The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is set to take effect on June 28, 2025, bringing significant changes to how businesses provide digital services across the EU. Whether you operate within the EU or serve EU customers, it’s crucial to prepare for these accessibility standards to ensure your products and services are compliant and inclusive. The EAA covers digital services, self-service devices, and e-commerce platforms, among others, making it important for businesses to adopt a proactive approach to accessibility.

Why Accessibility Matters

Accessibility isn’t just about legal compliance—it’s about inclusivity and reaching a wider audience. With 101 million people in the EU living with disabilities, ensuring your digital services are accessible will open your business to a large and diverse consumer base. Accessible design also promotes user experience improvements that benefit all users, not just those with disabilities, including neurodiverse individuals such as those with autism, ADHD, or dyslexia.

Key EAA Requirements for Businesses (with Neurodiverse Considerations)

Websites and Mobile Apps:

  • WCAG 2.1 standards require businesses to ensure websites and apps are perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. This is crucial not only for people with physical disabilities but also for neurodiverse individuals.
  • Considerations for Neurodiverse Users:
  • Simple and Clear Navigation: Neurodiverse individuals may struggle with complex website structures. Ensure intuitive, clear, and consistent navigation to help users easily find what they need.
  • Customizable Interfaces: Offering features like adjustable text size, background colors, and layouts helps users with sensory processing issues.
  • Avoid Overload: Limit distractions like flashing images or too much dense information on one page, which can be overwhelming for users with ADHD or autism.

Computers, Operating Systems, and Smartphones:

  • Devices must include accessibility features such as screen readers and text-to-speech capabilities. For neurodiverse individuals, this goes beyond physical access and extends to cognitive ease of use.
  • Considerations for Neurodiverse Users.
  • Text Simplification Tools: Incorporating tools that break down complex text into more digestible, easier-to-understand chunks helps users with dyslexia or cognitive processing disorders.
  • Visual Cues and Symbols: Using icons, visuals, or infographics can help neurodiverse users process information faster and more efficiently.

Self-service Devices (ATMs, Ticket Machines):

  • Self-service devices must provide accessible interfaces with features like audio guides, tactile feedback, and screen reader support.
  • Considerations for Neurodiverse Users:
  • Simplified User Interface: Ensure that self-service machines have straightforward, simple interfaces to reduce cognitive overload for users with ADHD or autism.
  • Clear, Step-by-Step Instructions: For neurodiverse users, providing clear instructions (via both visual and audio options) on how to interact with the machine helps reduce anxiety and confusion.

E-commerce Platforms:

  • E-commerce platforms must ensure accessible browsing, purchasing processes, and payment options in accordance with WCAG standards.
  • Considerations for Neurodiverse Users:
  • Predictive Search Features: Help users with cognitive difficulties quickly find what they need through predictive search tools.
  • Clear Purchase Path: Simplify the checkout process to avoid confusion or frustration, ensuring clear, consistent steps from browsing to payment.
  • Visual and Auditory Cues: Use color coding, icons, and sound to guide users through processes, making it easier for neurodiverse individuals to follow instructions.

Preparing for EAA Compliance

  1. Assess Your Current Accessibility: Conduct an accessibility audit of your digital assets to understand where you currently stand and identify areas for improvement. Consider the needs of neurodiverse users alongside other disabilities.
  2. Create a Strategic Plan: Once you’ve identified gaps, develop a plan that involves stakeholders across different departments. Ensure that neurodiversity considerations are part of the accessibility roadmap, focusing on cognitive ease, sensory adjustments, and simple navigation.
  3. Provide Training: Equip your team with the knowledge and tools they need to create accessible content. Train your staff on how neurodiverse individuals interact with digital content and services to ensure inclusive designs.
  4. Test and Monitor: Regular testing ensures that your services remain accessible. Use automated tools and involve users with various disabilities, including neurodiverse individuals, in testing for ongoing feedback.

Tools to Ensure Compliance and Support Neurodiverse Users

Adopting tools and solutions that help your business meet accessibility standards is key to complying with the EAA. Here’s a list of global tools that can help your business cater to neurodiverse individuals and those with disabilities:

WAVE (WebAIM, U.S.)

A free tool that scans websites for accessibility issues, highlighting areas for improvement such as low contrast, missing alt text, and complex navigation, which may affect neurodiverse users.

axe DevTools (Deque Systems, U.S.)

A browser extension that identifies web accessibility issues, including cognitive overload risks, and offers developers detailed guidance to simplify and improve user experiences.

 

ClaroRead (UK)

A multi-sensory tool for neurodiverse individuals, especially those with dyslexia, that offers text-to-speech, word prediction, and screen masking, ensuring better comprehension and reduced cognitive load.

 

MindMeister (Germany)

A visual mind-mapping tool perfect for neurodiverse individuals, helping users organize information visually and process tasks more easily, supporting those with ADHD and dyslexia.

 

ReachDeck (TextHelp, U.S.)

ReachDeck provides a toolbar and tools that allow users to customize their online experience, offering text-to-speech, reading aids, and translation support, making websites more accessible to neurodiverse individuals.

 

SnapType Pro (U.S.)

A digital solution for neurodiverse students with writing difficulties, allowing users to take pictures of worksheets and type answers directly on them, bypassing handwriting challenges.

 

Brain in Hand (UK)

A support tool that helps neurodiverse individuals manage daily tasks by providing real-time access to personalized strategies, reducing anxiety and enhancing independence for users with autism or ADHD.

Why Act Now?

Investing in accessibility today benefits your business in several ways:

  • Reach a wider audience: By ensuring accessibility, you can engage with the 1 in 4 people in the EU living with disabilities, including neurodiverse individuals.
  • Brand Reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to accessibility enhances your brand’s image as inclusive and socially responsible, while showing that you consider the cognitive and sensory needs of your audience.
  • Cost Savings: Making your digital assets accessible now will prevent costly future adjustments as standards evolve, ensuring long-term savings and compliance.

Conclusion

The EAA is more than a legal requirement—it’s an opportunity for businesses to create a more inclusive digital environment for all users, including those with neurodiverse needs. With the right strategy, tools, and commitment to accessibility, you can ensure your business is ready to meet EAA standards while fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for neurodiverse individuals. Investing in accessibility today will enhance your business’s reputation, reach a wider audience, and pave the way for long-term success in a more inclusive digital world.