Accessibility beyond compliance: a driver for innovation and UX

June 2025 is the deadline for compliance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA), a regulation that will radically change the way digital products and services must be designed and made accessible. For many companies, this means facing new regulatory challenges, with the primary goal of meeting the required standards and avoiding penalties.

Previously, in our blog post on frequently asked questions about accessibility, we aimed to clarify regulatory requirements and business obligations. But today, we want to go a step further—not stopping at compliance, but exploring how regulatory adaptation can drive innovation and enhance the user experience.

Accessibility and UX: two pillars of digital innovation

The European accessibility regulations are designed to ensure that people with disabilities have full access to products and services, but their impact goes far beyond that. Integrating accessibility into design processes isn’t just about following the rules; it’s about redefining the user experience to make it simpler, more intuitive, and more meaningful for everyone.

Viewing accessibility as a core element of user experience brings tangible benefits:

• Interfaces become more usable for people with specific needs and in diverse usage conditions (such as noisy environments or small screens).
• Navigation, content comprehension, and interaction improve for everyone, moving beyond the concept of "minimum compliance" and embracing a design that is useful, robust, and people-centered.

How to leverage accessibility for innovation: combined lessons

Regulations like the EAA provide guidelines, but it’s up to professionals and clients to turn them into opportunities.
Here’s how accessibility principles and UX best practices can work together:

1. Subtract to include

The new European accessibility standard requires digital products to be perceivable, operable, and understandable by all. This is a key opportunity to rethink design in terms of simplicity and inclusion. Designing a simple (not necessarily simplified) interface doesn’t mean removing functionality, but eliminating the unnecessary to highlight what is essential.

Moreover, simplifying an interface reduces cognitive load for people with cognitive disabilities or attention difficulties. The fewer distractions, the easier it becomes to navigate and interact—this benefits all users, especially given today’s ever-decreasing attention span.

For example, an e-commerce site that clearly organizes its main sections (filters, cart, categories, etc.) and removes superfluous elements not only helps users with specific needs but also speeds up and improves the experience for everyone.
It’s similar to the mobile-first approach from a decade ago—if we design for a small screen like a smartphone, we become more intentional, concise, and effective, even when content and interfaces are later viewed on larger screens.

Practical tip: Review your interface and ask yourself: Which elements add real value to the user experience? What can I simplify to enhance overall usability?

2. Semantic structure and visual clarity

Compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) requires organizing content semantically and making information clear and accessible. But this practice can be much more than just meeting a standard—it’s an opportunity to improve overall comprehension.

Words, when carefully chosen and positioned, are tools of inclusion. They provide context, guide users, and help overcome cognitive or linguistic barriers. Writing clear, descriptive microcopy not only benefits users relying on screen readers but improves the experience for all.

A button with a clear label like "Add to cart" is more understandable than an icon without text. Similarly, a well-defined heading—both visually and typographically—helps all users navigate and scan the page more efficiently.

Practical tip: Before publishing content, check: Is the text and structure clear even for users relying on assistive technologies? Would a first-time or senior user immediately understand how to navigate? What about someone for whom English is a second language?

3. Designing for Equality

Accessibility should never be an afterthought or an optional add-on—it should be a central part of the design process. Designing for equality means ensuring that every user, regardless of their abilities or conditions, has access to the same quality of experience. This is the true meaning of inclusivity.

Consider a video streaming platform. Providing accessible subtitles for users with hearing disabilities not only meets accessibility requirements but also creates value for users in noisy environments or those who prefer watching content without sound. The same logic applies to a comic strip—a text alternative shouldn’t spoil the punchline or explain why it’s funny but should instead convey the joke in a different format. This approach ensures that the message is accessible and enjoyable for all without compromises.

Practical tip: During the design process, put yourself in the shoes of different user types. Does every function or piece of content offer the same quality of experience, regardless of usage conditions or abilities?

4. Collaboration and continuous improvement

Accessibility is not a static goal but an ongoing journey that requires collaboration and openness to improvement. Training designers and developers in assistive technologies and including people with disabilities in iterative testing transforms inclusive design into a daily practice rather than just a regulatory obligation. True innovation happens when teams work together, involving people who face digital barriers firsthand.

Organizing workshops where teams experiment with screen readers or disability simulators not only increases awareness but also inspires new ideas for improving the user experience. Similarly, integrating regular tests with real users—including those with disabilities—helps identify and address barriers continuously, refining the product with each iteration.

Practical tip: Incorporate real user feedback at every stage of the project. What challenges do they encounter? Do the proposed solutions improve the experience for everyone, not just those facing specific difficulties? If you already conduct research and user testing, include a participant with disabilities in your panel — you might uncover a new perspective.

More opportunity than obligation

The EU’s accessibility regulation marks a significant shift in the digital landscape. It’s not just a rule to follow but an invitation to rethink how we design and develop better experiences for everyone.

Integrating accessibility doesn’t mean adding complexity to processes — it means discovering new opportunities to simplify, innovate, and improve. Companies that embrace this challenge can go beyond compliance, becoming leaders in a transformation that is both cultural and design-driven.

If you want to explore how accessibility and UX can drive innovation, start with small steps: a guided evaluation of your digital product, a workshop, or simply a conversation. Because change starts with listening and the willingness to make a difference.

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Recommended reading

About half a century ago, Dieter Rams, in designing small appliances, had already reached several conclusions about design — talking about utility, simplicity, essentiality, clarity, and sustainability before they became mainstream. What we’ve written above isn’t new, yet it’s often overlooked.

John Maeda discusses simplicity and the power of reducing to clarify in his well-known book "The Laws of Simplicity", which remains an excellent read in an increasingly complex world.