The Accessibility of Airline Websites in France for the Paris 2024 Olympics

Digital accessibility has become a central issue in organizing major international events like the Olympics. With the Paris 2024 Olympics underway, it is crucial to ensure that the websites of airlines operating in France are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. This article summarizes the results of an analysis of the accessibility of the websites of major airlines operating in France, evaluating their compliance with international standards and proposing recommendations for improvements.

The report aims to assess the accessibility of the websites of the ten main airlines operating in France to identify barriers that could prevent travelers with disabilities from effectively using the online services offered. With millions of visitors expected for the Olympics, airline websites must be designed to be fully accessible to all users.

Importance of Digital Accessibility

During the Olympics and Paralympics, the digital accessibility of airlines is crucial to ensure that athletes, spectators, and staff can travel and participate in events without obstacles. Ensuring that airline websites are accessible means offering everyone, including those with disabilities, the ability to book flights, manage itineraries, and obtain essential information independently and without difficulty. The Paralympics, in particular, highlight the importance of accessibility, as athletes with disabilities from around the world travel to Paris to compete.

Digital accessibility also represents a significant economic opportunity. People with disabilities constitute a rapidly growing market, and making air services accessible can result in increased bookings and revenue. Investing in digital accessibility not only expands the customer base but also improves the experience for all travelers, including the elderly and those with limited technological skills.

Technological Adoption

The adoption of advanced technologies is essential to ensure the accessibility of airlines’ digital services. This includes adapting websites and mobile applications to international accessibility standards, such as the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). Technological innovations, such as the implementation of accessible voice assistants and chatbots, can significantly improve accessibility and the overall user experience.

Methodology

The analysis of airline website accessibility was conducted using a combination of automated tools and manual evaluations to ensure comprehensive coverage of accessibility aspects.

Tools Used

• Mauve++: An accessibility evaluation plugin used to perform automated checks on websites. Mauve++ was chosen for its ability to identify a wide range of accessibility issues according to WCAG guidelines.
• System Configuration: The analysis was conducted on a Windows operating system using the Chrome browser to reflect the average user experience.

Study Sample

The analysis involved the following ten airlines operating in France:

• Air France
• Delta Air Lines
• Emirates
• Lufthansa
• British Airways
• Qatar Airways
• KLM
• American Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• EasyJet

Pages Analyzed

For each airline, the following key web pages were selected and analyzed:

• Home Page: The main page of the site, representing the entry point for most users.
• User Registration Page: The page used by customers to create a new account, crucial for accessing personalized services.
• Customer Assistance Page for Specific Needs: A dedicated page providing information and specific support for travelers with disabilities.
• Accessibility Statement: The page describing the airline’s commitment to accessibility and providing details on measures taken to comply with standards.

Evaluation Criteria

The pages were evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Compliance with WCAG Guidelines: Compliance with levels A, AA, and AAA of WCAG 2.1.
• Usability with Assistive Technologies: Verification of compatibility with screen readers, keyboard navigation tools, and other assistive technologies.
• Presence of Accessibility Errors: Identification and categorization of accessibility errors detected by Mauve++.
• Overall User Experience: Qualitative assessment of site usability for users with different types of disabilities.

Evaluation Process

• Data Collection: Each page was subjected to automated scans with Mauve++ to identify accessibility errors.
• Manual Verification: Automatically detected errors were manually verified to exclude false positives and better understand the context.
• Documentation: Each error was documented with screenshots and detailed descriptions to provide a clear picture of the issues encountered.

Results

The main results of the analysis of airline companies, obtained on August 2, 2024, are as follows:

- Delta Airlines and Emirates have the highest accessibility percentages, both with an average of 88%, indicating a good level of accessibility on their websites.

- Air France and Qatar Airways have an average accessibility of 68%.

- British Airways and EasyJet show the highest number of errors, with 6 and 16 errors respectively, indicating significant accessibility issues on their web pages. In contrast, Delta Airlines and Emirates have no reported errors.

- British Airways has the highest average score in success criteria with 12.67, followed by EasyJet with 14.5. Delta Airlines stands out with a score of 11.0, demonstrating high compliance with success criteria.

Detailed Analysis for Each Airline

• Air France

- Success Criteria: Average score of 3, with an overall accessibility percentage of 76%.

- Unmet Success Criteria: 3, indicating the need for improvements to meet accessibility standards.

- Accessibility Statement: Not declared.

• Delta Airlines

- Success Criteria: Score of 11, with 88% overall accessibility.

- Unmet Success Criteria: No reported errors, suggesting a high adherence to accessibility standards.

- Accessibility Statement: Not available.

• British Airways

- Success Criteria: Average score of 11, with 64.2% overall accessibility.

- Unmet Success Criteria: 3, suggesting the need for attention in certain areas.

- Accessibility Statement: Not declared.

• EasyJet

- Success Criteria: Average of 21, with 62.53% overall accessibility.

- Unmet Success Criteria: 28, the highest number among all analyzed airlines, indicating significant accessibility issues.

- Accessibility Statement: Not declared.

• Emirates

- Success Criteria: Average of 26, with 62.43% overall accessibility.

- Unmet Success Criteria: 19, indicating potential improvements in accessibility practices.

- Accessibility Statement: Not available.

• KLM

- Success Criteria: Score of 3, with 76% accessibility.

- Unmet Success Criteria: 3.

- Accessibility Statement: Not available.

• Lufthansa

- Success Criteria: Average of 7.67, with 70.81% accessibility.

- Unmet Success Criteria: 3.

- Accessibility Statement: Not available.

• Qatar Airways

- Success Criteria: Score of 7, with 68% accessibility.

- Unmet Success Criteria: 3.

- Accessibility Statement: Not declared.

• Singapore Airlines

- Success Criteria: Score of 3, with 76% accessibility.

- Unmet Success Criteria: 3.

- Accessibility Statement: Not available.

• American Airlines

- Success Criteria: Average of 9.5, with 73.95% accessibility.

- Unmet Success Criteria: 2, the lowest number of errors, suggesting good compliance with standards.

- Accessibility Statement: Not available.

Recommendations

To improve the accessibility of their websites, airlines are advised to:

• Standardize Accessibility Statements: Ensure that each website has a clear and comprehensive accessibility statement.
• Offer Continuous Training for Web Developers: Development teams should receive regular training on accessibility practices.
• Conduct Regular Accessibility Checks: Implement periodic internal and external checks to ensure that websites remain compliant with accessibility standards.

Digital accessibility is essential to ensure fair and inclusive access to online services, especially during global events like the Olympics. Airlines operating in France must make significant efforts to improve the accessibility of their websites, not only to meet legal obligations but also to promote a socially responsible image and seize economic opportunities.

The analysis was conducted by Paolo Berro , Chief Accessibility Officer at AccessiWay .

The complete report is available in PDF format in the original Italian language here.