Starting 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act, which was adopted in 2019, will officially take effect, bringing major changes to the EU market. The Act focuses on items and services that are most essential for people with disabilities and where accessibility standards have differed across EU member states. Similar regulations are in place across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
In this post, Obriy Design Büro explained which services and countries are affected by the provisions of this act, as well as what to expect after it comes into force.
What is The European Accessibility Act?
Directive (EU) 2019/882, also known as the European Accessibility Act, is the collection of accessibility requirements for products and services. The EAA was created to align accessibility standards for specific products and services across the EU. By doing so, it removes barriers to free trade caused by differing national rules, ensuring the internal market functions smoothly.
This legislation is designed to benefit businesses, older adults, and people with disabilities. Setting clear accessibility requirements also helps clarify obligations that already exist under EU laws, especially in areas like public procurement and structural funding.
Background
It’s worth noting that around 80% of accessibility challenges in this area relate to vision – this includes blindness, low vision, and colour blindness. But the definition of disability used by the European Parliament, which aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is much wider. It covers anyone with a long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory condition that, when combined with barriers in society, limits their full participation on equal terms with others. This definition includes people who are deaf or hard of hearing, individuals on the autism spectrum, those with dyslexia, and people with mobility or physical disabilities. As the number of people with disabilities grows, so does the need for products and services designed to be accessible to all.
Over 80 million people in the EU live with disabilities and this figure is climbing as the population ages. Accessibility has moved beyond being a niche issue – today, it is a strategic priority that drives customer loyalty, supports an inclusive workforce, and prepares businesses for the future. Yet, despite its importance, 98% of leading websites still do not meet basic accessibility standards. Microsoft estimates that the global disability market represents an opportunity worth around $8 trillion.
These are quite impressive figures, in fact.
Creating an accessible environment fosters a more inclusive society and supports independent living for individuals with disabilities. The adoption of such a directive upholds the rights of people with disabilities, ensuring they have access to measures that support their independence, integration into society, and full participation in community life.
Also, accessibility becomes a powerful accelerator for business. Accessibility isn’t just about meeting legal requirements. It sparks innovation, boosts customer satisfaction, and helps create a more engaged workforce.
Covered products & services
The European Accessibility Act focuses on products and services that are essential for people with disabilities and where accessibility standards often vary between EU countries. In shaping these requirements, the Commission consulted with stakeholders and accessibility experts, while also considering the commitments set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The detailed breakdown of products and services:
Products:
- computers and operating systems;
- payment terminals and certain self-service terminals such as ATMs, ticketing and check-in machines, interactive self-service information terminals;
- smartphones and other equipment for accessing telecommunication services;
- TV equipment involving digital television services;
- e-readers.
Services:
- telephony services;
- services to access audiovisual media services;
- certain elements of air, bus, rail and water transport services such as websites, mobile services, electronic tickets, information;
- consumer banking;
- e-books;
- e-commerce;
- answer to emergency calls to the single European number ‘112’.
People across the European Union must now be able to reach emergency services on 112 not only by calling but also by sending text messages or using video calls in real time.
Banks need to make sure their ATMs are accessible for people with vision impairments by adding multi-sensory features. They also have to install them at heights that are easy to use for wheelchair users and people of shorter stature. Online banking services and related contracts must also follow accessibility standards.
Public transport companies will have to share information about how accessible their stations and services are. Their websites, apps, and station screens showing timetables or ticketing options need to meet the required accessibility rules.
These new requirements go beyond banking and transport. They also cover products like computers, smartphones, TVs, e-commerce platforms, digital books, and audio or video players.
On top of this, all service providers must now train their staff on disability awareness and accessibility.
Also, this law applies to manufacturers, importers, and distributors. Here’s what each of them needs to keep in mind:
Manufacturers
They need to design and make products that people with disabilities can use easily.
This includes:
- Creating user-friendly designs and interfaces
- Adding clear instructions and safety information that everyone can understand
- Keeping technical documents to prove compliance for at least five years
- Putting their contact details on the product so people know who made it
If they realize that a product no longer meets the rules, they must fix the issue straight away.
Importers
Before selling products in the EU, importers must check that:
- The product meets all accessibility standards
- It has all the required documents and clear instructions in a language users understand
- It carries the CE marking, showing it passed conformity checks
If something doesn’t meet the rules, they can’t sell it. They also need to inform the manufacturer and authorities about any problems.
Distributors
They must make sure that the products they sell follow accessibility requirements. If they discover an issue, they need to act quickly to correct it.
To sum up, each country in the EU has a responsibility to ensure these rules are being followed. This means they need to keep track of whether products and services meet accessibility standards, respond to any complaints or reports of non-compliance, and keep the public informed about how companies are meeting these requirements. They also need to make sure there are proper ways to enforce the rules, including legal actions and penalties when necessary.
What should companies do to comply with the European Accessibility Act?
Achieving full accessibility isn’t something you do just once and forget about. It’s an ongoing process that takes commitment.
Here’s what companies need to focus on right now:
- Start preparing for upcoming changes. Begin with a complete accessibility audit to understand what needs to be updated in your UI design, front-end code, or written content. Don’t leave this to the last minute, as defining what to change, implementing it, and testing will all take time and resources.
- Be open about your current accessibility status and the steps you’re taking. Add an Accessibility Statement to your website, usually linked in the footer, to clearly communicate what’s accessible now and what improvements are coming. This builds trust with your users.
- Make accessibility part of your company culture. Just like GDPR made businesses rethink how they handle personal data, accessibility laws such as the EAA in the EU, ADA in the US, and the Equality Act in the UK are pushing companies to prioritise inclusion.
- Work with partners who truly understand accessibility. Choose agencies or consultants with accessibility expertise to make sure your digital products meet the highest standards.
- Aim to make every project accessible by embedding it into your process. Include it in your briefs, train your teams, and make it part of how you work every day. Often, accessibility is overlooked simply because it wasn’t included in the plan from the start. Make it a focus at the beginning of each project, create tasks around it, and provide your team with the training and resources they need to succeed. Keep improving your designs and content by reviewing them regularly to maintain accessibility and usability.
- Try to keep accessibility work engaging. It’s easy to see accessibility requirements as restrictions, thinking “we can’t do this” or “we can’t use that design.” Instead, shift your mindset. See accessibility as a chance to innovate and create better experiences for everyone.
- Take advantage of new technologies that can support accessibility. Tools already exist that help people with disabilities navigate the digital world. Voice assistants like Google Assistant are useful for people with mobility or vision challenges. Text-based chat and AI chatbots can support users who are deaf, hard of hearing, or anxious about making calls.
- Get to know your users and their individual needs by involving them early in your design process. During discovery, spend time learning from your audience. Increase the diversity of your user testing groups to understand different perspectives. Use co-design methods and involve user groups in testing from the early stages. If needed, include third-party accessibility audits to ensure you’re on the right track. Remember, collaboration, research, testing, and feedback should be ongoing parts of your process, not one-off tasks.
- Start learning about accessibility guidelines today. Get familiar with the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and start applying them in your projects. For any existing products, carry out an accessibility audit to see where you stand and what needs improvement. Learn how to use a screen reader and test your site with every new update.
Finally, treat accessibility as a team effort. It isn’t just a design or development task – it needs to be prioritised from the very start, even before project kick-off. It should be part of every discipline, from sales and UX to design and development.
Conclusion
Of course, meeting accessibility requirements means investing time, effort, and resources. But for businesses, this is not just a cost, it’s a real opportunity to expand their market and reach a much larger audience. People with disabilities represent over 80 million potential customers across Europe, and their need for accessible products and services is only growing.
Ultimately, accessibility should be more than just words on paper. It must be a genuine practice that allows everyone to fully participate in social and economic life. Providing equal opportunities is not only a legal obligation but a core value of a modern society, and your business can be part of this positive change.
