European Companies Struggle to Meet New Accessibility Act Standards Despite Ample Preparation Time

European Companies Adrift in Accessibility Standards

As of this week, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) comes into force, mandating that digital services be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. Despite having six years to prepare, a recent report from Evinced reveals that most companies across Europe remain unready to comply fully with the new regulations.

EAA Report Findings

In its EAA Readiness Report, Evinced surveyed 120 European firms from April to May 2025. It found that only 27% of the firms consider themselves fully prepared. In contrast, 45% stated they are partially prepared, while a concerning 28% admitted to being either largely unprepared or completely unprepared. This striking divide raises questions about the technology sector's commitment to inclusivity.

Overconfidence Masking Underpreparedness

When delving deeper into the insights of the report, it becomes clear that many firms' self-assessed readiness might be misleading. Among those who feel ready, a mere 19% have adequately adapted their product development processes to proactively prevent accessibility problems. Yet, an encouraging 84% plan to implement these changes within the year, aiming to engage specialized teams, tools, and training.

It is important to note that those unprepared companies tend to be significantly smaller on average than their fully prepared counterparts. Many do not foresee making considerable progress towards compliance in 2025, expecting full adherence to the regulations to take several more years. They plan to rely mostly on remedial measures, audits, and partial adjustments, often without utilizing specialized accessibility tools or teams.