Making accessibility part of ENGIE's energy transition

Executive summary

As a major player in the energy transition, ENGIE is committed to building a carbon-neutral future that's accessible to everyone.
 

ENGIE partnered with Springbok to audit their digital platforms for accessibility barriers and create a roadmap toward more inclusive experiences. With nearly 3 million people in Belgium living with a disability, ensuring digital services work for all users isn't just good practice - it's essential.
 

This project aligned with ENGIE's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals, transforming accessibility from a compliance checkbox into a measurable experience upgrade. It also positions ENGIE ahead of the upcoming European Accessibility Act, keeping them compliant, competitive, and customer-focused. 

The Results

We kicked off with an accessibility audit of ENGIE’s core site pages and components, focusing on real-world usage, not just compliance checklists.

What we delivered:

• 7 essential site pages and 25+ reusable UI components tested against 55 WCAG 2.2 AA criteria;
• Clear actionable technical recommendations for focus management, keyboard navigation, form labeling etc.;
• A full audit report with context, examples, and quick wins (90 pages);
• Accessibility prioritisation map delivered to guide remediation;
• Accessibility statement drafted to support transparency and legal alignment;
• ENGIE’s development team began implementation based on our findings, supported by UI updates from our side.

Our Approach 

The Big idea

Fixing a button or a form isn’t enough - we wanted to help ENGIE create a digital experience that’s sustainable, scalable, and future-proof.

The Strategy

We focused on real-world usage by testing the essential user journeys, most visited website pages and dissecting the reusable components that power them. And we didn’t overlook the details that really matter: focus states, tap targets, screen reader support, and more - all guided by the WCAG 2.2 AA standards. 

We intentionally used the WCAG 2.2 standard (not 2.1) to align with the most up-to-date accessibility guidelines. This allowed us to cover new criteria that are especially important for users with cognitive or motor impairments, such as larger tap targets and stricter keyboard navigation rules.

The Process

1. Worked with ENGIE to define scope: high-impact pages and all key interface components.
    
2. Audited components and pages against 55 WCAG 2.2 AA criteria inspired by the WCAG Evaluation Methodology of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) by using a mix of automated and manual methods.
    
3. Simulated real user experiences via screen readers, keyboard navigation, and visual impairments.
    
4. Flagged recurring accessibility patterns to drive scalable improvements.
    
5. Rolled out insights and remediation: a detailed audit report, an issues dashboard, a prioritization matrix, and an accessibility statement.
    
6. Provided development-friendly remediation tips for easier implementation.