What is accessibility?
Accessibility means that digital content and technologies are accessible to all people, regardless of physical or cognitive limitations. This includes the accessibility of websites, apps, software, and other digital platforms for people with disabilities such as visual, hearing, or mobility impairments.
Why will accessibility become mandatory in 2025?
The European Union has taken a significant step with the introduction of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) to improve accessibility in the digital world. Starting from 28. Juni 2025 müssen alle Unternehmen, die in der EU digitale Produkte und Dienstleistungen anbieten, sicherstellen, dass diese den Anforderungen der Barrierefreiheit entsprechen.
The goal is to ensure that all people have equal access to digital content, which is not only the right thing to do ethically but will also become legally binding.
Who is affected by this regulation?
The European Accessibility Act applies to companies in various sectors, including:
- Websites and online stores
- Mobile apps
- Software products and digital tools
- Banks, insurance companies, and financial service providers
- E-commerce platforms
Smaller companies with fewer than 10 employees and annual revenues under 2 million euros may be exempt from certain regulations, but they are still required to ensure a certain level of accessibility.
The benefits of accessibility
In addition to the legal obligation, accessibility offers many benefits:
- Expanding the target audienceAbout 15% of the world’s population lives with a disability. Through accessible websites, businesses can reach these potential customers.
- Improving usability.An accessible website is often easier to navigate for people without disabilities as well. This improves the overall user experience.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Barrierefreiheit trägt auch dazu bei, dass Webseiten besser von Suchmaschinen indexiert werden, da klare Strukturen und Alternativtexte für Bilder verwendet werden.
Steps to meet accessibility standards
To meet the requirements by 2025, companies should take the following measures:
- Prüfung und Bewertung: Analysieren Sie Ihre aktuelle Webseite auf Barrierefreiheit. Tools wie der WCAG-Checker (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) können dabei helfen.
- Designanpassungen: Farben, Kontraste und Schriftgrößen sollten anpassbar und für Menschen mit Sehschwäche geeignet sein. Nutzen Sie Alt-Texte für Bilder und gestalten Sie die Navigation verständlich.
- Entwickler einbeziehen: Eine enge Zusammenarbeit mit Entwicklern und Webdesignern ist essenziell, um technische Hürden abzubauen und sicherzustellen, dass die Webseite den internationalen Standards entspricht.
Conclusion
Web accessibility is not only a legal obligation but also an ethical and economic advantage. Companies should take action now to make their digital offerings accessible to everyone by 2025. This ensures they act in compliance with the law while reaching a larger audience.