The European Accessibility Act: What It Means for Your Business

Starting in June 2025, digital accessibility will not only be recommended in the EU, but also required. That means companies need to ensure their websites, apps, and other digital services are accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. The sooner you start preparing, the smoother the transition will be.

What Does EAA Stand For?

The European Accessibility Act, or EAA, is an EU law designed to make sure that people with disabilities can access and use everyday digital products and services. This includes services such as online banking, mobile apps, self-service kiosks, and ticket machines.

The goal isn’t just to follow rules. It’s to create equal access—so someone using a screen reader, speech-to-text tool, or captions on a video can still use your product without issues. The EAA facilitates this by establishing a single, consistent standard throughout the entire EU. Before, each country had its own rules. Now, there’s one straightforward approach for all.

What Does the EAA Apply To?

The EAA covers many of the digital tools people use every day, such as:

• Online shops and checkout systems
• Mobile apps and websites
• ATMs and banking services
• Computers and tablets
• Ticketing machines and check-in systems
• Streaming platforms and video content
• Messaging and calling services

If your business offers any of these in the EU, there’s a good chance the EAA applies to you.

EAA vs. Web Accessibility Directive

You may have heard of the Web Accessibility Directive—it came first, but only applied to public sector websites and apps, like school portals or government services.

The EAA builds on that and goes further. Now, private companies must also follow accessibility rules. That means banks, online retailers, travel apps, and many others need to ensure their digital experiences are inclusive.

European Compliance: Who Is Affected And How?

Not every business is required to comply, but many are—primarily if they operate in:

• Banking and finance
• Telecommunications
• Public transportation
• E-commerce and online retail
• Media and streaming services

If your company reaches a large audience or plays a key role in the market, you’ll likely need to meet EAA requirements. This involves reviewing how your digital products function, addressing accessibility issues, and ensuring your team understands the ongoing maintenance of compliance.

How to Make Your Digital Product Accessible

Accessibility is not something you do once and forget. It’s a long-term commitment. Here’s a simple approach businesses can follow:

• Audit your website or app to see what already works and what needs to be fixed
• Redesign key elements—such as text size, color contrast, button labels, and navigation—to meet accessibility standards
• Train your design and development teams so accessibility is part of every update
• Document your guidelines to make sure future features stay accessible
• Test and improve regularly, especially by gathering feedback from users who rely on assistive technologies

Every improvement moves you closer to compliance—and makes your product easier and better for everyone.

What Happens If You Ignore the EAA?

Choosing not to comply with the EAA can lead to serious consequences:

• Fines, which vary by country and could be significant
• Reputation damage, especially if customers feel excluded or advocacy groups raise concerns
• Legal action, including lawsuits or being blocked from public contracts

But more importantly, businesses that don’t prioritize accessibility risk leaving people behind—and that’s something today’s users pay attention to.

What Is Inclusive Design?

Inclusive design refers to creating digital products that are accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability. Some standard practices include:

• Easy-to-read text and high contrast colors
• Captions on videos
• Interfaces that work with only a keyboard
• Not relying on color alone to show meaning
• Making sure layouts are readable by screen readers

These features don’t only benefit users with disabilities—they help everyone by making digital experiences more transparent, faster, and more user-friendly.

We Can Help You

At ff.next, we create digital solutions—such as banking apps and customer platforms—that are designed to be inclusive from the outset. We ensure that interfaces are easy to use, content is straightforward, and everything works smoothly with assistive technologies, such as screen readers and keyboard navigation.

We don’t treat accessibility as an afterthought. It’s part of our design and development process from the very beginning. We also help our partners with testing, team training, and long-term accessibility planning.

In short, we help you prepare for the EAA while building digital products that are better for everyone because an excellent user experience should include every user.

‍