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Digital accessibility: New European accessibility rules

Written by Karine Simard | 16-Jun-2025 7:00:00 AM

From 28 June 2025, a European directive will considerably expand the obligations in terms of digital accessibility. This new regulation marks a major turning point as it aims to harmonise the accessibility of digital products and services throughout the European Union, by imposing precise standards on private companies. 

Who is affected by the directive? 

The directive will apply to private companies in europe with more than 10 employees who have an annual revenue of more than 2 million euros. These companies will need to make their digital products and services accessible, in compliance with the WCAG 2.1 Level A criteria. 

Two major dates to remember: 

  1. June 28, 2025: All new digital services and sites must be accessible as soon as they are launched. 
  2. 28 June 2030: Existing digital services will have until this date to comply. 

This is a significant change in scale from previous regulations, such as the RGAA in France, which mostly applied to public entities and large organizations.  

What companies will need to put in place: 

The companies concerned will have to assess their current level of accessibility and start a structured compliance process. This involves: 

  • Carrying out accessibility audits, 
  • Implementing corrective action plans, 
  • Training the teams concerned (designers, developers, content managers, etc.), 
  • Remediating technical anomalies, 
  • Drafting of regulatory documents, such as the accessibility statement and the multi-year plan. 

This represents a cross-functional project, involving both the technical teams and the business and legal departments. 

Comprehensive support to facilitate compliance 

To help companies meet these new obligations, support solutions exist! 
 
Ciao offers: 

  • Personalised diagnoses of accessibility issues 
  • Drafting actionable plans 
  •  Providing targeted training for different profiles 
  • Technical support to correct non-compliances
  • Assistance in drafting the documents required by the Directive. 

Ciao can equally help!  We have additional resources such as our training catalog to build up knowledge on accessibility. 

In conclusion: The 2025 European directive imposes an ambitious but essential upgrade for private sector companies. By acting now, they can not only prepare for these obligations with peace of mind but also offer a better experience to all their users.  

Be ready with Ciao, your digital partner! Tell us about your project!