The European Accessibility Act: Is Your UX Compliant?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is now officially in full effect. This landmark piece of legislation mandates digital accessibility for e-commerce, banking, and transport services across the EU, marking a significant shift in how we approach digital product design.
While June 2025 was the official kick-off, the conversation is now shifting from "meeting a deadline" to "setting a new standard."
At Now Boarding, we don’t see this as a compliance hurdle, but rather as a pivotal moment for the industry. After 15 years of designing digital products, we know that accessibility isn't just about legal checkboxes or avoiding penalties. It’s about opening your doors to a wider audience and building better products for everyone.
The "Curb Cut Effect": Why Accessibility Pays
There is a concept in design called the Curb Cut Effect.
In the 1970s, disability activists fought for "curb cuts", you know, those little ramps in the pavement to assist wheelchair users in crossing the street? But once they were installed, something interesting happened. Parents with strollers used them. Delivery people with heavy carts used them. Travelers with suitcases used them.
A feature designed for a specific disability ended up making life better for everyone.
The same applies to your digital product.
- Closed Captions don't just help the Deaf; they help the commuter watching your video on a noisy train.
- High Contrast Text doesn't just help the visually impaired; it helps the user looking at their phone in bright sunlight.
- Large Touch Targets don't just help those with motor impairments; they help anyone with "fat finger syndrome" trying to tap a button while walking.
By complying with the EAA, you aren’t just ticking a box. You are removing friction for your entire user base.
The EAA: What You Need to Know
The Act ensures that digital products are Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR).
Unlike previous voluntary guidelines, this is a legal directive. It applies to:
- Computers and operating systems
- Payment terminals and ATMs
- Smartphones
- TV equipment
- E-commerce websites and apps
- Banking services
If your product falls into these categories, ensuring it is accessible is no longer a "nice to have"—it is the baseline expectation for doing business in the modern market.
Your 5-Point "Sanity Check"
If you are wondering where your product stands, you don't need to be a WCAG expert to start making improvements. Here are 5 common failures we see that you can check right now.
1. The "Light Grey" Obsession
Designers love subtle grey text. Users hate it.
- The Check: Is your text legible against the background?
- The Fix: Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text. Your content is useless if no one can read it.
2. The "Mouse-Only" Trap
Many users rely on keyboards or screen readers, not a mouse or trackpad.
- The Check: Put your mouse away. Can you navigate your entire website using only the Tab key? Can you "click" buttons using Enter?
- The Fix: Ensure every interactive element has a visible "focus state" (that little outline that shows where you are).
3. Alt Text Amnesia
Images carry meaning. If a screen reader just says "IMG_504.jpg," you are excluding users from your narrative.
- The Check: Do your images have descriptive Alt Text?
- The Fix: Describe the function of the image, not just the content. (e.g., "Chart showing 50% revenue growth" vs "Blue bars").
4. Form Labels that Vanish
We love clean UI, but "floating labels" (where the label disappears when you start typing) are a nightmare for cognitive accessibility.
- The Check: If you delete your text in a form field, does the label come back? Do you know what the field is for while you are typing?
- The Fix: Keep labels visible. Always.
5. "Click Here" Links
"Click here" tells a screen-reader user absolutely nothing about where they are going.
- The Check: Scan your links. Do they make sense out of context?
- The Fix: Use descriptive links like "Read our full guide to UX Strategy" instead of "Read more."
Final Thoughts
Accessibility is a journey, not a destination.
The EAA is simply a wake-up call that reminds us of our responsibility to design inclusively. Start auditing your product today. You might just find that by designing for the edge cases, you build a stronger, more resilient product for the mainstream.
Need an audit? You know where to find us.
