Have you ever tried to use a website that was confusing, or a machine that was impossible to figure out? Sometimes, this is just poor design. But for people with disabilities, these barriers can prevent them from accessing essential services. On June 28, 2025, a new law called the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will take effect. It requires many products and services to be accessible for everyone. Today, we'll explore what this means and how it might affect the world around us.
Mini-Brief: The European Accessibility Act (8 mins)
The EAA is a set of rules designed to make sure that people with disabilities can use everyday products and services, just like everyone else. Think of it as a set of standards that companies must follow. The goal is "access by default," meaning things should be designed to be usable by the widest possible range of people from the start.
The European Accessibility Act
An overview of the EAA and who it helps. (Source: YouTube - ETSI - The European Telecommunications Standards Institute)
Video Transcript
Accessibility is a key to other fundamental rights, such as entry to the workplace, education, public services, or leisure. People with disabilities should be able to access all of the above on an equal basis. There are currently a hundred and twenty million Europeans with some form of disability. That figure is partly due to the rising number of elderly in the overall population. [ 00:25 ]
EU Member States used to only have their own divergent legislation, but now the European Accessibility Act, an EU directive, aims to improve the functioning of the internal market for accessible products and services while removing barriers created by different national rules. The Act covers smartphones, tablets, and computers, ticketing machines, televisions and TV programs, banking, e-books, online shopping websites, and mobile apps. Member States have until 2022 to implement the directive so it becomes part of their respective national legislation. [ 01:02 ]
This law doesn't just help people with permanent disabilities, like blindness or deafness. It also benefits people with temporary limitations (like a broken arm) or situational challenges (like using a phone in bright sunlight). Better accessibility often means better usability for everyone.
So, what does the EAA cover? Here are some key categories:
- Technology: Computers, smartphones, and operating systems.
- Services: E-commerce websites, banking services (ATMs), e-books, and apps for transportation tickets.
- Communication: Emergency numbers and audiovisual media services (like streaming platforms).
For example, a banking app must be designed so that a person using a screen reader can navigate it. An e-commerce website must have clear descriptions for images so that someone who cannot see them still knows what is for sale.
Grammar Focus: Requirements & Purpose
When discussing laws and standards like the EAA, we often use specific language to talk about requirements (what must be done) and purpose (why it must be done).
Passives for Requirements
The passive voice is very common in formal rules and requirements. It focuses on the action or the result, not on who performs the action. The structure is: Object + form of 'be' + past participle.
Notice how these sentences emphasize the rule, not the company that has to follow it:
- Under the new law, clear instructions must be provided for all users.
- Image descriptions, known as alt text, are required for all product images.
- The website was designed to be navigable by keyboard only.
- From now on, video content will be expected to have captions.
Functional Phrases for Purpose
To explain the reason or purpose behind a rule or a design choice, we use functional phrases. These phrases connect an action to its goal.
Common phrases include: in order to, so that, and to.
- Captions must be provided in order to help users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- The checkout button is large and clear so that people with visual impairments can easily find it.
- Use high-contrast colors to make text easier to read.
Accessibility Audit (22 mins)
Think-Pair-Share: Campus & Community Audit
Now it's your turn to be an accessibility tester. In pairs or small groups, choose one of the following to audit:
- Your school's main website
- A local public transportation app or website
- A popular online shopping site in your country
Use the short checklist below to test its basic usability. You don't need to be an expert! Just see what you can discover in about 15 minutes.
Mini-Audit Checklist
- Keyboard Navigation: Can you move through the whole site using only the Tab key on your keyboard? Can you see where you are (is there a visible box or underline)?
- Alt Text for Images: Right-click an important image and choose "Inspect." Can you find an
alt="..."tag with a good description in the code? If not, a screen reader user wouldn't know what the image shows. - Captions for Videos: If there is a video, does it have accurate, easy-to-read captions?
- Clear Forms: Look at a contact or login form. Are the labels clear? Does it tell you if you make a mistake?
After your audit, discuss with your partner: What worked well? What were the biggest barriers you found?
Fix Lab (20 mins)
Propose a Solution
Based on your audit, your group will draft three concrete fixes for the problems you found. Use the grammar we just learned to write your proposals clearly. For one of your fixes, also write a short "user story" to explain the human impact.
A user story is a simple sentence that describes what a user needs to do and why. It helps designers focus on real people.
User Story Template
As a [type of user], I want to [perform an action] so that I can [achieve a goal].
Example Fixes:
Example Problem #1
Problem: The "Next" button is gray text on a light gray background.
Proposed Fix: The button's color must be changed to a higher contrast color in order to be visible for people with low vision.
User Story: As a student with low vision, I want to clearly see the "Next" button so that I can complete my registration without help.
Example Problem #2
Problem: The promotional video has no captions.
Proposed Fix: Accurate captions are required for the video so that deaf students can understand the announcement.
Share-Out (10 mins)
Quick Wins & Hard Fixes
Each group will briefly share one "quick win" and one "hard fix" they identified. Be prepared to explain your ideas to the class in a one-minute stand-up presentation.
- A quick win is a small, easy change that has a big impact (like changing a color or adding an alt text description).
- A hard fix is a bigger challenge that might require more time, money, or technical skill to solve (like redesigning an entire booking system).
Great work today! You've learned about an important global standard and applied it to your local context. In the exercise that follows, you'll practice summarizing these ideas for a professional presentation.