Tehničko veleučilište u Zagrebu · Zagreb

Digital Accessibility and Institutional Empathy: Evaluating WCAG Compliance in Croatian Higher Education

izvorni znanstveni rad

izvorni znanstveni rad

Digital Accessibility and Institutional Empathy: Evaluating WCAG Compliance in Croatian Higher Education

Vrsta prilog u časopisu
Tip izvorni znanstveni rad
Godina 2026
Časopis International journal of public administration in the digital age
Volumen 12
Svesčić 1
Stranice str. 1-15
DOI 10.4018/ijpada.397637
ISSN 2334-4520
EISSN 2334-4539
Status objavljeno

Sažetak

This study analyzes the compliance of higher education institutions in Croatia with the Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines, with particular emphasis on the dimension of institutional empathy.
The research was conducted through a quantitative content analysis based on EN 301 549 and Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines compliance levels, using weighted scoring to assess the severity
of non-compliance. Results show that the highest level of non-compliance persists in the following
categories: visual clarity (distinguishable), multimedia content (time-based media), and navigation
(navigable), all of which are crucial components in user experience. These findings suggest that
accessibility is still treated as a formal obligation and not a genuine response to user needs, emphasizing
an empathy gap in addressing the real needs of students with disabilities.

Ključne riječi

Digital Accessibility, Institutional Empathy, Higher Education, WCAG Compliance, Inclusive Design, Web Accessibility, User Experience