FACIL’iti: a digital accessibility solution that adapts the display of websites for people with disabilities

FACIL’iti is an innovative digital accessibility solution that adapts the display of a website according to the visual, motor, cognitive and/or temporary comfort needs of the Internet user.

How did the FACIL’iti solution come about and what does it consist of?

First of all, we started from an observation: too large a part of the world’s population is affected by a cognitive or motor disorder that affects their relationship with screens, which prevents them from navigating the Internet easily. We wanted to fight against this “e-exclusion” or digital exclusion. At the time, a young e-ergonomist trainee had the idea of taking an interest in this subject by asking himself about the large number of sites that are not accessible in France and in the world. We were thinking in particular of that part of the population which may have visual or even motor problems and which has difficulty reading the small print or clicking on a limited clickable area, and which unfortunately cannot complete their purchase or process online. And then there are all the cognitive disorders, including dyslexic disorders, which can prevent them from interpreting and reading information correctly. The idea was therefore to create a digital solution that would enable a website to be displayed according to the users who come to it. It took 3 years of research and development to create FACIL’iti and we have been marketing the solution for 2 years now. Today, there is no single Internet user who has the same need as another, so we have found a way to customise the display of a website according to each person’s needs.

Who is the solution for? How does it work?

The solution is aimed at website and intranet owners, companies in the private or public sector. It is simple, we equip the existing site without modifying the source code. It’s not just a plug-in, we really tailor our technology to the configuration of the existing site. We will thus touch on disorders that are complementary to those covered by the regulatory framework, such as cognitive disorders. Indeed, for dyslexia, we will be able to find several adjustments: spacing the words between them and the lines between them, modifying the font and putting coloured stickers on the characters that cause identification problems, etc. The solution really adapts to different disorders, including the most common ones.

FACIL’iti adapts to several cases of disability, from dyslexia to Parkinson’s disease, it is indeed quite wide. Have you been surrounded by associations or even users to know the specific needs of the people concerned?

Of course we did. We entered into partnership with leading French disability associations such as France Parkinson, Valentin Haüy, UNADEV, etc. These associations put us in touch with the people concerned. These associations put us in touch with potential users, in particular people with these disorders, so that they could validate the various functions but also give us ideas about their specific needs. We then checked whether what we had developed met their needs before launching the technology.

Today, the FACIL’iti solution has widened its offer and is no longer only aimed at people with disabilities. Can you explain this evolution to us?

Yes, I can. We realised that in reality accessibility problems cover a wider part of the population. Of course, people with disabilities are undoubtedly the first to be concerned by our solution, but we now have senior citizens and people who, simply for the sake of comfort or for greater well-being at work, want to navigate with the solution. It is important to know that FACIL’iti can also be used for a shorter period of time, when certain problems are temporary and only appear over a limited period of time (tingling eyes, temporary fatigue, etc.).

Finally, in a few words, what is the strength of your solution?

We have created a new form of accessibility on a global level. It’s crazy, and what’s more, we’re based in Limoges! The solution is full of multiple functionalities that can be crossed with each other to create unique profiles in the image of different Internet users. To date, our solution has over 170,000 users! FACIL’iti makes everyone agree because different issues are covered from a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) point of view; it is a nice link between digital innovation and social inclusion.

Source : https://handicap.gouv.fr
Information : https://www.facil-iti.fr/