WCAG 2025: Does your digital product comply with the new accessibility law?

Online accessibility is not a side issue, it’s a crucial part of a strong digital experience. Over 15% of Europe’s population lives with a disability, amounting to more than 112 million people. And we’re not just talking about permanent disabilities. Accessibility also helps people with temporary or situational limitations, think of someone with a broken arm, impaired vision, or someone trying to use your website in bright sunlight on their phone. An accessible website isn't a luxury; it’s a necessity. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) ensures that everyone, regardless of circumstance, has equal access to the digital world.

Why accessible digital products matter

Accessibility is more than a legal requirement, it’s a strategic advantage. An accessible digital product, like a website or app, directly contributes to your organization’s digital success. It strengthens your brand, improves search visibility, expands your potential audience, and enhances the user experience for all.

• Strengthen your brand: Accessibility shows that your brand values inclusion and equal opportunity. A digital product that meets EAA standards communicates that your organization is socially responsible and trustworthy, values that matter deeply to today’s users.
• Improve search visibility: Following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines encourages clear structure through proper use of headings (H1, H2, H3) and intuitive navigation. This not only helps users — it also helps search engines index and rank your content better.
• Reach a broader audience: Making your digital product accessible opens it up to people who might otherwise be excluded. Plus, WCAG is becoming a global standard. If your website or app meets these requirements, you’re well-positioned to operate internationally without barriers.
• Create better user experiences: Improved usability means fewer drop-offs during the customer journey. That leads to higher conversion rates and a better chance of attracting and retaining new users.

What’s Changing?

On June 28, 2025, the updated European Accessibility Act takes effect. This means that all websites, apps, e-books, ticketing services, and financial platforms offering products or services to European customers must comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Previously, this requirement only applied to government and semi-government organizations.

In practice this means, for example, that you must display clear error messages on forms, ensure that navigation on desktop, tablet, or mobile is logical and consistent, and that buttons or interactions function in a predictable and understandable way. Everything must be designed to be operable, understandable, and user-friendly for all users.

The power of inclusive digital experiences

When you work on improving accessibility, it’s essential to understand who benefits. Besides people with visual or auditory impairments, accessible websites help users with limited literacy, attention disorders, or motor impairments. Even temporary limitations, such as a broken arm or using a phone in bright sunlight, affect how people interact with your product. To ensure inclusivity, the WCAG provides clear guidelines. For example:

• Videos must have subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
• All functionality must be accessible via keyboard.
• Clickable elements should meet minimum size requirements.
• Time limits should be extendable or removable.

By designing with these standards in mind, designers, developers, and content creators can build digital products that truly work for everyone. Many of the WCAG principles also improve the overall user experience, from intuitive navigation to better readability through higher color contrast. What benefits users with disabilities often makes the product better for all.

How to make your website WCAG-compliant

Want to improve your website’s accessibility but not sure where to start? Good news: you don’t have to figure it out alone. There are several actionable steps you can take to make and keep your website accessible:

• WCAG audits and quick scans: Start by understanding where your website stands. A WCAG audit or quick scan helps identify compliance issues. At Harborn, we analyze your site, highlight problem areas, and provide practical recommendations for improvement.
• Accessible content: We help clients write structured, well-organized content using correct heading levels (H1, H2, etc.), add alternative image descriptions, and ensure a logical content hierarchy throughout.
• User testing: Testing with real users, especially those who rely on accessibility, is one of the most powerful ways to uncover problems. It reveals where users get stuck, what’s confusing, and how the experience can be improved. This results in meaningful insights and concrete next steps for optimizing your website or app.

Harborn as your digital partner

At Harborn, we help organizations design, build, and test accessible digital solutions. We believe every user deserves a seamless and inclusive experience. Through our CX & Design service, we offer tailored support in strategy, design, and implementation. Our designers and front-end developers are certified in digital accessibility, ensuring we follow the latest standards and best practices.

Using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as our foundation, we help create a digital world where human experience comes first.