M line improves digital accessibility with a read-aloud function

M line, a leading company in the sleep industry, recently took an innovative step by adding a read-aloud function to its website. “This initiative grew out of our research into the WCAG guidelines.”

On 28 June 2025, the new European Accessibility Act comes into force, and all companies and organizations will be required to make all of their digital content accessible and to comply with these guidelines.

“During our research we saw the read-aloud button on the website of the Dutch Tax Administration and were inspired to implement it as well,” says Jelle van den Berk.

“Where I came across the read-aloud function myself was on the website of the Dutch Tax Administration, where the source code showed a feature powered by ReadSpeaker. That is how I got in touch with ReadSpeaker.”

“We see that the use of mobile devices keeps growing and even exceeds desktop traffic, and we expect this to keep increasing. So we are also designing our website mobile-first.”

Jelle is Performance Marketing Specialist at M line and is responsible, among other things, for improving the accessibility of the M line website. The decision to introduce the read-aloud function was also driven by the ambition to stay ahead of the competition, in both e-commerce and accessibility.

Challenges and implementation

Implementing the read-aloud function was not without its challenges. M line uses both English and Dutch terminology. The same voice therefore had to read words in both languages correctly.

“It is very important to us that brand names and product information were pronounced correctly and that the text read aloud was pleasant to listen to,”

says the representative.

In every industry, within companies and organizations, you deal with specific terminology and with the names of people or brands. Getting these pronounced correctly sometimes requires corrections.

“The language specialists of ReadSpeaker support their customers and helped us excellently in this area too.”

The technical implementation was relatively simple. Our focus was mainly on internal communication. We wanted to inform people about this important topic so that they understand why we added this functionality.

Improved user experience

The read-aloud function is expected to improve the user experience considerably.

“We hope that people in our target group who find it hard to read longer texts on our website are now better served and so understand our products better,”

says Jelle.

With the new functionality, customers can for example listen to explanations of the different components of a mattress. This helps them make a well-considered purchase decision. It contributes to the strategic vision of the company: offering a good sleep experience for everyone.

Adjustments and future plans

Listening to all the pages of the website with the read-aloud function of ReadSpeaker showed that few adjustments were needed for a well-read version of the content. This shows that the texts are well written in terms of language and sentence structure.

And also that the read-aloud function of ReadSpeaker works effectively. Although the test phase is still ongoing, M line already has plans to optimize the functionality further.

“If we see that the read-aloud function is a great success, we are considering having ReadSpeaker develop our own digital voice. With a recognizable voice exclusive to M line on our website, we can increase brand recognition even further.”

Towards an inclusive future

The upcoming European legislation on digital accessibility, the European Accessibility Act, requires companies to take action. Dutch Bedding Company sees this as an opportunity to make a positive impact in the e-commerce sector.

“We want to be fully compliant by June next year,”

the representative stresses.

The company hopes that its efforts will also inspire other companies to put accessibility higher on their agenda. Ultimately, the goal is to offer every user, whatever their disability, the best experience online.

“We want to show that we take this important topic seriously,”

concludes Jelle van den Berk.

About M line

With good support and optimal pressure distribution, M line provides the ultimate recovery during sleep. It is no coincidence that M line has been inextricably linked with top-level sport since it was founded in 2001.

Innovation is a top priority for the mattress supplier, which is one of the reasons why the Cool Motion mattress was named ‘Best product of the year 2023/2024’ in the sleep category. M line is Official Sleep Supplier of NOC*NSF, TeamNL, KNVB, Team Jumbo-Visma, Ajax and Fonds Gehandicaptensport.

“At M line, we strive to be innovative and inclusive”

The Dutch Bedding Company (DBC), the wholesale division of Beter Bed Holding, has developed a high-quality collection of mattresses, pillows and box springs under the name M line. They are for everyone who wants to get the most out of the night and perform at their best during the day. The mission of Beter Bed Holding is that everyone gets the good night’s rest he or she deserves. Sleeping better makes people happier, healthier and more productive.