The European Accessibility Act

Have you heard of the European Accessibility Act? It has nothing to do with the AI Act, or the GDPR for that matter, but it is as important as it can be.

As of 28 June 2025, companies must ensure that newly marketed products and services covered by the Accessibility Act are accessible. To emphasise: this is not optional, and there are very few exceptions.

Did you know that one in every five people in the EU has some kind of disability or impairment? That counts for more than 85 million people. A report from WHO indicates that 1.3 billion people worldwide experience a significant disability, approximately 16% of the global population.

These people have been excluded from society in many ways, especially from access to new technologies and platforms. The European Accessibility Act is about to change this, at least in the EU.

Though this sounds like another regulation that can make running your business more difficult, it doesn’t have to be.

Benefits

• Access to a larger market, in some cases 15%+ potential growth in market size
• Easier trade with other EU countries
• More innovation and creative problem-solving
• Improved SEO: an accessible website is better indexed by search engines
• Better architected solutions overall: improved design, development and architecture
• A more inclusive society

There could be almost a US$10 return for every US$1 spent on implementing disability-inclusive prevention and care.

What it covers

Products: computers and operating systems, smartphones and communication devices, TV equipment for digital television services, ATMs and payment terminals, e-readers, ticketing and check-in machines.

Services: phone services, banking services, e-commerce, websites and mobile services, electronic tickets and travel information for air, bus, rail and waterborne transport, e-books, audio-visual media services, and calls to the European emergency number 112.

Importantly, the Act uses functional accessibility requirements. It does not impose detailed technical restrictions, which leaves room for innovation and flexibility.

The hard parts

• These are extra requirements, for which budget has to be allocated.
• Companies will have to increase in-house knowledge of what building for accessibility actually means.
• Product owners, UX and designers have to go a step further: what non-disabled users find nice, disabled users may not be able to perceive at all.
• Developers, both backend and frontend, will have to write more considered code.
• Copywriters will have to write simpler, clearer content, avoiding jargon and using headings and bullet points.
• Companies may need to handle an increased number of complaints and regular compliance checks.

The promising parts

Member States may allow more time for some service providers using self-service terminals. Micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees providing services are exempt from the obligations, though all are encouraged to make their products accessible anyway.

The increased use of AI may help in adapting and converting existing services to comply.

Summary

Effective 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act requires EU products and services to be accessible, affecting over 85 million individuals with disabilities. While it presents financial and operational challenges, it also promises market expansion, innovation incentives and societal benefit.