How new EU Law will finally make banking, shopping, and digital services work for everyone.
September 8, 2025
If you rely on screen readers, voice control, keyboard navigation, or any other assistive technology to use websites, apps, and everyday services, you've probably wondered: "When will this stuff actually work properly?"
The European Accessibility Act might finally be the answer we've been waiting for. Starting June 28, 2025, a whole lot of the digital world—and some physical tech too—has to actually work for people with disabilities. Not just "kind of work" or "work if you know the secret workaround," but genuinely, reliably work.
Here's what that means for your daily life, and why you should care (even if you don't live in Europe).
Think about your most frustrating digital experiences. You know the ones:
Starting in June 2025, businesses providing these services to EU consumers can't just shrug and say "accessibility is too hard." They have to fix it, or face real consequences.
The law covers new products and services from June 2025, with some older equipment getting a grace period until 2030.
The law gets specific about what accessibility looks like:
For websites and apps:
For physical devices:
For everyone:
Your mobile banking app should work with VoiceOver, TalkBack, or NVDA without mysterious unlabeled buttons. ATMs should tell you what's happening instead of making you guess. Online banking should be navigable by keyboard and make sense to screen readers.
No more getting stuck at checkout because the payment form is inaccessible. No more mystery buttons or dropdown menus that don't announce their options. Product pages should have proper descriptions, and search should actually be usable.
E-books should work with your preferred reading software. Navigation should make sense. Text-to-speech should be reliable. No more "this book is only available in a format you can't use."
Booking flights, trains, or buses online should work with assistive technology. Mobile tickets should be accessible. Information screens at stations should have audio announcements. Self-service check-in kiosks should guide you through the process.
This is huge: emergency services (112 in Europe) must be accessible through text, video, or other alternative communication methods, not just voice calls.
Here's the thing: this law follows the services, not where you live. If you're using Netflix (EU service), shopping on Amazon (sells to EU), or banking with a multinational bank, these companies have to make their platforms accessible for EU compliance.
Many businesses won't create separate accessible versions just for Europeans—they'll upgrade everything. So even if you're in the US, Canada, Australia, or anywhere else, you'll likely benefit from improvements companies make to comply with EU law.
Plus, other countries are watching. If the EAA works, expect similar laws elsewhere.
This law has teeth. Each EU country sets its own penalties, but they must be "effective, proportionate, and dissuasive." Translation: real consequences, not just a slap on the wrist. Plus, consumers and disability organizations can take legal action.
Very small businesses (under 10 employees, less than €2 million revenue) providing services get an exemption. But if they sell products, those products still need to be accessible. And "small business" describes fewer companies than you might think.
They can try, but they have to prove it and document their reasoning. Authorities can review these claims, and "we didn't want to spend money" isn't a valid excuse.
Each EU country must provide ways for consumers to report problems and get them fixed. The details vary by country, but there has to be a process for complaints and remedies.
Keep track of inaccessible services you encounter, especially from companies that serve EU customers. Screenshots, recordings, or detailed notes about what doesn't work can be valuable later.
Look up your country's implementation of the EAA (or plan to). Even if you're not in Europe, understanding what EU consumers can expect helps you advocate for similar access.
Disability advocacy groups are monitoring implementation and enforcement. They need your voice and experiences to hold companies accountable.
Don't accept "that's just how it works" anymore. If a service is covered by this law and serves EU customers, it should work for you too.
June 28, 2025: New products and services must be accessibleJune 28, 2030: Existing equipment and contracts get final deadline
Ongoing: Each country develops its own enforcement and complaint processes
For decades, accessibility has been an afterthought—something to bolt on later if there's time and budget. This law makes accessibility a requirement from day one.
More importantly, it's happening at scale. This isn't just one company or one country deciding to do better. It's a huge economic bloc saying "digital exclusion is no longer acceptable."
Will it be perfect? Definitely not. Will some companies try to do the absolute minimum? Probably. But for the first time, there's a real legal framework requiring businesses to serve disabled customers properly.
Imagine a world where:
That's what the EAA is trying to create. Whether it succeeds depends on enforcement, advocacy, and all of us demanding better.
The European Accessibility Act isn't magic. It won't fix everything overnight, and it won't solve the deeper cultural problems that create inaccessible design in the first place.
But it's the biggest legal push for digital accessibility we've ever seen. And if you're tired of being excluded from digital services that everyone else takes for granted, this law might finally start changing that.
We'll be tracking how this plays out in practice—the good, the bad, and the "well, that's not what we hoped for." Because laws are only as good as their implementation, and implementation only works when people like you hold companies accountable.
Have experiences with inaccessible services that should be covered? Thoughts on what you hope changes? We'd love to hear your perspective as this unfolds.
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