The digital landscape is undergoing a significant transformation driven by a growing awareness of the importance of accessibility. 2025 represents a crucial year in terms of regulatory compliance in this regard: with the approaching final deadline of June 28 for the implementation of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), it is essential to understand not only the regulatory obligations, but also the opportunities that this change brings with it.
Accessibility and Inclusivity
Digital accessibility is the ability of computer systems to deliver services and provide usable information without discrimination, specifically including people who require assistive technologies or special configurations. This definition, derived from the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, emphasizes that the inaccessibility of the web constitutes a digital barrier that limits the participation of a significant part of the population.
The numbers speak for themselves: there are 1.3 billion people with disabilities in the world, representing 16% of the global population (source: WHO 2023); in Europe, this percentage rises to 27%, with 101 million people (source: Eurostat 2022). These figures highlight the size of the audience potentially excluded from inaccessible digital services and content.
The new European legislation, through the European Accessibility Act, establishes accessibility requirements for digital products and services, and is aimed at all private and public companies with more than 10 employees or with an annual turnover or a balance sheet exceeding 2 million euros.
The deadline of June 28, 2025 is not only the final date for compliance (NB. the legislation was issued in 2019, and was implemented in Italy in 2022), but represents a turning point for the European digital market.
The sanctions are significant: from the withdrawal of the product from the market to administrative fines, which can be as high as 5% of the turnover for large companies.
Key implementation measures
Digital accessibility requires a systematic approach covering various technical and operational aspects.
In the field of design and user experience, it is essential to develop responsive and adaptable layouts that automatically adjust according to the device used by the user. The color contrast must always be adequate to ensure readability for people with visual impairments. Interactive components need to be clearly identifiable, with visible states that facilitate keyboard navigation. All of this must fit into a clear visual hierarchy that logically organizes content for all users.
Technical development is at the heart of implementing accessibility. Using semantic HTML with appropriate structural elements such as header, nav, main and article is the basis for an accessible structure. When standard HTML elements are not enough, ARIA attributes allow extending accessibility to more complex components. Keyboard navigation must be comprehensive and logical, with effective focus management. Compatibility tests with screen readers and other assistive technologies are fundamental to verify effective accessibility.
The management of content and documentation plays a crucial role. Alternative texts for images and non-textual content allow for use by those who use assistive technologies. Transcripts and subtitles make audio and video content accessible. It is important to use clear and concise language with a simple and understandable structure. Finally, compliance documentation certifies compliance with WCAG standards and facilitates continuous accessibility monitoring.
Implementing these measures not only improves accessibility, but also offers advantages in terms of SEO, general usability and regulatory compliance, representing a strategic investment for any organization in the contemporary digital landscape.
The benefits for business
In addition to the regulatory aspects, digital accessibility brings with it numerous competitive advantages. The first is brand boosting: implementing accessible solutions demonstrates the company’s commitment to social inclusion, reinforcing the perception of the brand as socially responsible and attentive to the needs of all users. This positive positioning translates into greater customer loyalty and a significant competitive advantage.
From an economic point of view, accessibility opens the door to a larger market: making your digital services accessible means potentially increasing your target market by more than a quarter.
Improving the user experience and optimizing from a UX point of view is another key advantage: an accessible website is generally easier to use for all users, with a clearer structure, more intuitive navigation and better organized content. This translates into a decrease in the abandonment rate and an increase in the time spent on the site.
The impact on the increase in conversions is supported by the data: 73.4% of the sites that implemented accessibility measures recorded an increase in organic traffic. These numbers demonstrate how accessibility is not only an ethical issue, but also a driver of business growth.
Finally, the aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is also relevant. In an era in which consumers are increasingly attentive to the social impact of companies, digital accessibility is becoming a key element of social responsibility strategy. Companies that demonstrate a concrete commitment to digital inclusion not only respect regulatory obligations, but also build a more solid and lasting reputation.
Conclusions
The transformation towards a more accessible web is a process that requires commitment and resources, but the resulting benefits, both in terms of business and social impact, make it a strategic investment for the future of any company.
Bitrock positions itself as a strategic partner for companies that need to implement accessible digital solutions thanks to our end-to-end and specialized approach. Our offer stands out for its multidisciplinary expertise, boasting a team highly specialized in Front-end Engineering, Product Design and UX Engineering: a combination of skills that allows us to approach digital accessibility from different perspectives, guaranteeing complete and integrated solutions.
To stay up to date on the topic of digital accessibility, continue to follow us on our social and digital channels, where new dedicated content will be published, including specific blog posts on accessibility and informative podcasts on the subject.
In the meantime, get in touch with our experts to learn more.
