5 May 2025
What is accessibility and why is it important?
Accessibility is one of our core values at Knight Moves. It is not a luxury, but a necessity. Whether it concerns an app, a government service, or a physical space—everyone deserves access, regardless of their situation. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly important in legislation.
Because we strongly believe in inclusive services, we often use the 9 Bs when designing online and offline experiences. This methodology has been in use for years, but it still challenges us to look at accessibility from different perspectives. For example, what starts as “web accessibility” in practice goes much further. The 9 Bs help us to think broadly and systematically about barriers and opportunities for all users.
What are the 9 Bs*?
*actually this title only works in Dutch. Let’s talk about 9 ways of looking at accessibility.
Each of the 9 ways to look at accessibility is a potential barrier or opportunity that influences people's behavior. You can use them as a practical checklist to increase the accessibility of your services. We briefly explain these 9 ways/ themes:
- Accessibility: Is your service accessible in terms of time? Consider opening hours, seasonality, or digital availability outside of working hours.
- Availability: Do you avoid obstacles such as waiting lists, scarcity, or complex administration?
- Affordability: Is your service financially and psychologically feasible? Think about money, time, effort, and emotional strain.
- Usability: Does your target group experience your service as desirable, intuitive, and practical?
- Comprehensibility: Is the communication clear and understandable, in terms of language and form?
- Reliability: Does your service inspire confidence? Are doubts, fears, or prejudices actively addressed?
- Awareness: Does your target group know that the service exists? Are you using the right communication channels to promote your service?
- Understanding: Do you take cultural sensitivities and user feedback into account? Do you acknowledge diverse perspectives? Is your approach empathetic?
- Accepting: Are people allowed to participate without having to adapt? Are they allowed to express their identity (such as clothing style or religious beliefs)?
Who can be an inspiration?
Organizations in various sectors are already using the 9 Bs framework: cities and municipalities, healthcare institutions, mobility services, cultural organizations, etc. An inspiring example is the City of Ghent, which is fully committed to proactive and accessible services.
Rather than waiting for citizens to seek help themselves, the City of Ghent tries to remove barriers through:
- the ‘only once principle’: citizens only have to provide their details once;
- the automatic granting of rights, such as discounts in social restaurants;
- and the avoidance of unnecessary certificates, for example for a UiTPAS.
In this way, the City of Ghent ensures less administration, more trust, and services that work better for more people.
How do we integrate these principles within Knight Moves?
We also actively apply the 9 Bs framework within our own projects. This does not always have to be large-scale or complex—even small adjustments can often make a big difference in accessibility. Below, our colleagues explain how they apply the 9 Bs methodology in exciting projects.
Liesbeth and Suzan tackled the barrier of availability in Rijkevorsel: "In the municipality of Rijkevorsel, we helped simplify the system for education vouchers. Parents received paper vouchers worth €10 but sometimes lost money because they couldn't use the vouchers flexibly. We developed a new system with a single digital certificate worth €70, which schools can use to deduct school invoices directly from the amount. This means that the full amount remains available to parents, and the system prevents the loss or neglect of vouchers."
Amber and Fien worked with GBO ZORA to find out how they could optimize the availability of capacity without providing extra beds: “We did this by working on the referral process. By better assessing needs, providing more follow-up during the waiting period, and matching supply and demand as closely as possible, we ensure that available places are used more quickly and effectively.”
Liesbeth and Suzan worked with Balen staff to raise awareness of the social benefit system in childcare: “We made the communication more understandable and accessible and avoided overly technical or administrative explanations. Through visual, accessible posters, we ensured that the conditions and benefits were clear to all parents. This makes the social benefit truly socially accessible.”
Karen and Amber worked with employees of Wonen in Vlaanderen on the threshold of understanding: "During interviews with tenants and landlords about the Wonen in Vlaanderen brochure, it became clear that users find illustrations more inclusive than photos. Because illustrations can be presented in a more neutral way, you can avoid cultural differences. We also thought critically about usability. Since not everyone is equally digital mature and some prefer physical products, we deliberately chose a combination of digital and physical products for Wonen in Vlaanderen. This allows users to use both the digital brochure and accessible physical products, such as a brochure, stickers, or a calendar with tips."
Another project where we worked on the threshold: Understanding is the E-inclusion action plan in Maldegem. Our colleague Karen, together with the E-inclusion officer from Maldegem, engaged in empathetic dialogue with the residents: “We let the residents have their say during a user survey. This allowed us to really tailor the E-inclusion action plan to their needs and wishes instead of making assumptions.”
A final example concerns the threshold of comprehensibility. When designing the ‘human-centered design toolbox,’ we made conscious choices that made the toolbox understandable for both large and small local authorities. For example, we used less technical jargon and wrote everything in plain language. We simplified complex theoretical models into a clear step-by-step plan with familiar terms. Finally, we added practical examples from other local authorities to make everything more tangible and easier to understand.
Conclusion
Accessibility goes far beyond ‘making something work online with a screen reader’ or involving vulnerable target groups. It is about developing services that are suitable for everyone. It requires empathy, insight, well-considered choices, and consideration for your end user. The 9 Bs provide a clear framework for making inclusion a reality in your process and design.
