Resources
& exploration

When designing accessible digital services, one question constantly comes up: should this image be described or not? This apparently simple question hides a fundamental issue. Because not all images are created equal. Some convey essential information, while others serve only to enrich the visual experience.

The obstacles that really block users are not the ones we notice. We evaluate a site in the same way as we evaluate a shop window by what we can see, but these elements are only the tip of a much larger whole, a technical and perceptive underground that many people will never explore.

Digital accessibility is often presented as a requirement for a minority. A sort of specialist skill, necessary «for some users», but of secondary importance to the rest of the world. And yet, once you step away from standards and obligations for a moment, one thing becomes clear: an accessible service makes the experience better for absolutely everyone.

The word is everywhere, in invitations to tender, redesigns and «strategic» meetings. Digital accessibility has become a concept that people are happy to brandish... while carefully avoiding defining it. But if you scratch the surface, a question arises, almost embarrassing in its simplicity: what are we really talking about when we talk about digital accessibility?

In France, the e-commerce podiums have become a media ritual. But behind these trophies of modernity and conversion records, one essential question almost always remains unanswered: “Are these platforms really accessible to everyone?”