Challenge
Making your materials accessible is the right thing to do. It may also be a legal requirement.
“Accessibility” means ensuring all stakeholders, especially people with disabilities, can access information. But there is much more to it than just using contrasting colours and large font sizes. Digital content like brochures, factsheets and white papers must include alt text, extended graph descriptions, tagged reading orders – and more.
Moreover, all web-based materials aimed at people in the EU must comply with the 2025 EU Accessibility Act (EAA) – see below for more information.
For Shell, that meant reworking thousands of existing web-hosted product sheets and brochures before the EAA came into effect. Each PDF had to be updated to meet the EAA regulations and be submitted to a Shell Online Standards (OS) portal for approval. And, of course, all new materials must be EAA compliant too.
Solution
Our Shell customers reported that many agencies struggled initially. We got ahead of the steep learning curve early. Following Shell-led and in-house training, and a strategic hire, we embedded accessibility into our editorial and design processes.
Outcome
We have ensured that made many hundreds of Shell’s existing digital assets are compliant, both those we have created and materials from other agencies. All our new work now meets the EAA standards, and often gets first-time OS approval.
Please get in touch if you need help navigating the EAA rules or want to know more about applying good practice to your materials.
About the European Accessibility Act
The European Accessibility Act (EAA), effective from 28 June 2025, is an EU-wide law mandating accessibility for key products and services. It aims to ensure equal access for people with disabilities by harmonising standards across member states. Crucially for our work, the EAA covers websites and associated downloads. The Act is designed to promote inclusivity, improve user experience and open markets. Non-compliance may result in legal and financial penalties.