RNIB awards EE with "Tried and Tested" Accreditation for App Accessibility

EE, the UK's largest mobile network operator, has been awarded the prestigious "Tried and Tested" accreditation by Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), for the accessibility features of its app.

The coveted accreditation recognizes EE's commitment to creating inclusive digital experiences for all users, including those with visual impairments. This achievement reflects EE's approach to embedding accessibility considerations from the earliest stages of app development, ensuring that attention is paid to inclusive design principles from initial architecture to ongoing updates.

RNIB's "Tried and Tested" programme represents the highest standard in accessibility evaluation, combining rigorous technical assessment with real-world testing by users with lived experience of sight loss. Blind and partially sighted people provided feedback on the useability of EE’s app which enables customers to manage their billing, usage and get upgrades from their handset.

Challenges that developers face include ensuring screen readers can navigate complex interfaces seamlessly and optimizing performance for assistive technologies that may process information in a different manner.

Ronise Nepomuceno, EE Digital Accessibility Lead, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition from RNIB. This accreditation is the result of a lot of hard work, persistence, and strategic commitment from our EE Consumer Digital Accessibility Team. We built a bridge between designers and engineers, making accessibility an integral part of both disciplines and not just a compliance layer. As digital accessibility professionals, we didn’t just advise from the sidelines: we led and collaborated, working hands-on to find practical, scalable solutions.

“Our approach was grounded in metrics and evidence, but also in empathy. A multidisciplinary team that not only knows the standards, but genuinely cares about all our customers, made this possible. I’m incredibly proud of my team: Joanne Large, Nat Betts, Sam Overson and Sean Randall. Their expertise, persistence, professionalism, and heart were instrumental in achieving this milestone.”

EE also thanked Dr Lori Di Bon-Conyers and her team at RNIB for generously allowing them to observe user testing sessions. This demonstrated how inclusive research depends not just on tools or questions, but on creating an environment where participants feel respected and safe enough to share invaluable lived experience.

Robin Spinks, Head of Inclusive Design for RNIB said: “Smartphones are embedded into our culture, from managing finances to doing the weekly shop, to researching and staying connected with loved ones. So many of us rely on tech being accessible, it’s not just platform accessibility that matters, it’s critical that apps are too. This accreditation demonstrates EE’s commitment to continuously improving access for blind and partially sighted people.”

Maintaining “Tried and Tested” status can be challenging, given platform updates and software release cycles. RNIB has been working with EE for more than 18 months, during which time, they have been impressed with EE’s focus and commitment to inclusion.

Accessibility has been high on the business agenda recently, with the introduction of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) last month. The Act requires all businesses operating within EU countries to make their products and services accessible for people with disabilities. RNIB is ready to work with companies to help ensure they are EAA compliant by performing accessibility audits and usability testing on websites, mobile applications, products and other digital services.

If you would like to find out more about RNIB’s Tried and Tested accreditation programme and how your business could apply for it, visit RNIB Enterprises | RNIB Enterprise

Notes to Editors

All media enquiries to the RNIB press office on 0207 391 2223 or [email protected] If you would like to speak to a spokesperson to learn more about the importance of inclusive design, interviews can be arranged. For urgent enquiries out-of-hours, please call 07968 482812.

About RNIB  

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).  

Every six minutes, someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. RNIB is taking a stand against exclusion, inequality and isolation to create a world without barriers where people with sight loss can lead full lives. A different world where society values blind and partially sighted people not for the disabilities they’ve overcome, but for the people they are.  

RNIB. See differently. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk