What the European Accessibility Act Means for Digital Communications

Tomorrow marks a historic moment for digital communications as the European Accessibility Act (EAA) comes into effect. The 2022 Census of Ireland reported 22% of the population having a long-lasting condition/difficulty or disability. As our life expectancy continues to increase, accessibility issues will impact more and more people.

What you need to know about the Act:

• At its heart, the Act is about creating a fairer and more accessible world for everyone.

• It sets new standards that will make digital products and services such as websites, mobile apps, banking services and e-books more accessible. It will impact how we design, communicate and build digital experiences across the EU and having one set of accessibility rules will bring coherence across Europe.

• From a practical perspective, this means features like screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, alternative text for images and accessible digital documents will no longer be optional, but essential. Whether you’re designing intuitive interfaces, writing clear content, or building accessible code, we all have a part to play in creating a digital world that’s open to all.

We advise organisations not to be afraid of the requirements of the Act - when services and products are inclusive by design, everyone wins. The legislation is an opportunity to get into new markets and design better products and services.

Get in touch if you would like support with making your digital communications as accessible as possible.

Rowena Crowley, Digital Director at Drury