The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a European Directive that contains accessibility requirements for a range of products and services. The EAA came into effect in Ireland on 28 June 2025.
One of the main aims of the EAA is to increase the availability of accessible products and services across the EU by enforcing accessibility requirements. It is intended that persons with disabilities and elderly people will benefit from:
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more accessible products and services in the market
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accessible products and services at more competitive prices
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fewer barriers when accessing transport, education and the open labour market
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more jobs available where accessibility expertise is needed.
The European accessibility act covers products and services that have been identified as being most important for persons with disabilities while being most likely to have diverging accessibility requirements across EU countries. The Commission consulted stakeholders and experts on accessibility and took into account the obligations deriving from the UN convention on persons with disabilities. The products and services include:
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computers and operating systems
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ATMs, ticketing and check-in machines
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smartphones
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TV equipment related to digital television services
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telephony services and related equipment
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access to audio-visual media services such as television broadcast and related consumer equipment
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services related to air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport
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banking services
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e-books
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e-commerce
As three of the Motions adopted at this year’s AGM were about improving accessibility of services, we will watch developments with interest.
More information can be found by following these links.
European accessibility act – European Commission
https://nda.ie/accessibility/european-accessibility-act