Accessibility Initiatives Expanding in the Wake of Legal Reform: The Case of Comebei Holdings

2024/12/20

What prompted you to consider web accessibility compliance?

Around February 2023, during a business meeting with a client, I was asked, ‘Are you aware of the legal changes?’ At that time, I was also informed that a webinar explaining specific countermeasures would be held. Additionally, I was proposed, ‘If you’d like, why not participate?’ This prompted me to deeply consider how these legal changes would impact our operations and how we should prepare.

In response to this discussion, I considered that this is not just an issue for the operating company Komehyo but may also impact the entire holding company. I promptly shared the information internally. We evaluated how the legal changes would affect our operations and which departments should take what measures, concluding that it is crucial to address this on a broad scale.

*Act on the Elimination of Disability Discrimination: Legal changes effective April 2024

 

Have you considered implementing web accessibility in-house, such as with your own engineers?

Initially, I was unaware of services like Uniweb, so I was exploring what needed to be done to address the website internally. For example, I received basic instructions such as, ‘This section must be addressed’ or explanations stating, ‘Accessibility has levels, and you must meet at least the minimum standards. It is also possible to meet higher standards.’ While I understood that addressing these issues was essential based on this information, I was particularly troubled about how to specifically proceed.

I was particularly concerned that significant modifications might be necessary for the EC site. As a result, I had fears that it could incur considerable costs, leaving me uncertain about how much to adjust and the extent of the costs, making it very difficult to decide on a way forward.

I had previously had opportunities to hear from several companies regarding web accessibility. However, the focus was mainly on site renovations, and I felt that immediate decisions were not feasible. Large-scale renovations to a site not only have technical implications but also significantly impact costs and resources, necessitating careful judgment.

In this situation, it is necessary to have ongoing discussions internally regarding when to proceed with measures and how far to conduct renovations. While I understand the importance of addressing accessibility, I feel that further information and concrete policies are necessary to take actual action.

 

Did you consider other accessibility tools like Uniweb?

Regarding other companies' accessibility tools, I received proposals primarily from consulting firms saying, ‘We provide total support.’ Additionally, there were a few suggestions for services similar to Uniweb from legal representatives through business partners, but honestly, I was uncertain about how to proceed at that stage. Furthermore, if I were to handle it internally, it seemed likely that I would only address the corporate site at a minimal level.

 

Please tell us why you chose/implemented Uniweb.

I felt that Uniweb's service, which only requires adding a tag, was a simple option with no further choices. When comparing it to similar types of services, I found the UI to be superior in terms of usability of the management screen and the behavior when actually pressing buttons, which led me to choose Uniweb.

I believe it's very important to ensure that users of the site can still use it or that it remains usable. I think it’s inappropriate to prioritize one aspect over another with major changes. In this sense, the implementation of Uniweb was very smooth and acceptable for us. I feel very positive about having been able to implement it.

I was really thankful to encounter the optimal solution at the right time.

 

Please tell us the number of days and man-hours until you adopted Uni-Web.

Since it only requires adding a tag, the work itself was entrusted to an external vendor, and there was no burden at all. As a result, there were no stumbling blocks whatsoever, and it was really completed quickly.

 

I believe your company promotes the employment of people with disabilities. What activities are you actually engaged in?

Since around 2012, we have supported a wheelchair basketball team and actively engaged in initiatives for disabled sports. When we received discussions about accessibility, it coincided with the establishment of a special subsidiary, and we are putting effort into creating an environment where individuals with disabilities can work together without discrimination. For this reason, our group as a whole has positively participated in such support activities.

We also cooperate with donation activities at stores, conducting fundraising efforts alongside guide dogs and have continued various forms of support within our capabilities. Consequently, when the Act on the Elimination of Disability Discrimination was amended, we recognized the need for considering web accessibility and how our staff interacts with individuals with disabilities. Therefore, we are able to smoothly carry out the necessary responses.

 

Have there been any responses from competitors regarding your efforts in web accessibility?

At the time of implementation, many companies were either unaware of web accessibility or had not progressed in addressing it. Therefore, there were particularly no reactions from competitors. However, there were several agents who were conducting business without knowing that we had implemented Uniweb, and they were surprised to learn this fact. Particularly, I often received remarks such as, ‘While many companies only address their corporate sites, you are also operating an EC site.’

 

Were there any barriers to advancing the implementation internally? We would appreciate it if you could share how you progressed.

In reality, I feel that the cost of implementation was not a significant burden. If it can be achieved for this cost with just the addition of a single line tag, I believe it’s definitely worthwhile to pursue. Therefore, we were able to proceed smoothly.

 

Do you have any future goals?

Naturally, the primary goal is to create a site that is easy to use for a variety of people. For example, the corporate site of the holding company has already implemented Uniweb, but the IR site and the sustainability promotion site, which is currently being developed, have not yet progressed in implementation. Therefore, I believe that we need to consider moving forward based on reports from clients who are using Uniweb if we feel a necessity in the future.

Moreover, since our business is primarily store-based, the connection between online and in-store is very close. The online aspect serves as a sort of catalog, and I feel that many customers are encouraged to visit our stores because of it. Conversely, it is also crucial how well our store staff understand the web accessibility features online. If customers with disabilities or the elderly feel that 'the site is hard to see,' it is important for us to convey whether they can use the features of Uniweb to have a more comfortable experience.

Therefore, as we implement Uniweb, we will strive to ensure that all staff understand its features and can recommend it to various customers. We also want everyone to know that there are convenient features not only for people with disabilities, but for all users, and we aim for more people to comfortably use the site. We believe this approach will lead to increased convenience for many more individuals.

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Komehyo Holdings Co., Ltd.
Director of IR and Public Relations, Hiroyuki Yoshida (photo right)

Currently, I concurrently serve as the Director of IR and Public Relations and the Sustainability Promotion Department, and I am responsible for creating financial disclosure materials, communicating with investors, group-wide public relations, and generally handling sustainability-related matters including climate change response.

Komehyo Co., Ltd.
Director of Online Business and Customer Success, Shinji Kai (photo left)

I am mainly responsible for the operation of the e-commerce site, while the Marketing Department handles advertising and promotional measures, so I oversee everything else. Specifically, I work on planning and executing the e-commerce business, introducing tools, and improving UI/UX.

 

《Uni-Web Implementation Site》
The corporate site and KOMEHYO ONLINE operated by Komehyo Holdings Co., Ltd. and Komehyo Co., Ltd. have introduced the web accessibility tool 'Uniweb.'

By clicking on the icon, an accessibility menu appears, allowing users to switch text-to-speech features and screen contrast with just one button.

• Komehyo HD Corporate Site:https://komehyohds.com/
• KOMEHYO Corporate Site:https://www.komehyo.co.jp/
• KOMEHYO ONLINE:https://komehyo.jp/

 

Komehyo Holdings Co., Ltd.

Representative: President and Executive Officer, Takuji Ishihara
Location: 3-25-31 Osu, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
URL :https://komehyohds.com/
Business description: Management planning, business promotion support, and administration for a group engaged in brand and fashion industry as well as tire and wheel business.

 

Komehyo Co., Ltd.

Representative: President, Takuji Ishihara
Location: 3-25-31 Osu, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
URL :https://www.komehyo.co.jp/
Business description: Procurement and sales of used and new jewelry, precious metals, watches, bags, clothing, kimonos, cameras, musical instruments, and more.

 

About Uniweb

UniWeb provides web accessibility features "on the day of deployment" by simply adding a single line of code to all web services.

In order to achieve equal website services for all, we want to put users in various situations, such as those with visual impairments or those who temporarily lose the use of their hands due to injury, in a position to understand correct information through various uses such as voice reading and contrast changes.

• Site:https://hellouniweb.com