the UBS Sustainability Prize
For the sixth time in a row, the HWZ, in collaboration with UBS, is awarding the Sustainability Prize for outstanding bachelor theses. Nils Kümin's thesis combines a methodologically convincing approach with practically relevant findings. He has made a valuable and at the same time innovative contribution with great added value in the field of social sustainability. The jury recognized this achievement by awarding him the UBS Sustainability Prize, which was presented again this year at the Bachelor's graduation ceremony on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.
Source: www.fh-hwz.ch
This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/digitale-barrierefreiheit-ein-schritt-hin-zu-mehr-inklusion/
