Accessibility is now mandatory — and remains a UX opportunity.

07/22/2025 • by Marco Schär • 4 min read time •

As of 28 June 2025 the EU Accessibility Directive is legally binding. For many companies this marks the start of a new chapter: digital accessibility is no longer voluntary — it is required by law.

But companies that treat this only as a legal obligation miss an opportunity. Accessibility is also a UX opportunity — and a strategic lever for better digital products.

What applies now — and what follows

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) requires that digital products and services be made accessible in key areas. These include:

E‑commerce platforms
Banking and financial services
Ticketing and booking systems
Communication services

The regulation already applies to new products. Existing solutions have a transition period — depending on context and country until 28 June 2027. But beware: companies that wait until shortly before the deadline usually pay the price — with technical debt, unclear UX flows, or rushed redesigns.

Accessibility isn't just a checklist

Accessibility is still reduced to technical checklists in many teams: contrast values? Check. Screen reader compatibility? Check.
But real accessibility does not begin in the code — it starts in the concept:

Is the user flow understandable?
Is the language clear and simple?
Are interactions intuitive — also without a mouse, colors, or perfect vision?

Well-designed accessibility improves the UX for everyone. For people with disabilities, but also for stressed users, older audiences, or mobile users in difficult situations.

Those who invest now gain twice

Accessibility brings more than legal certainty. It opens up strategic advantages:

Fewer support requests through clearer interfaces
Better conversion rates because no one gets left behind
Reputational gain with customers, partners and talent
Product quality that scales — also internationally

This is how we approach it at minddraft: In our UX audits we systematically identify accessibility barriers — not as a checkbox, but from the user's perspective. In design sprints we integrate accessibility from the start as part of the UX concept.

Why we think accessibility strategically

For us, accessibility is not an add-on. It is part of good UX — and therefore part of every product strategy. We work with teams that do not just want to be "compliant", but better, clearer, more inclusive.

Because good UX excludes no one.
Because we design products with impact — not just a pretty surface.
And because accessibility is not a buzzword, but design responsibility.

Conclusion — Think UX and accessibility together now

Accessibility isn't there just because a law requires it. It's there because good products should reach everyone. Those who understand and implement this now build not just compliant products — but future-proof ones.

The deadline is running out. The opportunity is too.

Categories:Accessibility