When MeetApp was founded, it was with the clear vision to help companies and organizations create better meetings and events for their participants by using features that facilitate information distribution, communication, and dialogue. We hope to create a hub that encourages engagement and democratization for the event participant, helping them to remember what they have experienced and to return to memories and connections they created during the event.
For us, it goes without saying that everyone has the same right to really awesome meetings, therefore an important part of our development has been to make the features accessible and easy for everyone to use. With that in mind, the Web Accessibility Directive (WCAG 2.1) has been our guide. WCAG is an international guideline and recommendation on accessibility adaptation of web pages and apps. These guidelines specify that an app must, among other things, have:
MeetApp meets these and many more of the WCAG requirements. We always strive to create a better app that can be used in an easy and convenient way by everyone.
In the latest version of MeetApp, we have further developed the accessibility adaptation for people with visual impairments. Not only does MeetApp support standard text-to-speech, but we have created world class screen reader functionality, which allows users to smoothly navigate all the components of the app.
With each new version, MeetApp is becoming more accessible and user-friendly. Our goal is to meet all WCAG requirements well in advance of these new EU directives. The next project we embark on will be to ensure that the text size and line spacing in the app are adjusted based on the settings in the user’s phone. This can mean that MeetApp would automatically adjust for users who prefer to have 50% larger text by default on their phone.
Do you use MeetApp today? With each new release, it is important and appreciated to get feedback on features that work well and on features you think we can develop further. When it comes to our accessibility adaptation, it is extremely important for us to see that the features we develop work well for our users, especially for those with disabilities and impairments.
In order to create really awesome meetings and events for all participants, it is not enough to only have an accessible event app. There are a lot of things an organizer can do to further increase the accessibility of their event – for example, it is a good idea to make sure to name pictures in a descriptive way and to add subtitles to videos uploaded in the event.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are developed through the W3C process in collaboration with individuals and organizations around the world, with the goal of providing a common standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations and governments internationally. These recommendations also form the basis of the EU legislation which states that all websites and apps used by the public sector must be accessible, a law that will take effect gradually between 2019-2021. There are similar requirements in the US, specified in Title III of The Americans with Disabilities Act and section 508 of The Rehabilitation Act.