Summary: By 2026, a new federal ordinance will require all Swiss public sites to guarantee full digital accessibility. Many Geneva municipalities have not yet measured their current level of accessibility or defined an improvement plan. This guide explains, in clear language : - why accessibility has become a priority - how to assess your site simply - what concrete actions really improve the experience of residents ; - the support that Lumineth digital agency in Geneva can provide.
Introduction
Public information is only useful if everyone can access it. However, in 2025, almost one in five people in Switzerland will still have difficulty using a local authority website. difficulties using a local authority website: small fonts insufficient contrast, videos without subtitles, forms that are impossible to validate from a telephone. The federal ordinance that is due to come into force shortly therefore places digital accessibility on the same footing as step-free access to an administrative building. an obligation and a citizen's right.
Why does digital accessibility concern every local authority?
Beyond legal compliance, accessibility offers four benefits benefits:
- Inclusion: people who are elderly, colour-blind, or simply not very comfortable with technology find information without help.
- Efficiency: fewer clarification calls free up time for complex files. for complex files.
- Public image: an accessible local authority reflects an attentive, modern administration. attentive and modern administration.
- Referencing: a clear, well-structured site is better indexed by search engines.
What's the current status of local authority websites in Greater Geneva?
Initial regional assessments show a contrasting situation: some communes already have a very legible portal on mobile, others still have unnavigable PDF documents and contrast is too low. Many have never carried out a proper audit and do not know the exact level of accessibility of their pages.
How to simply assess your level of accessibility
Before taking any action, you need to know where you stand. A "first look" audit can be summed up in three easy-to-understand steps by all departments:
- User journey: an agent opens the site on smartphone, increases the size of the text, uses only the keyboard and notes any difficulties encountered.
- Contrast and legibility: an online tool measures legibility colour by colour and highlights elements with insufficient contrast. with insufficient contrast.
- Key content: we check whether an important video has a subtitle, and whether essential PDFs have a summary.
In one day, the municipality obtains an "indicative score" and a short list of priority actions.
Acting without redoing everything: the most rewarding improvements
Experience shows that a handful of changes benefit the majority of visitors:
- Increase the default font size slightly;
- Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background;
- Add a transcription or subtitle to videos videos;
- Simplify forms: fewer steps, greater clarity on attachments.
These actions, which are quick to deploy, immediately improve user experience, even before an overall graphic redesign.
Adapting the site to mobile and senior use
Eight out of ten visits are now made on a smartphone. At the same time, the proportion of over-65s is increasing. Designing mobile & seniors friendly means:
- buttons large enough to be pressed on the first try;
- compact but readable menus, with no hidden submenus;
- possibility of enlarging text without breaking the layout;
- limited animation: no carousel that scrolls too fast.
Accessible writing: a human issue above all
Accessibility also involves words. Clear text benefits experts and newcomers alike. Best practice:
- short sentences, subject - verb - complement;
- only one message per paragraph;
- PDF files accompanied by a summary or table for a quick overview.
One training session is often enough to bring about a lasting change writing habits within the local authority.
Continuous monitoring: tracking progress without a complex table
To remain accessible over time, it is useful to measure a few simple indicators each quarter: - average reading time ; - form abandonment rate ; - feedback from disability associations. These indicators, even when entered into a standard spreadsheet program make it possible to monitor progress and adjust the trajectory.
How Lumineth supports your local authority
Lumineth digital agency in Geneva offers a three-part pathway:
- A flash audit and "non-technical" summary for elected representatives;
- Co-design workshop with internal departments and a panel of citizens to identify the major obstacles;
- Training on clear writing and updating content, in order to make the commune self-sufficient in the long term.
The aim is to ensure gradual improvement, measurable and communicated transparently to residents.
Frequently asked questions from elected representatives
"Do we have to change our site?" Not necessarily; often, 80% of adjustments concern the existing presentation and content. "Who checks compliance? No label is required; a public audit report and traceable corrective measures are all that's needed to demonstrate compliance. "How long does it take to see an impact? From the very first corrections (contrasts, font sizes), positive feedback from users can be seen within a few weeks.
2025 - 2026 priorities for sustainable accessibility
Compliance is never set in stone. The most successful local authorities are adopting three reflexes starting today:
- include accessibility in every new web project;
- provide for a quarterly review of the most consulted content;
- involve users in testing, before any content goes online;
Points to remember
- Federal order requires all public sites to be accessible by 2026.
- A quick audit reveals the major obstacles without technical jargon.
- Simple adjustments (contrasts, sizes, text clarity) quickly improve the experience.
- Training copywriters is as crucial as changing the graphic charter.
- Lumineth supports local authorities with diagnostics, workshops, training and progress monitoring.
Conclusion
Digital accessibility is neither a luxury nor a constraint ;
it is an essential condition for guaranteeing equal access
to public services.
By adopting a clear and progressive plan - audit, adjustments,
training, monitoring - the municipalities of Greater Geneva
strengthen the confidence of their residents and ensure compliance,
while modernising the image of their administration.
Glossary: accessibility, WCAG, Design for All,
lightning audit, plain language.
Annex
Sources: Draft Federal Ordinance 2025 ;
Federal Statistical Office, "Numérique & société 2024" report ;
European Accessibility Observatory 2025.
Complementary Resources