From 28 June 2025 the requirements of the European Accessibility Act apply: e-commerce, banking, transport tickets and other services must be usable by people with disabilities.
Directive (EU) 2019/882, known as the European Accessibility Act, which Spain transposed through Law 11/2023, began to apply on 28 June 2025. From that date certain products and services sold in the European Union must meet accessibility requirements so that people with disabilities and older people can use them on equal terms.
What it covers
The rules reach products such as computers, phones, payment terminals, cash machines, ticket machines and e-readers, and services such as e-commerce, consumer banking, communications services, e-books and passenger transport services, including ticket sales and online information.
In practice, an online shop or a banking app must be usable with a screen reader and a keyboard, without relying on colour or sound, with clear text and alternatives to images. The technical benchmark is the European web accessibility standards, aligned with the international WCAG guidelines.
Who is excluded and what the deadlines are
Micro-enterprises providing services, with fewer than ten employees and turnover or a balance sheet not exceeding €2 million, are exempt from the requirements on services. Services already provided with earlier products may continue during a transitional period until 2030, and self-service terminals already installed until the end of their useful life, up to a maximum of twenty years.
Non-compliance can lead to penalties from consumer authorities and the withdrawal of the product or service, as well as complaints from users themselves.
What to review
If your business sells online to consumers or provides services covered by the rules, it is worth commissioning an accessibility review of your website and apps, publishing an accessibility statement and training the people who produce content. Many improvements, such as alternative text, sufficient contrast and well-labelled forms, also improve the experience of every customer and search-engine ranking.
Ask your adviser whether your activity falls within the scope of the rules.
A website everyone can use is also a website that sells more.
This article is general information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice, and it does not take anyone’s particular circumstances into account.
