Building an Inclusive Future: Ensuring Business Compliance with Accessibility Standards

A major turning point in the EU’s journey towards establishing an inclusive environment for people with disabilities is the European Accessibility Act (EAA). Coming into force on June 28^th, 2025, this Act requires a wide range of goods and services -including both digital and physical products- to be made accessible to people with disabilities. Sectors impacted include banking and financial services, e-commerce, transportation, telecommunications, audio-visual media services, public administrations, and healthcare, encompassing specific products such as computers, e-commerce websites, ATMs, online banking, banking apps, product description content, or digital customer service interfaces at e-commerce websites. Also, transport ticketing machines or travelling apps, mobile devices, computers, emergency services, government websites, forms and public services apps, or online medical services, health apps, and patient portals are all being required to meet these new standards. This legislation, aimed at building an inclusive future and ensuring businedd compliance with accessibility standards, marks a significant shift towards equitable access for all.

Preparing for Compliance: What Businesses Need to Know

The EAA sets down extensive regulations in order to ensure that people with disabilities in the EU have equitable access to goods and services, covering everything from digital interfaces to everyday products. By June 2025, businesses operating in the EU will need to modify their offerings to comply with these accessibility requirements, which means making products and services usable for people with physical, cognitive, visual, auditory, or other impairments.

In the digital realm, this may involve integrating features such as screen readers, alternative text for images, keyboard navigation for websites or providing subtitles and/or audio descriptions for multimedia content. Businesses must also ensure that physical products and services—such as banking terminals, transport services and kiosks—are accessible to all. Failure to comply could result in significant penalties, including fines and restrictions on selling any non-compliant products within the EU market.

Opportunities in Accessibility and Corporate Social Responsibility

With over 87 million EU citizens living with a disability, the EAA is not just a regulatory milestone but a business opportunity. By making products and services more accessible, companies can tap into a larger market, enhance customer satisfaction and foster loyalty among all their users. Additionally, accessibility aligns with broader Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals, emphasizing a commitment to inclusivity and ethical business practices. Businesses that proactively embrace these changes can see benefits in their brand reputation, while also improving the user experience for everyone—including customers without disabilities.

Beyond legal compliance, accessibility can drive SEO performance, customer engagement and satisfaction, leading to a positive business impact. Businesses that invest in building an inclusive future through accessibility compliance will see long-term benefits in market reach and customer loyalty.

How Seprotec Can Help

Seprotec, a leader in multilingual translation and accessibility services, is ideally equipped to help businesses comply with the EAA. Our comprehensive suite of services is designed to meet the specific requirements of the Act, ensuring that your products and services meet the highest accessibility standards.

Website and App Accessibility: We offer specialized translation and localization services that ensure digital platforms are accessible to users with a wide range of impairments. This includes adapting interfaces, content, and interactive elements to meet accessibility standards.

Audio-Visual Content Services: We provide captioning, subtitling, and transcription for video and audio content to meet the accessibility requirements set out in the EAA, ensuring that multimedia is inclusive and compliant.

Interpretation Services: Our sign language interpretation, as well as real-time interpreting for virtual and in-person events, ensures that live interactions—such as meetings, webinars, and conferences—are accessible to all participants, regardless of their impairments.

With over 25 years of experience in delivering accessible language solutions in more than 220 languages, Seprotec is your trusted partner for EAA compliance. Our expertise not only helps businesses meet regulatory standards but also enhances the overall user experience, creating more inclusive and appealing brands for the future.