Date: 30th Jun 2026
One year ago (June 28th 2025), the European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into force, marking a shift in how digital products are delivered across the EU.
While we can be very proud that Europe is doubling down on inclusion, a year after the EAA, millions of Europeans with disabilities still encounter barriers on a daily basis when applying for jobs, accessing services, shopping online or managing their finances.
I have experienced firsthand how technology can empower people to be independent or, conversely, exclude them completely from an increasingly digital world. Digital inclusion is one of the biggest issues facing modern society, but legislation alone will not create an inclusive culture.
According to the WHO, over one billion people globally are living with a disability. One in four people needs assistance to access the internet. However, less than four per cent (4%) of websites worldwide meet the minimum accessibility standard. While most major countries have laws in place to address this, including Ireland, little real change has been seen. In 2019, 97.8% of the world's top one million websites failed basic WCAG standards. By 2025, that figure had crept down to 94.8%.
A year on, the 2026 data is in. It's back up to 95.9%.
If one in four of the world's population can't fully engage in a digital world, we've got a problem. The European Accessibility Act signals Europe's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the digital age. DEI may not be the easiest path, but by any moral measure, it is the right thing to do.
From a cultural society standpoint, Europe's EAA is beginning to provide a framework for including everyone in the digital world. But inclusion is more than a checkbox exercise.
Take the banking sector. It is still incredibly inaccessible. Many older people, those with vision impairments or individuals with learning difficulties can't access an ATM or read their own bank statements. Yet, we have an inherent right to financial independence.
We must move beyond Digital Accessibility, which is about making accommodations for people with different abilities and transition towards inclusion. Inclusion means independence.
Having spent years advocating for digital inclusion, I see three compelling reasons why it's in every European company's best interest to embrace digital inclusion.
We know that one in four people globally needs assistance to access the online world. If you told any CEO or CMO they could gain a 25% increase in reach, acquisition, or conversion, they'd bite your hand off!
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