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Digital Accessibility: A Key to Inclusion and Equal Opportunity in the Workplace

More than 1 billion people (or 16%) globally live with disabilities, making them the world’s largest minority group. However, statistically, people with disabilities face significant barriers in employment: they are 50% less likely to be employed. Even people with disabilities who have advanced degrees earn $21,000 less per year than those without disabilities. Ensuring that all people, regardless of their abilities, have equal, fair and complete working conditions is a moral and ethical obligation.  This also includes accessibility for digital technologies. 

In some European countries, there are already legal requirements in place. In addition, on June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into force, aiming to harmonize national laws and set minimum accessibility standards for people with disabilities. Non-compliance can result in fines. In a single instance, administrative penalties may range from €5,000 to over €250,000 per breach, based on the seriousness of the non-compliance. Recurring fines of up to €1,000 per day may be applied until corrective action is taken, and access to the market may be withheld for products or services that remain non-compliant. Apart from legal and financial consequences, there are also reputational risks to fear.

However, these are counterbalanced by the broader benefits – Digital Accessibility fosters a more inclusive and equitable work environment, which benefits everyone involved and helps businesses to meet their ESG targets.

So, which technologies can contribute to Digital Accessibility?

What does Digital Accessibility mean?  

Better accessibility leads to a higher quality of life in the workplace, which means companies benefit from greater commitment, lower staff turnover, and higher job satisfaction. This, in turn, can not only increase productivity – there are figures that show 25 percent higher productivity than industry averages for companies that are leaders in the inclusion of people with disabilities – but also promote idea generation, innovation, and collaboration. 

At the same time, companies are looking to expand their talent pools, which is not an insignificant factor given demographic trends. Companies that take a pioneering role are more likely to attract and retain diverse talent and build a positive reputation as an inclusive employer.

In addition, a study by Accenture shows businesses that prioritize disability inclusion see 28% higher revenues. Conversely, the exclusion of people with disabilities from the workplace, on the other hand, can reduce a country's GDP by up to 7%.

However, around 70% of disabilities are invisible, which makes it even more challenging to design workplaces that are accessible due to the number of people choosing not to disclose their disabilities at work to avoid stigma or discrimination. Therefore, it is all the more important that accessibility is built in as a standard from the very beginning within the workplace, in policies, in ways of working and also in digital technologies.

Therefore, accessible technology must be intentionally designed to include, not exclude, people with ongoing disabilities or any other people who may have temporary access difficulties, such as injuries, which is why Digital Accessibility is also key to this.

Like physical accessibility, digital accessibility helps create a more inclusive, equitable, and productive work environment for people with:

  • Visual impairments (e.g., blindness, low vision, color blindness)
  • Hearing impairments (e.g., deafness, hearing loss)
  • Mobility limitations (e.g., difficulty using a mouse or keyboard)
  • Cognitive differences (e.g., people with dyslexia, autism, learning disabilities)

How can Digital Accessibility be achieved?

An accessible digital workplace ensures people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities have the same opportunities to do their work and participate in professional life. This requires platforms, tools, and communication channels that can be adapted to individual needs though thoughtful design, supportive technologies, and ongoing evaluation to meet the needs of all employees:

  • Customizable user interfaces: The user interfaces of software, websites, and applications should be customizable. Examples include adjustable font sizes, colour contrast modes, and keyboard navigation for personalized menu arrangement.
  • Document accessibility: Digital documents like PDFs or presentations must be formatted to ensure they are readable by individuals with visual or cognitive impairments.
  • Compatibility with assistive technologies: At the same time, digital content and services should be compatible with assistive technologies such as screen readers that read text aloud, speech-to-text software to convert spoken words into text to reduce the need for typing when creating documents, and screen magnifier software to enlarge text and images on the screen for better visibility.
  • Captions and alternative text: Videos and video conferencing should include captions (in real time for video conferences), and images should contain alternative texts.
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): Web content, including mobile apps and digital online services, should follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) – a globally recognised framework for accessible design.
  • Remote work platforms: Remote collaboration tools, such as video conferencing and chat programs, also help employees with disabilities by enabling flexible ways of working and removing physical barriers.
  • Training and support: Regular training and support should be provided for all these assistive technologies, including support for leaders to help their teams with reasonable adjustments and finding the right tools and support.
  • Measurement: Companies should set up a clear set of KPIs to track the progress and highlight any issues. Key KPIs to consider using include the proportion of critical issues resolved, the time it takes to resolve each accessibility ticket, the accessibility compared to industry averages, or the WCAG compliance level achieved.
  • Regular accessibility checks: Employers should regularly check whether the systems and programs they use are truly accessible. This could include WCAG audits, checklists, employee surveys, and user tests with people who rely on assistive technologies.

In addition to digital services such as software, websites, applications, and documents, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) also extends to hardware devices with screens - including smartphones, computers, and TVs.

How Konica Minolta’s solutions can help with Digital Accessibility

Konica Minolta’s solutions help support Digital Accessibility in the workplace. For example, our multifunctional print devices' touchscreens are designed with usability in mind – key usability features include:

  • Large, logically-structured touchscreen: This is easy to operate, and features characters which can be enlarged up to 16 times to improve readability.
  • Voice guidance: Native voice guidance explains functions and voice commands; volume and speed of this voice can be adjusted to suit the user's individual needs.
  • Contrasting colours: A dark grey background and bright, consistent colouring, especially for frequently used keys, make steps in operation faster, easier and more precise.
  • Bright orange and blue LEDs: These are clearly visible, while a simple layout requires no previous experience or special skills to begin operation.
  • Colour coding: This identifies similar actions and clearly indicates critical machine parts, avoiding potential harm to the user.

Konica Minolta also offers software solutions that can help. For example, as a remote collaboration tool, Microsoft 365 facilitates remote collaboration, helping employees with disabilities by enabling flexible ways of working and removing physical barriers. This is achieved through apps such as Microsoft Teams or OneDrive that offer file sharing, chat, and video conferencing capabilities.

As a Microsoft Cloud Partner, Konica Minolta offers full support for Microsoft 365, which helps meet Digital Accessibility needs in a number of ways:

  • Customizable User Interface: To accommodate diverse visual needs, Microsoft 365 allows users to personalize their interface. UI customization options include font size adjustments, pointer color, theme selection, and contrast settings.
  • Speech-to-Text: Microsoft 365 offers the Dictate integrated speech-to-text tool, which lets people author text documents without typing by using speech. It is available in Word, Outlook, OneNote, and PowerPoint.
  • Assistive Technology: Microsoft 365 supports screen readers that convert digital text into speech, allowing users with visual impairments to navigate and interact with computers and mobile devices. Microsoft 365 is compatible with popular screen reader solutions such as Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA. Microsoft also offers its own screen reader, the Immersive Reader, which is available in Word, OneNote, and Teams.
  • Screen Magnification: To improve visibility, Microsoft 365 works seamlessly with Windows’ built-in Magnifier tool and display settings. Users can zoom in on content using keyboard shortcuts.
  • Video Conferencing with Captioning: Microsoft Teams enhances meeting accessibility with real-time Live Captions supporting multiple languages. For events requiring human-generated captions, Teams supports CART integration, providing real-time translation by trained captioners.
  • Training and Support: Microsoft Accessibility Training offers extensive training resources to support accessibility and inclusive design, focusing on assistive technologies and ergonomic best practices.

There are many options for businesses looking to improve their Digital Accessibility. However, it is important to ensure that these solutions match the specific needs of users and genuinely help all workers to be productive while enabling them to fully flourish in their careers and reach their potential.

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