Eqla

What Eqla does

Eqla is a Belgian non-profit association (asbl) founded in 1922 and headquartered in Brussels, serving blind and visually impaired people across the Federation Wallonia-Brussels. The organization rebranded from ONA (Oeuvre Nationale des Aveugles) to Eqla in 2019 and today operates six service poles: Adult Accompaniment, Youth Accompaniment, Culture (Braille/large-print/audio library and ludothèque), Transcription & Adaptation, Training & Volunteering, and Communication & Partnerships. Approximately 50 staff deliver services through five regional antennas covering Hainaut, Brussels, Liège, Luxembourg, and Namur.

The service portfolio spans social accompaniment (administrative support, housing adaptation, job coaching), school accompaniment for visually impaired children in mainstream education, a Braille and audio library housing thousands of references, professional transcription and document adaptation, technical aids catalog sales, fee-based training on visual impairment for professionals, and Accessia, a digital accessibility web agency created in 2022 that is positioned as Belgium's first such agency. The technology stack is service-delivery oriented: specialized transcription capability, catalog-driven technical aids distribution, and a coding-training program (BlindCode) launched in 2020. The most recent technology initiative is an experimental partnership with ScribeMe AI to test AI-assisted guidance on Meta smart glasses.

The economic model is a multi-stream non-profit structure. Revenue is sourced from individual membership fees (€75/year full, €12/year library-only), fee-based professional training (€80-€430 per session), technical aids sales, Accessia consulting revenue, activity-based fees, donations, and legacies. Customer segments are primarily individual beneficiaries (adults and children with visual impairments), with secondary segments of professionals and organizations seeking training and accessibility consulting, and a long tail of individual donors and supporters. The organization does not disclose financial statements and operates within the institutional framework of Federation Wallonia-Brussels social services policy.

Name

Eqla

Legal name

Eqla asbl

Website

https://eqla.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eqla is a Belgian non-profit association founded in 1922 serving blind and visually impaired individuals across the Federation Wallonia-Brussels through social accompaniment, accessible library services, school support, technical aids, transcription, professional training, and digital accessibility consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services for the Visually Impaired

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Educational Services (611), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Technology (AT) & Accessible Learning Tools (EDALAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Vision & Screen Access (Screen Readers, Magnification, Braille Displays/Notetakers) (EDAFAKAD), Accessible & Alternative Format Materials (Braille, Large Print, Audio, Tactile Graphics) (EDAGAMAD), Accessibility, ADA Compliance & Universal Design Audits (EDAEAKAM), Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Braille transcription
• Accessible library
• Digital accessibility
• Visual impairment training

Headquarters

HQ city

Woluwé-saint-lambert

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees providing access to services: 75€ for full membership, 12€ for library/ludothèque and digital VLL only
2. Donations and Legacies: Charitable donations from individuals, corporate partners, and legacy bequests
3. Training Services: Fee-based professional training programs on visual impairment for various sectors (accompaniment, libraries, cultural sector, healthcare)
4. Technical Aids Sales: Sale of technical aids and adaptive equipment for visually impaired individuals, sourced from external suppliers
5. Activity Fees: Participation fees for cultural and leisure activities with discounted rates for members
6. Digital Accessibility Services (Accessia): Revenue from Accessia web agency providing digital accessibility audits, consulting, and website creation services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eqla delivers a comprehensive suite of direct services for blind and visually impaired people across Belgium's Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, including social accompaniment for adults, school accompaniment for youth, an accessible Braille/large print/audio library, a ludothèque of adapted games, Braille/transcription/adaptation services, a technical aids catalog, adapted leisure and cultural activities, professional training on visual impairment, and job coaching. Its digital accessibility subsidiary Accessia audits websites and creates accessible WordPress sites for external organizations.

Product overview

Eqla is a Belgian non-profit organization (asbl) founded in 1922 that supports blind and visually impaired people. Rather than a unified software product, Eqla offers a portfolio of direct service offerings organized across six operational poles: (1) Adult Accompaniment (social support, housing adaptation, job coaching), (2) Youth Accompaniment (school integration support), (3) Culture (accessible library, tactile books, ludothèque, leisure activities), (4) Training & Volunteering (professional training on visual impairment, digital technology clubs), (5) Transcription & Adaptation (Braille/large print/3D document conversion), and (6) Communication & Partnerships. The primary technology-oriented offering is Accessia, launched in 2022 as Belgium's first web agency specializing in digital accessibility, creating accessible WordPress websites and conducting accessibility audits. Eqla also operates a digital technology formation service that provides technology clubs and personalized training on smartphones, computers, and applications for people with visual impairments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accompagnement Adultes (Adult Accompaniment) Social support, rights information, administrative assistance, housing adaptation, and job coaching for blind and visually impaired adults delivered by multidisciplinary teams across Belgium.
• Accompagnement Jeunes (Youth Accompaniment) School accompaniment for visually impaired children in mainstream education from kindergarten through secondary school and higher education, including classroom presence, home support, Braille transcription, and pedagogical support.
• Les Aides Techniques (Technical Aids Catalog) Catalog of technical aids (mobility canes, talking watches, writing and cooking equipment, medical supplies) tested and approved by ergotherapists to facilitate daily life for visually impaired persons, with order and delivery via phone, email, postal shipping, or home visits.
• Centre de Transcription et d'Adaptation (Transcription and Adaptation Center) Converts standard documents into Braille, large print, and 3D formats for students in mainstream education, library books, and external publications.
• La Bibliothèque Adaptée (Accessible Library) Lending library of books in Braille, large print, and audio formats, including tactile illustrated books, a documentation center, recording studios, and a lending catalog, open to anyone unable to read due to disability.
• La Ludothèque (Adapted Game Library) Game lending library loaning games specifically adapted for visually impaired people of all ages, providing information to schools and associations about visual impairment through playful activities.
• Offre de Loisirs Adaptés (Adapted Leisure Activities) Leisure and cultural activities (cinema with audio description, nature walks, museum visits, social gatherings) organized throughout the year for members, with discounts for member participants.
• Formations Nouvelles Technologies (Technology Clubs and Digital Training) Digital technology clubs and personalized training on smartphones, computers, and applications for visually impaired persons, delivered at regional offices in Brussels, Hainaut, and Luxembourg.
• Formations à la Déficience Visuelle (Professional Training on Visual Impairment) Professional training courses on visual impairment for accompaniment, libraries, EPN, museums, tourism, and healthcare sectors (e.g., 'Vous faites quoi dans la vue?', 'Gardez l'oeil ouvert!', 'S'émouVOIR autrement', 'Ouvrez votre reg'Art!').
• Nos Job Coaches (Job Coaching Service) Job coaching for visually impaired persons in Wallonia (excluding Liège province), offering skills assessment, CV and interview preparation, job search support, workplace adaptation, and connection to adapted enterprises.
• Accessia (Digital Accessibility Web Agency) Digital accessibility service auditing websites, providing consulting and training, and creating accessible WordPress websites for external organizations; Belgium's first web agency specializing in digital accessibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 children with visual impairments accompanied in mainstream education annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Les GrignouxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCinematheque partnership for audio-described films and storytelling walks in Namur. Les Grignoux and Eqla collaborate on making cinema accessible to visually impaired audiences through audio description services.
• Œuvre Fédérale des Amis des Aveugles et MalvoyantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal organization partner supporting audio-described cinema initiatives and advocacy for blind and visually impaired persons in Belgium.
• Ville de NamurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWith the support of the Ville de Namur and Namur Confluent Culture for audio-described cinema events.
• CarrefourminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarrefour hypermarket in Auderghem testing NaviLens technology in partnership with Seedgrowth and Eqla to improve autonomy in shopping for visually impaired customers.
• asbl IncidenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with asbl Incidence for 'Cécité, expérience et créativité' formation to make artistic practices inclusive for blind and visually impaired persons.
• Federazione Nazionale delle Istituzioni Pro CiechicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian federation partner in the 'Stories Under the Fingers - The Trees' tactile exhibition project, with Belgian, French, Italian, and Japanese artists.
• IMALA Paragliding SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParagliding school providing tandem flights for visually impaired individuals as part of Eqla's adapted leisure activities.
• Ligue Handisport FrancophoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for promoting adapted sports for visually impaired and disabled persons in Wallonia-Brussels.
• Plateforme pour l'AudiodescriptioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEqla is a founding member of the platform for audio description, working to make cinema accessible to visually impaired audiences.
• Typhlo & TactuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational tactile book creation competition. Eqla serves as the Belgian relay for this prestigious international competition.
• PearleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPearle stores sell Meta glasses starting from €419 without prescription, available as an assistive technology for visually impaired individuals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Level Access: Established US-based accessibility consulting firm offering audits, training, and managed compliance services. Closest large-scale professional-services analogue to Accessia's consulting proposition in the corporate digital-accessibility space.
• AudioEye: Publicly listed digital-accessibility platform combining automated remediation with professional audits. Competes head-to-head with Accessia for B2B accessibility contracts in regulated industries across Europe.
• AccessiBe: Commercial digital-accessibility vendor providing automated WCAG/EAA remediation overlays for websites. Direct commercial competitor to Eqla's Accessia subsidiary in the Belgian and pan-European SMB web-accessibility market.
• HumanWare: Global manufacturer of assistive technology products including BrailleNote, low-vision magnifiers, and GPS devices. Direct upstream product peer for the technical-aids catalog that Eqla distributes to beneficiaries.
• Fédération des Aveugles de France: French national federation supporting blind and visually impaired people across France with accompaniment, training, and accessibility advocacy. Closely comparable mission, scope, and operational pole structure to Eqla in the adjacent French-speaking market.
• Licht en Liefde: Flemish sister-organization historically split from Eqla (originating from the 1925 ONAB split mentioned in Eqla's history). Provides parallel services for blind and visually impaired people in Flanders; the most direct functional peer and natural Belgium-wide consolidation counterpart.

Broad incumbents

• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB): The UK's largest charity for blind and partially sighted people, offering advocacy, accessible products, reading services, and employment support. Same mission scope as Eqla but materially larger scale, deeper resources, and a national (rather than regional) footprint.
• American Foundation for the Blind (AFB): US national non-profit focused on vision loss research, advocacy, and inclusive education resources. Operates an analogous integrated service/policy/technology model at a much larger scale; relevant peer for benchmarking strategic positioning.

Emerging players

• Be My Eyes: Global platform pairing blind users with sighted volunteers and increasingly AI agents (GPT-4o integration) for live visual assistance. Competes at the margins of Eqla's adult-accompaniment and digital-training services through smartphone-first, on-demand assistance.

Others

• Œuvre Fédérale des Amis des Aveugles et Malvoyants: Belgian federal partner organization explicitly listed among Eqla's strategic alliances, cooperating on audio-described cinema and advocacy. Closely related mission partner rather than a competing provider; included for ecosystem-mapping completeness.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/eqla_asbl
• Facebookfacebook.com/Eqla.asbl
• LinkedInbe.linkedin.com/company/eqlaasbl
• Instagraminstagram.com/eqla_asbl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eqla