Equal opportunity in the classroom and town hall
Accessible education is about equal opportunities to learn and grow. Whether you need extra guidance, have difficulty reading or just thrive in a digital learning environment: everyone should be able to participate.
The same is true for government services. Residents should always and everywhere have access to information and services - regardless of their background, disability or digital skills. Applying for a passport or communicating a move should not be a problem.
Accessibility Week 2025
Accessibility Week 2025 is all about accessible education. A great time to draw the parallel: what can government learn from how education approaches accessibility?
What governments can learn from education
In education, teachers know that accessible teaching is more than a book in simple language or a digital tool. It is also about culture, attitude and teaching choices: constantly taking into account differences in the classroom.
The same applies to municipalities. A website or digital form is only truly accessible if, in addition to complying with WCAG 2.1 AA, it is also usable and understandable for residents in practice
Accessibility only becomes visible when it lands in daily practice. Municipalities have numerous opportunities to make an immediate difference in this regard.
Accessibility is not just in policies or guidelines, but more importantly in how you approach residents every day.
From policy to daily doing
A few examples of how municipalities can directly improve accessibility:
- Language that everyone understands
- (Re)write an election invitation at B1 level and have it proofread by residents who have difficulty reading.
- Rewrite tax letters with a clear step-by-step structure, complemented by infographics that visually support explanations.
- Apply multilingual communication to topics such as waste separation or debt relief.
- Behavior and attitude
- Train front office staff to recognize signs of low literacy or limited digital skills.
- Make residents' evenings more accessible by using other forms besides a standard PowerPoint presentation, such as videos or an interactive demonstration.
- Set up counter processes so that residents who have difficulty with forms receive immediate support. For example, by filling out the form together.
- Technology that supports
- Online appointment modules that also work well with keyboard and screen readers.
- A clear "help me" button in the digital counter, linked to chat or helpline.
- Automatic subtitles at council meetings or webinars (where automatic subtitles are deployed and checked or supplemented for correct display).
- Options for larger fonts and better color contrast on the municipal website.
These examples show: accessibility is not only in policies or guidelines, but mostly in how you approach residents every day.
Working together for accessible government
At Shift2, we believe that accessibility is not a checkmark, but a foundation for inclusive service delivery. Just like in education, learning never stops: schools evaluate and adjust all the time. The same is true for municipalities: accessibility is not a one-time project, but an ongoing process.
Wondering how your municipality can move from "technically compliant" to truly inclusive? Contact us and we will be happy to think with you.
