—TechRound does not recommend or endorse any financial, gambling, professional or other advice, practices or companies. All articles are purely informational—
The accessibility act is set to commence in June 2025, but UK financial businesses are still lagging behind. In light of UK firms continuing to grapple with structural operational headwinds that are digital-centric, concern mounts over the compliance adaptations that the EURO AREA imposes for a starfled operation ecosystem.
The Urgency Behind the EU Accessibility Act
The European Act, passed in 2019, comes into force for member states as of June 28, 2025. The goal of the law is to grant easy and direct access to services and products from the banking sector and e-commerce to people with disabilities, ensuring seamless interaction with ATMs, mobile gadgets, and ticket vending machines.
Despite the UK’s significance in leaving the EU, UK financial service providers are still subject to compliance. The act works both ways; it covers accessible goods and services put forth by UK firms into the goods and services market of the European single market, as well as brick-and-mortar stores. The firm’s customer base determines the applicability scope, extending to mobile applications, internet websites, and digital banking interfaces accessed by EU clients.
The EAA cites standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, which explain the methods for organising content on the internet so that people with various forms of impairment, like visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor disabilities, can use it.
For those businesses that have not yet attended to accessibility, the deadline is getting closer. The Act has left it to the EU member states to decide how they will enforce it, but it is evident that there will be consequences. Penalties, reputational harm, and potential ban from the market for failing to provide accessible digital services will be the reality.
Why UK Financial Firms Are Falling Behind
Research shows that only 30% of UK financial firms have addressed the necessary steps in the digital space. In fact, many of these businesses have EU customers and operate cross-border digital platforms.
This is all attributed to a single problem: lack of information. Some firms have an impression that Brexit meant they no longer had obligations to follow EU rules. With regards to customer service, however, these services are still accessible where the end-user is located within the EU. This logic has resulted in some organisations deciding that it is best to deprioritise accessibility because, in reality, it is not urgent.
Resource constraints also have an impact. Specifically, smaller firms might lack accessibility audits or the technical capability to make the necessary changes (source: Zamsino). With no orders to fill or complaints to attend to, accessibility work is often thought of as a long-term initiative, and in practice, is postponed.
Inertia is worsened by technical complexity. WCAG 2.1 compliance requires testing and extensive modification of all existing digital platforms. These changes include, but are not limited to colour contrast and screen reader compatibility, keyboard-only navigation, and captioned media. Many firms do not know where to start because these changes are not simple to implement.
As a result of these factors, a large proportion of firms entering the final year before enforcement lack a strategy, or at the very least, a fundamental evaluation of their position.
The Business Risks of Non-Compliance
The risks for firms that choose not to comply with the EU Accessibility Act is anything but vague. While different member states will impose varying legal remedies, enforcement is expected to be very active. There will be national authority powers to investigate complaints, conduct inspections, and impose fines.
Aside from fines, there are other major consequences. Firms that do not comply may be barred from public tenders and have restricted access to operate in other EU countries. Accessibility features have become a staple in public tenders, air procurement, and even partnerships. These constraints may be detrimental to growth.
Reputational risk also cannot be ignored. Advocacy groups are quick to hold businesses accountable for non-compliance with accessibility standards. Legal battles led by individuals or organizations defending disabilities can cause a PR disaster and reputation loss.
From an operational viewpoint, non-compliance leads to rushed reactive changes that are costly and disruptive compared to planned modifications. In some cases, platforms might need complete overhauls to meet contemporary standards, which is expensive, but if implemented sooner, costs could be offset over time.
Steps Toward Achieving Digital Accessibility
Businesses yet to start working towards compliance can still do something about it, but time is running out. The first step is conducting an accessibility audit by reviewing websites, mobile applications, and internal systems against WCAG 2.1 guidelines and bridging the known gaps.
After the audit has been completed, a roadmap must be created. This must define the timeline, priorities, and actions needed. For example, large-scale alterations can begin with customer login, online statement, and payment interfaces first before moving on to other, more complicated areas. These can also be divided into manageable phases.
Elaboration includes the bulk of the work.
This often consists of changing the layout on certain pages, enabling tab navigation, ensuring that every piece of text can be read by a screen reader, and adding captions to videos. It’s also important to note that accessibility is not solely making a website functional with code; it also includes content creation, font choice and style, as well as design of error prompts.
Another essential component. People in charge of web content and customer service as well and design must be familiar with the fundamental principles of accessibility. Should this not be the case, fully compliant systems can transform into non-compliant systems within no time due to everyday updates.
It is proper to assume that some people with disabilities need to be invited to test the firm’s platforms or other tools. Many problems can be solved by automated tools, but practical insights can only be given by actual users.
—TechRound does not recommend or endorse any financial, gambling, professional or other advice, practices or companies. All articles are purely informational—
