Digital accessibility: Keolis Lyon adopts the FACIL’iti solution for web users

Context: improving the digital accessibility of Keolis Lyon’s web services

Among the priority issues at Keolis, digital accessibility and inclusion are powerful drivers of innovation. The goal is simple: to make services more user-friendly, more accessible and more inclusive.

In Lyon, Keolis has thus implemented a module, developed by FACIL’iti, which adapts the screen display to the user’s disability or difficulty, on the passenger information site of the metropolitan area (TCL.fr). In fact, a portion of the population live with permanent or temporary vulnerabilities that make it harder for them to navigate the internet: difficulty reading due to age, illness (for example, cataracts), a condition (for example, colorblindness), motor symptoms related to a condition (for example, Parkinson’s disease), or a cognitive disorder (for example, dyslexia).

Too often, difficulty accessing information can become a major hurdle to using public transit. When preparing a trip in advance, the FACIL’iti solution helps to provide more comfortable navigation and access to information.

Innovation: a display adapted to individual needs on the web 

The FACIL’iti solution integrates seamlessly with the website’s design and features. In Lyon, the proposal to implement the FACIL’iti solution was put together by Keolis and approved by SYTRAL Mobilités (mobility authority in the Lyon area) for eight months of testing in 2022.

In concrete terms, to benefit from this service, web users can click on the logo (a stylized boat) located in the top left corner of every page. This opens a dialogue box where users can select the option they need. The TCL site of Keolis Lyon offers 18 clearly labeled options: eye strain, green, blue or red colorblindness, senior, dyslexia, cataract, ophthalmic migraine, multiple sclerosis, etc. After activating the desired option, the site’s display changes immediately: different colors, larger text and data entry fields, text spacing, different fonts, etc. The chosen setting is then saved and reactivates automatically during subsequent site visits.

The key innovation of FACIL’iti resides in its ease of implementation and use, as well as its universal nature. The design makes it accessible to all users, regardless of their individual needs or digital ability, in order to promote enhanced digital accessibility for all.

Benefits: substantial gains and the need to boost the visibility of this service

To estimate the impact of the FACIL’iti solution, Keolis Lyon conducted a survey among a sample of TCL site users. Two thirds of respondents (576 out of 860 people) presented one of the difficulties addressed by the module.

Overall, survey respondents felt that the solution makes reading more comfortable and provides greater digital accessibility. The “night” and “eye strain” modes are the options used most frequently. 78% of respondents want to maintain the service, but many said they hoped the logo would become more visible and easier to understand.

Next step: improving digital accessibility

The survey results pointed directly to several areas for improvement, including making the logo larger, more visible and more functional, as well as promoting the service with pop-ups that open when visiting the site to improve digital accessibility. The possibility to select more than one option at once would offer an additional benefit.