As the 28 June 2025 deadline for the European Accessibility Act (EAA) looms, UK businesses face a pivotal moment. For design and product teams, this isn’t just about compliance, it’s an opportunity to redefine what inclusivity means in practice. With 101 million people in Europe living with disabilities, the EAA’s requirements are transforming workflows, design philosophies, and strategic priorities. Here’s how your teams can turn regulatory demands into competitive advantages.

More than a checklist

The EAA mandates that products and services (from e-commerce platforms to self-service kiosks) must be accessible to users with visual, auditory, physical, or cognitive impairments. For UK firms operating in EU markets, compliance is non-negotiable. But the Act’s “design for all” principle pushes beyond tick-box exercises, demanding:

• Universal design frameworks that eliminate the need for retroactive fixes

• Technical documentation proving compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers

• Ongoing monitoring to maintain standards as products evolve

Redefining agility

Gone are days when accessibility was an afterthought in Jira tickets. The EAA requires:

• Detailed conformity assessments (often third-party audited)

• Accessible user guides in Braille and Easy Read formats

• Public-facing accessibility statements outlining limitations and roadmaps

As Jonathan Hassell of Hassell Inclusion notes: “The EAA pushes us beyond one-time WCAG compliance — it’s about embedding accessibility into every maintenance sprint”.

Embedding automated accessibility testing into agile sprints often helps reduce remediation costs. And in some cases, there is value in establishing “accessibility pods” — uniting designers, developers, and user researchers to:

• co-create annotated wireframes specifying ARIA landmarks

• validate designs with tools like VoiceOver and NVDA during prototyping

• iterate based on feedback from neurodivergent user groups

Strategic wins beyond compliance

Market expansion through inclusive design

While retrofitting legacy systems carries costs—a major UK retailer spent £2.3 million overhauling its e-commerce backend — the ROI is tangible. Tesco saw a 17% sales lift post-accessibility improvements, tapping into the EU’s €200 billion disability market.

Future-proofing through regulation-driven innovation

The EAA’s interoperability demands are spurring British tech innovation. Startups like Naurt are developing AI navigation apps combining haptic and audio cues—solutions poised to dominate the global accessibility tech market growing at 9.8% annually.

Steps for 2025 readiness

Audit with intent

• Use EN 301 549 standards to evaluate digital/physical assets.

• Tools like Axe and Pa11y automate 80% of checks, but manual testing with disabled users remains critical.

Upskill holistically

• Only 12% of UK designers are WCAG-proficient. Invest in BIMA-certified training covering:

• Semantic HTML for screen readers

• Accessible prototyping in Figma

• Inclusive copywriting techniques

Embed inclusivity in procurement

• With over 90% of homepages currently non-compliant, vet third-party tools against EAA criteria upfront.