Companies not ready for new European accessibility regulations
In 2025, a new European Accessibility Act comes into force with the aim of ensuring equal access to digital products and services across the EU.
This will apply to all businesses that wish to trade in Europe, but a new report from testing specialist Applause shows that while a third of global companies are on track to comply with the EAA, over third of European companies are trailing behind.
The survey also shows that compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 has increased, with 42 percent now saying their company meets WCAG 2.2 standards, up from 35 percent who met the 2.1 standards in 2023.
Bob Farrell, vice president of Solution Delivery and CX Practices for Applause says:
Accessibility is an increasingly important focus area for companies. Growing awareness of the importance of employing inclusive design principles and writing code with accessibility in mind is not just driving value for people with disabilities, but helps deliver great digital experiences for all users.
However, prioritizing accessibility needs to come with the right investments. While automation can be a valuable tool when used as part of a mature accessibility testing strategy, it should bolster, not replace, internal resources. Many accessibility issues are simply not machine-detectable, and though AI is already improving issue discoverability, it too is still not a stand-in for real human perspectives.
There's increased use of automation and AI in accessibility testing with 50 percent of respondents admitting to using automated accessibility tools to identify potential issues, up from 40 percent in 2023. When asked whether they think AI will provide a significant additive to accessibility testing in the next two, five or ten years, the majority (60 percent) say two years.
"Though the results of the survey show a promising upward trend, under half of all companies still do not meet WCAG 2.2 standards and two thirds are behind schedule to comply with the forthcoming European Accessibility Act. Considering compliance is just the starting point for accessibility, many companies still have a long way to go on their journey to true inclusivity," adds Farrell.
You can read more on the Applause blog.
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