Digital Accessibility 2025: New Legal Requirements for European Businesses

Since 2025, the digital accessibility landscape in Europe has undergone a major transformation. Businesses must now comply with new standards designed to guarantee equal access to digital services for all users, including people with disabilities. Here’s a clear overview of the key obligations and what they mean for your organisation. 

A Major Step Forward for Digital Inclusion

The new regulation requires service providers to design and deliver digital platforms that offer a predictable, seamless experience for people with disabilities. This regulatory update marks a major shift in the effort to democratise access to digital services across Europe. 

The objective is simple: remove digital barriers that prevent millions of users from fully accessing online services such as e-commerce sites, banking platforms, public administration portals, and everyday mobile applications. 

The Four Pillars of Digital Accessibility

To meet the new legal requirements, websites and mobile applications must comply with four fundamental principles. 

1. Perceivable Interfaces

Digital content must be perceptible by all users, regardless of their situation. This includes improving visual and auditory perception, offering text alternatives for all non-text content (such as images or infographics), and providing layouts that can adapt to different presentation formats without losing structure or meaning. 
For example, a simplified layout should offer the same access to information as the standard version. 

2. Interfaces Usable by Everyone

Usability is the second essential pillar. Websites and apps must offer clear orientation elements that support navigation and content discovery. All features must be fully accessible via keyboard navigation—critical for users unable to use a mouse. 
Reading and interaction time must not be restricted, and designs must avoid any content that could trigger seizures, such as flashing visual effects. 

3. Easy-to-Understand Content

The third principle is comprehension. Pages must behave predictably, with consistent structures across the entire website. Users must receive clear guidance to correct form errors, including helpful messages and suggestions. This predictability increases user trust and simplifies their overall experience. 

4. Technical Robustness

Platforms must be technically robust, ensuring maximum compatibility with current and future technologies, including assistive solutions such as screen readers, alternative pointing devices, or voice recognition tools. 

Which Businesses Are Affected?

The regulation applies to most businesses, with one notable exception. 
Companies with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover below €2 million benefit from a specific approach: they are not required to comply with digital accessibility obligations. 

For all other organisations, compliance is not optional—it is a legal requirement that directly affects their accountability. 

The Strategic Value of Accessibility 

Digital accessibility is not just a regulatory constraint—it is a major business opportunity. 
In France alone, nearly 12 million people are affected by a permanent or temporary disability. Making your digital services accessible means expanding your reach to a large, often underserved audience. 

Accessibility also improves user experience for everyone. 
A well-structured website with clear navigation benefits all visitors, not only those with disabilities. It also strengthens SEO performance, as search engines reward clear, accessible, and semantically coherent content. 

The Risks of Non-Compliance

Failing to comply with the new accessibility obligations exposes businesses to both legal and financial risks. Penalties may include fines and legal action from users or disability advocacy groups. 

Beyond legal consequences, non-compliance can significantly damage your brand image. 

How to Start Your Accessibility Compliance Journey?

Becoming compliant may seem complex, but the process is straightforward when structured properly. 

1. Begin with a full accessibility audit to identify non-compliant elements across your digital platforms. 
2. Create a prioritised remediation plan, focusing first on the most critical issues. 
3. Train your technical and editorial teams to maintain accessibility over time. 

Working with specialised experts greatly simplifies this process. They bring technical expertise, deep knowledge of accessibility frameworks such as WCAG and RGAA, and real-world experience supporting users with disabilities. 

Our Commitment to Successful Digital Accessibility

To support this transition, we have partnered with AccessiWay, a European leader in digital accessibility. 

This strategic partnership enables us to offer end-to-end support—from initial audits to full compliance, team training, and ongoing accessibility maintenance through turnkey solutions. 

AccessiWay already supports more than 1,000 organisations in their digital inclusion efforts. Their expertise, combined with our understanding of your operational needs, positions us as the ideal partner to guide you through this new era of digital accessibility. 

Together, we can transform regulatory obligations into a powerful driver of growth, innovation, and inclusive digital experiences. 

Need help?

If you need support to resolve your accessibility challenges, we can help!  

By combining AccessiWay’s expert accessibility audits with our UX/UI and development expertise, we offer a complete, efficient path to compliance and long-lasting improvements. Together, we identify issues, prioritise actions, and implement the right solutions to make your digital platforms fully accessible and aligned with 2025 standards.