The European Accessibility Act is NOW in force are you compliant?

As of June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) has officially come into force marking a pivotal moment for digital design across the EU. This is no longer a future consideration or a distant deadline. The law is active, and businesses offering digital products and services must now ensure full compliance.
For designers and developers, this means one thing: accessibility is no longer optional it’s a legal and ethical imperative embedded in every stage of the design process.

The Time for Action Is Now
With the EAA now in effect, any organisation providing websites, mobile apps, or digital interfaces within the EU must ensure they are fully accessible to people with disabilities. There’s no grace period. No exceptions for “planning to comply.” If your product is live, it must meet the standards starting today.
This isn’t just about avoiding penalties. It’s about building digital experiences that work for everyone. And it starts with design.

What the Law Requires
The EAA mandates compliance with established accessibility standards:

• WCAG 2.1 (Level AA), with reference to WCAG 2.2 as best practice

• EN 301 549, the European standard that applies WCAG to all digital products and services
  These aren’t suggestions. They are the legal baseline. And while developers handle technical implementation, designers hold the key to creating truly inclusive experiences from the ground up.

How to Respond: 6 Critical Design Actions
Now that the Act is in force, here’s what your team must do immediately:

1. Embed Accessibility in Every Wireframe
   Accessibility can no longer be an afterthought or a final audit. It must be part of your first sketch, every prototype, and all design decisions. Start treating accessibility like typography or branding a core design principle, not a checklist.

2. Make Content Clear and Understandable
   Use plain language. Structure information logically. Ensure instructions are easy to follow for users with cognitive or learning disabilities and for anyone in a rush, on a small screen, or under stress.

3. Design for All Navigation Methods
   Not everyone uses a mouse. Ensure keyboard navigation is intuitive, with visible focus indicators and logical tab order. Support voice commands, screen readers, and touch inputs equally.

4. Support Diverse Input Needs
   Increase touch target sizes. Allow adjustable time limits. Design for voice, switch control, and alternative input devices. Flexibility isn’t nice-to-have it’s required.

5. Prevent and Guide Through Errors
   When errors occur, provide clear, constructive feedback. Help users recover easily. Allow actions to be reviewed or undone especially in forms, payments, and sign-up flows.

6. Test with Real Users Now
   Compliance isn’t just ticking boxes. It’s real-world usability. Begin testing your live products with people of diverse abilities. Identify barriers. Fix them. Repeat.

Redesigning the Design Process
The EAA changes how we work permanently.
From now on:

• Accessibility must be part of design sprints, user research, and stakeholder reviews

• Design systems must include accessible components by default

• Handoffs to development must include accessibility criteria, not just visuals
  This shift doesn’t slow you down it makes your products more resilient, adaptable, and human-centred.

Why This Matters Beyond Compliance
Yes, the law is enforceable. Non-compliant businesses risk fines, legal action, and loss of market access.
But more importantly:

• Accessible design improves usability for everyone

• It builds trust and loyalty with broader audiences

• It future-proofs your product as demographics shift and digital inclusion becomes the norm
  In 2025 and beyond, accessible design is good design.

Next Steps
The European Accessibility Act is not coming it’s here.
If your digital products aren’t already aligned with WCAG and EN 301 549, you need to act now.
Audit your current interfaces.
Train your design and product teams.
Involve users with disabilities in testing.
Update your design systems and processes today.

Let’s build what’s next together.