Smart Energy GB is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that helps households and small businesses across Great Britain understand and benefit from smart meters. The project was initiated to focus on providing more innovative and accessible ways for audiences to engage with key content surrounding smart meter adoption.
With 24% of the UK population living with a disability, we knew it was essential to find new, inclusive ways to reach this audience and support Smart Energy GB’s mission to ensure no one is left behind in the smart meter rollout.
We focused on two key objectives:
- Maintain WCAG 2.2 AA compliance
- Introduce AAA-level features like an Easy Read format and a British Sign Language (BSL) translation tool
Our accessibility experts created a bespoke Easy Read template to enable content editors to assemble pages into an easy read format. SEGB also collaborated with A2i to adapt existing content into this format, making it easier to understand for people with learning difficulties or cognitive impairments. To support the Deaf Community, we integrated the Signapse plugin, which translates website content into BSL. Both features significantly improve the user experience for individuals with learning difficulties and Deaf users, providing innovative ways to absorb content.
Throughout the project, we followed the four WCAG principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust content. We used tools like WAVE, Browserstack, and Google Lighthouse to test and refine the site. We also implemented the Recite Me toolbar, which offers text-to-speech, translation in over 100 languages, and custom styling options.
By adhering to WCAG 2.2 AA and implementing pioneering WCAG 2.2 AAA features, we significantly improved the user experience for individuals with learning difficulties and Deaf users. This innovation set a new benchmark for accessibility, advancing Smart Energy GB’s objectives to reach more audiences in the UK.
