Digital accessibility isn’t, and should never be, a last-minute decision. 

While the implementation of accessible design has been improving in recent years, we’re set to see a big shift in 2025. 

New global and country-specific regulations will make accessible design a legal requirement. Not just for people with disabilities, but for everyone. 

Missing these requirements could mean facing penalties or losing access to key markets – so it’s worth getting ahead of them now. 

Even with the recent shift in improved accessible design, only 3% of the internet is actually accessible to individuals with disabilities (UserWay). 

Appalling, right? 

Accessible design affects a lot – on top of that, it’s simply the right thing to do both morally and legally. 

At the very bottom level, you don’t want to alienate anyone. Why build something and promote it if people can’t even use it? 

Making your site accessible widens your audience. It shows you care about your customers and anyone else who lands on your site. 

Accessible design should be in from the get-go. Add it to your processes. Train your teams on it. 

Whatever you do, make sure it’s never a second thought. It’s a requirement – and the clock’s ticking to get it sorted. 

Accessibility regulations aren’t new. The UK Equality Act 2010 has long required digital services to be accessible to all users. 

But from 2025, new laws will tighten the rules and increase enforcement.  

Even though new laws apply to EU and US markets, if you supply products or services to organisations in these regions, they affect you. 

June 28th marks when the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will come into force. 

The EAA makes it mandatory for businesses to ensure their websites, apps, e-commerce platforms and digital tools are usable by everyone. Companies will need to follow a standard called EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines 

WCAG 2.1 AA is based on four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust. The “AA” stands for “Level AA,” the second-highest level of compliance, and what many governments consider the minimum standard to achieve. 

If you fail to comply with the EAA, you could face exclusion from EU markets and very high legal penalties. 

Colorado’s HB-21 has made accessibility a legal requirement for all state government websites, apps and digital documents.  

Your digital content needs to meet WCAG 2.1 standards if you want to work with public sector organisations in Colorado. 

For UK businesses offering services to US clients, this matters. Non-compliance could put contracts at risk. Not to mention a multitude of potential lawsuits. 

HB-21 may just be the start of something bigger. A test case that could see more states following in Colorado’s footsteps.  

If you trade in the US, getting ahead of this now will save you a lot of headaches down the line. 

While not new, the UK Equality Act 2010 means digital accessibility is a legal requirement. 

Companies must make “reasonable adjustments” to ensure individuals with disabilities can access their tools and platforms like anyone else.  

Failure to comply can lead to reputational damage and discrimination lawsuits with high payout costs. 

Disability discrimination tops the list for tribunal payouts in the UK with an average award of £45,435. That figure is just the payout, though. If you factor in legal fees, PR fallout, internal stress and HR time, the true cost is much higher. 

Unlike new laws that may come with grace periods to ensure compliance, the Equality Act has been enforceable for over a decade. If you haven’t addressed accessibility yet, you need act now.  

You might already have accessibility on your radar. But if you’re running an older system with stretched internal resources, updates might get forgotten. 

For larger teams, you might have the budget, but not always the time or know-how to make the right changes. 

Whatever situation you find yourself in, the consequences are always the same. Non-compliance can land you in some pretty hot water. Why take the risk? Addressing the issues now will make everything easier down the line. 

Working with Telescopic makes it easier to stay on top of new rules. We help you improve what you already have and guide you through change (step by step so you’re always compliant). 

Accessibility is embedded into everything we do. We’ve supported organisations like The Valuable 500 and The Royal Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and continue to apply the same care across all our work. 

Make real changes that help you follow the rules and improve user experience.  

Make accessibility work.