From Standard to Business Risk: The EAA in Perspective
The European Accessibility Act (EAA), transposed in Spain by Law 11/2023, has marked June 28, 2025, as the key date. From this moment on, any new digital product or service in essential sectors—such as banking, e-commerce, transport, and communications—must be accessible to all users.
The question for any product leader is no longer whether it should be accessible, but whether they can afford for their product not to be. The EAA has transformed "goodwill" into a strict legal imperative. Given that the development and audit cycle requires months, the window to act is now. Non-compliance translates into three direct threats to the bottom line:
Threat 1: Exponential Fines and Risk Exposure Fines can reach up to 1,000,000 euros. As designers and product managers, we must understand that if our software presents systematic failures that exclude millions of users, the economic risk is direct and measurable.
Threat 2: Litigation for Discrimination Under the law, an accessibility failure is a form of discrimination. This means that any person with a disability, or the associations representing them, has the right to initiate civil lawsuits against the company, resulting in irreversible reputational damage.
The "Half-Measure Accessibility" Trap If we focus only on color contrast and alt text while ignoring the design of support interactions, our product remains legally vulnerable. Relying solely on basic standards like WCAG 2.1 AA does not guarantee legal compliance in Europe. The most common failure point in product design is ignoring accessibility in Real-Time Communication—for example, chat support or VoIP—which requires integration of critical functionalities like Real-Time Text (RTT) and the technical requirements of UNE-EN 301549:2022.
Inclusive Design: The Only Growth Strategy
From our point of view, the EAA is not just a defensive measure. For the Spanish market, where 98% of private sector websites still do not comply with regulations, accessibility is, in fact, the greatest opportunity for growth.
- Access to 4.7 Million Excluded Users: More than 4.7 million people with disabilities are, as of today, excluded from the majority of Spanish digital services. A product that achieves conformity before or immediately after June 2025 will immediately capture this underserved segment, becoming the preferred provider and gaining market share.
- SEO and Universal Usability Improvement: Accessibility best practices (correct semantic HTML, robust contrast) are identical to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and universal usability best practices. Investing in accessibility is investing in better organic positioning and a fluid experience for all users, not just those with disabilities.
- Reputational Shielding: Inclusion generates brand loyalty. Conversely, serious non-compliance can lead to ancillary penalties, such as being barred from public tenders and contracts, closing the door to major business opportunities.
Our Strategy: Integrating Accessibility into the Product DNA
As a design and digital strategy agency, we understand that accessibility must be an intrinsic process, not a last-minute patch. We approach the EAA not as a limit, but as a standard of excellence that ensures sustainable product growth.
Our approach is based on total integration, guaranteeing legal and technological compliance from product conception:
- 360º Audit: We do not limit ourselves to WCAG checklists. We perform an exhaustive Gap Analysis Audit that measures the product directly against UNE-EN 301549:2022, the harmonized standard of the EAA. We prioritize identifying failures in critical functionalities that the Law penalizes most harshly, such as Real-Time Communication and interoperability with assistive technologies.
- Inclusive Design by Default: Accessibility is not a QA task; it is a UX/UI specification. We guarantee it is integrated into all interfaces, and that every component developed (from buttons to carousels) meets the required contrast and keyboard navigation standards. This translates into an inherently accessible Design System.
- Sustainable and Continuous Growth: Late correction is exponentially expensive. We integrate accessibility requirements into every development sprint. This continuous cycle approach not only minimizes future legal risk but ensures your product is always ready for upcoming regulations, turning compliance into a constant engine for innovation and market expansion.
The EAA forces us to be better designers. It is time to stop viewing accessibility as a cost or a legal burden, and start seeing it as the standard of excellence for building the digital future. The risk of inaction is high; the reward for acting is the loyalty of millions of users.
Next Step: Transform Risk into Growth
Do not wait for your product to be audited by the authorities. It is time to design for growth and compliance.
