Survey finds 40 percent of European product developers do not build accessibility into their design plans

Digital accessibility has been revealed as a top priority for a third of European organisations despite a lack of developer knowledge and conformance to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standards, according to a new survey.

The WCAG 2.1 standards define how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities.

Applause, a provider of testing and digital quality services, revealed the findings of its annual Accessibility and Inclusive Design Survey.

The recently completed global survey of more than 1,300 respondents (805 in Europe), including software testers, product engineers, legal professionals, software developers, QA and UX professionals, examines how companies prioritise accessibility when developing their digital experiences and how respondents rate their knowledge level regarding accessibility.

Findings revealed less than a quarter of European websites meet WCAG 2.1 digital accessibility standards, and one third of European organisations have very basic knowledge of digital accessibility.

Additionally, only 15 percent of European product engineers are found to always write code with accessibility in mind, while 40 percent of European product developers do not build accessibility into their design plans.

Overall, the study revealed a disconnect between making accessibility a priority and achieving conformance to WCAG 2.1 standards for making web and mobile content more accessible to people with disabilities.

Bob Farrell, Vice President of Solution Delivery and CX Practices for Applause, said: “With the pending update to WCAG standards this summer, and the implementation of the EU Accessibility Act in June 2025, companies need to commit to advancing their focus on accessibility and inclusivity for their digital products and experiences.

“Making strides in accessibility often requires education and a cultural shift within organisations. If there is a disconnect between prioritising accessibility, and actually taking the steps necessary to make it a reality, it’s difficult to make progress,”

Key European findings include that one third stated that accessibility is a “top priority” for their organisations, although 14 percent said accessibility is either not at all a priority or a low priority.

62 percent of respondents said that digital accessibility is a higher priority for their organisations than the previous year, with nearly a 20per cent increase.

Despite this, only 21 percent claimed their website met WCAG 2.1 standards, two-tenths stated that it did not, while more than half said they did not know.

Additionally, when asked if there is a group or person responsible for making digital products accessible, 21 percent said no, and 22 percent said they do not know. One third stated that they have very basic knowledge of digital accessibility with a further less than one tenth saying they had none.

Of the engineers surveyed, 36 percent said they rarely write code with accessibility in mind, 38 percent said they sometimes do, but only 15 percent said they always do.

On a more promising note, three fifths of the product developers surveyed said they build accessibility into their design plans at the earliest stages.

Bob continued: “The survey shows we haven’t really seen a huge amount of progress over the past three years, and there is even a growing trend for product developers to be less likely to build accessibility into their design plans.

“Digital accessibility requires an ongoing commitment to building inclusive experiences, designing products and writing code with accessibility in mind, and then testing digital properties for accessibility throughout the development process.”

Last year’s survey revealed the extent to which websites are meeting accessibility guidelines, and while many organisations reported website accessibility being a top priority, only 14 percent met the highest accessibility standards.