Project NGI Zero

This page provides freely available learning tools to improve digital accessibility from Stichting Accessibility. This information was put together for technology projects funded by the Next Generation Internet R&D initiative, specifically the NGI Zero PET grant program for privacy and trust enhancing technologies and NGI Zero Discovery grant program for improving search and discovery. The content may also be of use to readers generally interested in developing or using accessible digital services and products.

Stichting Accessibility is a foundation providing expertise in the digital accessibility domain and actively contributes to accessibility standards through their work with the World Wide Web Consortium, for example authoring an international methodology for evaluating the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Why digital accessibility matters?

Did you know that:

25 % of potential users of your digital service or product are (partially) disabled.
This means that they probably cannot (or partially cannot) use your digital service or product.
In the case of insufficient digitally accessible services or products, you thereby partially or completely disable 25% of potential users?
An important objective of the European Union is to strive for equality for all, including in the use of digital services and products. Everyone should be able to use digital services and products.
This means that when designing digital services or products, digital accessibility must be part of design principles.

Question:

How aware are you of the importance of digital accessibility? Is your company willing to to work on digital accessibility?

If the answer is (partially) yes: congratulations! You contribute to a more accessible internet.
If the answer is no: you miss out on a large audience and excludes users with disabilities.

Not to worry: the NGI Zero program aims to test all projects for accredited accessibility standards. This can boost your usability and allow you to reachthe largest possible audience.

How to improve digital accessibility?

Start on your own

If you want to start immediately with accessibility: as a proud W3C member we strongly recommend you one of the following interesting links:

Strategies, standards and resources for an accessible web: https://www.w3.org/WAI/
Get resources for content writers: https://www.w3.org/WAI/roles/writers/
Tips for Getting Started Designing for Web Accessibility: https://www.w3.org/WAI/tips/designing/Web
Accessibility Tutorials for Developers: https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/

Play and feel

Experience what digital accessibility is in the designed game of the Accessibility Foundation with English language in the following link: Accessibility Game.

Learn together

If you want to learn about digital accessibility together with other developers and web makers, we highly recommend that you take the free English Introduction Digital Accessibility course of the Accessibility Foundation and Introduction to Web Accessibility Massive Online Open Course.

These courses help build a strong foundation for making websites and apps function properly for people with disabilities, improving the user experience for everyone on the internet. The course material is based on the open curricula of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative.

Do note that the registration process for these English e-learning courses is still in Dutch. Here we provide a brief guide to complete your registration:

Click on the button "Schrijf je in"
Click on the button "Doorgaan naar kassa"
Click the "Registreren" button if you do not have an account yet. If you have created an account, you can press the "Inloggen" button.
Enter your details:
1. "Voornaam" = First name
2. "Achternaam" = Last name
3. "Wachtwoord" = Password
4. "Bevestig wachtwoord" = Confirm password
5. Tick on the checkbox "Ik ga akkoord met de algemene voorwaarden".
Click on the button "Volgende".
Click on the button "Opleidingsoverzicht" and you can select the English Introduction Digital Accessibility (NGIO) course and get started!
Finally, don't forget to log out if you want to close it. Click on the icon of your username in the top right and click on log out.