Barrier-free Diia: what has been updated on the portal for people with disabilities

The Kitsoft team, in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, has improved the accessibility of key sections and the user workspace to make the Diya portal convenient for everyone, including people with disabilities.

The changes affected both the public part of the portal and the citizen’s workspace. This means that today even more people can independently, without barriers or outside assistance, use public services online.

Image: The citizen’s workspace interface on the Diia portal

What has been updated?

• The public part of the Diia portal — pages with news, the list of services, and informational content;
• The citizen’s workspace — where users apply for services and interact with public services;
• A number of popular services, including:
  • compensation for arranging a workplace for a person with a disability;
  • an extract from the Unified State Register;
  • a military registration document;
  • information from the State Register of Property Rights to Real Estate.

What has changed for users?

Image: Key updates to the Diia portal for people with disabilities

The Kitsoft team has implemented a number of important updates that make using the portal simpler and more accessible:

• clear labels for all buttons and fields — screen readers now correctly voice all elements;
• improved text and interface contrast — information is easier to read, particularly for people with visual impairments;
• a clearly visible focus indicator — it is clear which element currently has keyboard focus;
• convenient keyboard-only navigation — the entire service journey can be completed without a mouse;
• quick access to key page content — saves time and simplifies orientation;
• correct voicing of errors and system messages — users immediately understand what needs to be fixed;
• more accessible PDF documents — they are now easier to view and use when receiving services.

Thanks to these changes, people with disabilities can independently use the portal’s services — without additional barriers. 

Accessibility at the platform level

The Diia portal and dozens of services operate on the low-code Liquio platform developed by Kitsoft. That is why we implemented the principles of digital accessibility not only in the interfaces, but also at the level of the entire platform — in processes, scenarios, and the logic of service interaction.

The interfaces are adapted in accordance with the WCAG 2.1 AA standard — an international digital accessibility standard recommended for public services in EU countries.

A good service is invisible

Kitsoft worked on accessibility not only at the level of code and interfaces, but also at the level of processes. The team looked at the portal through the eyes of users — with different needs, experiences, and ways of interacting.

To achieve this, the team:

• conducted a digital accessibility audit to understand where barriers might arise;
• integrated barrier-free principles into design and development — so that accessibility is considered at every stage of service creation;
• prepared recommendations and guidelines for teams working with the portal and its services.

“Most of these changes do not have a separate button or a bright visual effect — they work in the details. It is precisely such updates that determine how stable, predictable, and accessible a service is for people with different ways of interacting with the interface”, — notes Dmytro Yukhymenko, UX/UI designer at Kitsoft.

This approach helps make services clear, predictable, and convenient for everyone — regardless of physical abilities or usage methods.

A foundation for future digital services

Improving accessibility makes services clearer for all users: navigation becomes simpler, interfaces more logical, and interaction with the state more comfortable.

“Digital accessibility is part of responsible development. It is important for us that services are convenient for everyone, regardless of physical abilities or the way they interact with the interface”, —  says Oleksandr Iefremov, CEO of Kitsoft.

These changes have a long-term effect. For the Kitsoft team, inclusivity is not a separate project, but part of the approach to creating digital solutions. That is why accessibility standards are becoming the foundation for the further development of the Diia portal and new public services.