Since 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act has applied to selected products and services, including e-commerce, consumer banking, e-books, and certain digital passenger-transport services. Not every company and not every website automatically falls within scope. The specific service, national implementation and possible exemptions need to be assessed case by case. Exemptions include certain microenterprises providing services. Regardless of the legal obligation, accessibility makes digital products work better for more people.
What do the new directives mean?
The EAA covers specific products and services. Whether your offering falls within its scope depends on the applicable categories, national implementation and possible exemptions.
- Clear navigation and user guidance:Websites must be structured in such a way that users can easily find their way around and access all content, regardless of their technical equipment or abilities.
- Accessible content:Text, images and videos must be designed to be accessible. This includes descriptive alt texts for images, subtitles for videos and clear, easy-to-understand language.
- Compatibility with assistive technologies:Websites must be compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies so that people with visual or hearing impairments can consume the content.
- Clarify technical requirements:The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide an important technical reference for accessible web content. The legal requirements and additional standards that apply must be assessed for the specific offering.
Why does web accessibility matter?
Removing barriers is worthwhile beyond legal requirements. Clear text, usable forms and support for assistive technologies help more people use a website. This can improve reach and satisfaction. Any changes in conversion or customer loyalty need to be measured for the specific offering.
What do companies have to do to comply with the guidelines?
- Assessment and analysis:Check your current website for accessibility. Have an analysis carried out to identify weaknesses and understand where action is needed.
- Concept development and redesign:Develop a concept that is aligned with the new guidelines. This means revising existing content, making technical adjustments and optimizing user guidance.
- Testing and validation:Use automated and manual testing to understand how well your website works with assistive technologies and which requirements in the framework relevant to you remain open. Testing with people who use assistive technologies complements the technical review.
- Regular maintenance and updates:Accessibility is not a one-off project. Schedule regular reviews to account for new content, features and changes to relevant standards.
How we support accessible design
We consider different access needs, including limited vision, keyboard navigation and screen reader use. These inform concrete requirements for content, design and interaction.
We consider accessibility in concept and design and check relevant requirements during implementation.
We review barriers in navigation, design and interaction and prioritise improvements. We agree the scope and applicable standards for a formal technical assessment separately.
- Experience and expertise:We bring our experience in UX and interface design to your team and work on clear, accessible flows together. We identify open technical questions and responsibilities.
- Efficient implementation:We turn prioritised findings into concrete tasks and support the agreed steps from initial analysis to review.
- Prioritise improvements according to need:We examine the barriers in your application and which adjustments are worth tackling first.
- Long-term partnership:Accessibility needs attention after implementation too. We can review new content and features with your team and support improvements. We agree the scope and frequency to suit your project.
Remove barriers step by step
The EU accessibility requirements are an opportunity to make digital services clearer and more robust. minddraft can help you clarify the relevant framework, review barriers systematically, and implement meaningful improvements step by step.
Let’s establish where your application stands today and which improvements make sense next.
