The talk then shifted to the regulatory landscape. In the United States, the ADA of 1990 established disability rights, but enforcement in digital products has played out through court battles rather than clear legislation. In the EU, the 2016 Web Accessibility Directive required public sector websites and apps to meet accessibility standards.
The major regulatory shift for product teams is the European Accessibility Act. Unlike earlier directives that focused on the public sector, this regulation targets private organisations. Built on the principle of "Design for all" and grounded in WCAG, member states had until June 2022 to translate it into national law. Enforcement begins in July 2025. The scope is broad: computers, smartphones, streaming services, banking, e-commerce, and transportation all fall under the regulation.
“I had to change banks because I could not stomach the bright red. It made me physically nauseous.”
- User with colour vision deficiency, quoted during the talk
“With our non-profit for blind people, we actively discourage companies from using itsme because it is not accessible for us.”
- Fully blind user, quoted during the talk
Beyond compliance, the business case is compelling on its own. Research cited in the talk showed that 83% of users with access needs limit their shopping to barrier-free sites, and 75% say accessibility is more important than price when making spending decisions. In Flanders alone, 22.6% of the population over 18 has a permanent disability. Add their friends, families, people with temporary conditions, and situational barriers, and the addressable market that benefits from inclusive design becomes the majority, not the minority.
lightbulbThe cost of ignoring accessibility
Beyond the moral and legal arguments, inaccessible products carry direct costs: litigation risk, customer complaints, reactive fixes that cost more than proactive design, and brand damage. WCAG serves as a quality guideline that aligns with brand values and prevents these downstream expenses.
