Accessibility Isn’t Optional. Why Your UX & UI Design Teams Should Care

With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) now officially in effect as of June 28, 2025, the digital playing field has shifted (probably permanently). User expectations are at an all-time high, and compliance is no longer optional. For UX/ UI teams and digital product owners, the message is clear: your websites, apps, and services must be accessible, or risk being left behind. Accessibility is no longer a nice-to-have. It's a business-critical, legal, and ethical priority.

And while compliance with this new legislation may be the starting point, the real opportunity lies in creating better digital experiences, with more inclusive UX/ UI, and truly intuitive design.

As companies take their first steps toward becoming more accessible, let’s dive into why inclusive UX/ UI design is at the heart of accessibility and how your brand can take clear, strategic steps to align with the EAA while delivering better products in the process.

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Why Accessibility Deserves the Spotlight

Accessibility isn’t just another trend. It’s a transformative shift in how digital products are designed and delivered. The EAA now requires that businesses across key sectors (e-commerce, banking, telecommunications, transport, etc.) ensure their digital offerings are curated to people with a range of disabilities.

Ignoring accessibility risks means more than just non-compliance penalties, as it creates barriers for a huge portion of your potential audience. Embracing it, on the other hand, fosters trust and leads to improved digital experiences for all users, regardless of their (dis)ability.

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The Role of Inclusive UX & UI in EAA Compliance

While much of the focus around the European Accessibility Act tends to land on technical standards, the truth is that accessibility begins with design. UX and UI decisions play a central role in determining whether a digital product is inclusive or exclusionary. From how users navigate a website to how they perceive visual elements or interact with forms, the foundation of accessibility is laid in the early stages of product planning and design. Poor contrast, unclear feedback, or overly complex navigation structures are not just usability issues. They’re accessibility failures. 

To comply with the EAA and meet the needs of diverse users, brands must embed inclusive thinking into their UX research, user flows, and UI components. Accessibility is not a bolt-on fix, but a mindset that must be present throughout the design process.

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Where to Start: The Inclusive UX Perspective

A strategic approach to inclusive UX lays the foundation for accessible (and inclusive) experiences. Here's a quick and easy step-by-step UX-focused plan to help you get things started:

• Start with empathy: Map out all user personas, including users with vision, motor, cognitive, and auditory disabilities.
• Conduct inclusive user research: Involve users with diverse needs early and often to uncover barriers that traditional testing might miss.
• Simplify user flows: Reduce the number of steps it takes to complete an action. Clarity benefits everyone.
• Design for keyboard navigation: Ensure users can navigate entirely without a mouse. This is critical for users with motor impairments.
• Provide clear feedback loops: Ensure that forms, errors, and interactions give meaningful, real-time feedback to help users stay in control.
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From a UI Lens: Making Visual Design Inclusive

Inclusive UI design also plays a massive role in making accessibility real on screen. Here are a few things you should take into consideration:

• Use sufficient color contrast: This helps users with visual impairments (and even those just browsing in bright sunlight).
• Avoid relying solely on color: Important cues should be supported by icons, text, or shapes.
• Ensure scalable typography: Use relative units so users can resize text without breaking layouts.
• Design consistent and predictable interfaces: Familiar patterns and predictable behavior reduce the cognitive load.
• Support screen readers: Use proper HTML semantics and ARIA labels to make content machine-readable and navigable.

Remember: small UI tweaks can have a huge impact on accessibility.

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Excellent UX/ UI Accessibility in Action

Some brands are already leading the way with accessible design and transforming their platforms into accessible and inclusive experiences for all users. Here are just a few:

• Apple has long been a pioneer, integrating features like VoiceOver and custom display settings into both hardware and software.
• The BBC applies inclusive design principles across its digital platforms, offering keyboard navigation, text alternatives, and adjustable settings.
• Microsoft has invested heavily in accessible design across its ecosystem, from Office tools with immersive readers to its Accessibility Insights tool, which helps designers and developers test for compliance early in the process.

These brands prove that accessibility and great design can (and should) coexist.

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Final Thoughts

Accessibility is about being human-centered. By focusing on UX and UI, brands don’t just meet legal requirements, but they also build better, more inclusive products that work for everyone.

The EAA is here. The opportunity to lead with accessibility is now.

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Want to take the next step?

Download our free eBook for practical checklists, design guidelines, and real-world examples that will help you build accessible digital experiences.