Accessibility

Accessibility makes it easier for each user to use digital services. Accessibility means that as many people as possible can use digital services, including e-health services, as easily as possible. It provides all users with equal opportunities to operate in a digital society. The Accessibility Directive must be taken into account in public healthcare online services.

Accessibility in a digital environment is therefore similar to accessibility in the physical world around us, as the aim has been to make it as easy as possible for everyone to move around.

When online services are accessible, the user of the services can operate on websites and different services smoothly without obstacles to their use. Various aids are also available to facilitate the use of electronic services.

In practice, taking accessibility into account improves the quality of services so that the services are more visible, manageable, understandable and reliable. This benefits each user.

Accessibility benefits all users of electronic services, but especially those who have, for example:

• hearing or visual impairment

• difficulties in understanding and learning

• motor-skill impairments

• disability caused by ageing

• temporary disability

In this case, users with one of the above-mentioned impairments can also use e-health services in a smooth and safe manner. Aids that facilitate use are often also available, and they can also be used when using Health Village services.

Accessibility has been built into service contents, in their user interface and in their technical execution.

Accessibility improvements have been made to Health Village services, making it easier to browse the service in different ways, using different devices and also in different environments. Some of the accessibility improvements are visible to all users, while others are only visible to people using some kind of aids.

If it is easier for the user to, for example, browse services using a keyboard, the browsing works in a natural, logical and consistent way. If the user is using a screen reader, they will receive all relevant information through the screen reader, including information that is not readable on the screen as such in text format, such as images and instructions for function buttons.

In addition, visual delivery in the services is more visible and informative, and in the future images, infographics and videos can also be viewed in text format, either transcribed or subtitled.

With built-in accessibility, the contents of the services are more comprehensible and easier to read, and they can be viewed in many different ways and devices.

Health Village is continuously developing its accessibility so that the use of services will continue to be smooth and easy for everyone.