Social and Legal Aspects

Legislation, Policy, Lawsuits, …

European Union

2003 was the European Year of People with Disabilities. How much progress has the European Union made since then to make society more accessible to people with disabilities? (And how many of the European Union's own websites meet any accessibility standards?)

European Web Accessibility Directive

• European Union: Directive (EU) 2016/2102: Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies. (This is the “Web Accessibility Directive”. Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies: version without the language picker.)
  The directive's preamble (but not its body) contains the following paragraph related to procurement: (21) This Directive is without prejudice to Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) and in particular Article 42 thereof, and Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (7) and in particular Article 60 thereof, which require that the technical specifications for all procurements which are intended for use by natural persons, whether the general public or staff of the contracting authority, shall, except in duly justified cases, be drawn up so as to take into account accessibility criteria for persons with disabilities or design for all users.
  One notable exception in this directive is mentioned in Recital 35: Although this Directive does not apply to the websites and mobile applications of Union institutions, those institutions are encouraged to comply with the accessibility requirements set out in this Directive.
• European Union: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1339 of 11 August 2021 (…): Implementing Decision that makes EN 301 549 V3.2.1 (March 2021) the technical reference for the implementation of the Web Accessibility Directive (Directive EU 2016/2102). This is relevant to the presumption of conformity that manufacturers and service providers may wish to invoke for their products: the presumption only works if the appropriate version of the standard has been used.
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1523 of 11 October 2018 establishing a model accessibility statement in accordance with Directive (EU) 2016/2102 (…), EUR-Lex, 12.10.2018.
  Note that this implementing decision explicitly references the Web Accessibility Directive (Directive 2016/2102) and does not apply to the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882), which had not yet been adopted at that time.
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1524 of 11 October 2018 establishing a monitoring methodology and the arrangements for reporting by Member States in accordance with Directive (EU) 2016/2102 (…), EUR-Lex, 12.10.2018.
  See also Consolidated text: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1524 of 11 October 2018 (…).
  Among other things, this implementing decision defines in-depth monitoring as a monitoring method that thoroughly verifies whether a website or mobile application satisfies all the requirements identified in the standards and technical specifications referred to in Article 6 of Directive (EU) 2016/2102. It also defines certain criteria for sampling content from a website and states that accessibility evalation reports used by the monitoring body must not be more than three years old. The implementing decision also defines simplified monitoring as a monitoring method to websites that detects instances of non-compliance with a sub-set of the requirements in the standards and technical specifications referred to in Article 6 of Directive (EU) 2016/210, adding that simplified monitoring shall aim to cover the following user accessibility needs to the maximum extent it is reasonably possible with the use of automated tests.
• Web Accessibility, Shaping Europe’s digital future (European Commission), last updated on 10.10.2023 (accessed on 15.11.2024).
• Member States' bodies in charge of monitoring the Web Accessibility Directive, Shaping Europe’s digital future (European Commission), last updated on 04.06.2024 (accessed on 15.11.2024).
• Web Accessibility Directive — Standards and harmonisation, Shaping Europe’s digital future (European Commission) (no date; accessed on 30.07.2022).
  According to this page, only 2 versions of standard EN 301 549 have been harmonised so far: version 2.1.2 (harmonised in December 2018) and version 3.2.1 (the sole relevant standard on 12 February 2022). EN 301 459 contains accessibility requirements that are not relevant to the Web Accessibility Directive; those that are relevant are defined in Annex A.
• Web Accessibility Directive - Monitoring reports, Shaping Europe’s digital future (European Commission), 04.01.2022 (accessed on 01.03.2024).
• Web Accessibility Directive: Frequently Asked Questions: website created by the World Wide Web Consortium's WAI-Coop, which is funded by the European Commission.
  One of the questions is Where can I find information about web accessibility standards?
• 01. Accessibility overview, Europa Web Guide - European Commission (accessed on 24.02.2022, 15.11.2024).
• Laurin, Susanna: When standardisation needs to move fast. Funka (no date; early October 2017).
• Sethfors, Hampus: Web Accessibility Directive – What it is and how to comply, Axess Lab, 27.09.2017.
• EDF toolkit on the Web Accessibility Directive, European Disability Forum (EDF), 11.05.2017.
• Edelberg, Elisa: Web Accessibility Requirements Under EU Directive 2016/2102/EU, 3PlayMedia, 07.04.2017, updated 04.01.2018.
• Nebe, Anne-Marie: Gesetzliche Herausforderungen zur digitalen Barrierefreiheit durch die EU-Richtlinie 2016/2102, Fronta11y, 17.05.2018.
• Umfassende Barrierefreiheit von Webangeboten – EU-Richtlinie 2102, Gemeindetag Baden-Württemberg (no date; after 12.12.2018).
• WADcher: Web Accessibility Directive Decision Support Environment: website of a EU-funded project (January 2018 – December 2020).
• Benchmarking, Tingtun, 2019.
  This site is not explicitly related with the Web Accessibility Directive but demonstrates the type of large-scale monitoring that would be useful at the European level. This website could no longer be reached in late July 2022.
• Europäische RICHTLINIE 2016/2102, Barrierefreies Webdesign (no date; accessed on 06.12.2021).
• Fischer, Detlev: What could "simplified monitoring" of the implementation of the Web Accessibility Directive mean?, Team Usability, 15.08.2019.
• Page, Ted: The EU Accessibility Directive becomes UK law, ADD blog, 23.09.2018.
• What Is The European Web Accessibility directive?, Siteimprove, 08.03.2020.
• Van Gils, Roel: Alles wat je moet weten over de verplichte toegankelijkheid van overheidsapps, Eleven Ways on Medium, 23.06.2021.
• EU Runs World’s Largest Accessibility Test, Deque blog, 01.02.2022.
• Bianchini, Danilo; Galasso, Giovanna; Gori, Matteo; Codagnone, Cristiano; Liva, Giovanni; Stazi, Giacomo; Laurin, Susanna; Switters, Jon: Study supporting the review of the application of the Web Accessibility Directive (WAD) — VIGIE 2020-0656: Executive Summary, Publications Office of the European Union, 06.12.2022.
• Bianchini, Danilo; Galasso, Giovanna; Gori, Matteo; Codagnone, Cristiano; Liva, Giovanni; Stazi, Giacomo; Laurin, Susanna; Switters, Jon: Study supporting the review of the application of the Web Accessibility Directive (WAD) — VIGIE 2020-0656: Final Report, Publications Office of the European Union, 06.12.2022.
  Abstract: This Report represents the supporting Study for the evaluation of the Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies (PSBs), also referred to as the Web Accessibility Directive (WAD). This Study analyses the effects and the state of play of the WAD in the period ranging from September 2018 to December 2021. To ensure a thorough evaluation of the effects of EU legislation, the analysis addressed the five evaluation criteria included in the Better Regulation Guidelines, namely: effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, and EU added value. Evidence was gathered through desk research as well as consultation activities. These included a Public Consultation, as well as targeted interviews and surveys with all relevant stakeholder groups. Based on the findings, the Study draws conclusions and provides recommendations for future policy initiatives on web accessibility in the EU.
• Study supporting the review of the Web Accessibility Directive, Shaping Europe’s digital future (European Commission), 07.12.2022.
• Web Accessibility Directive 2016/2102, Access & Use, last updated on 22.05.2024.

European Accessibility Act

• European accessibility act, Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission (no date; accessed on 14.12.2024). (This is a webpage about the act, with links to preparatory documents and reports.)
• EBU: Europäisches Barrierefreiheitsgesetz: Abstimmung im Plenum des EU-Parlaments in erster Lesung, EBU Newsletter, July–September 2017.
• Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services (Text with EEA relevance), EUR-Lex, 07.06.2019.
• Document 32019L0882: Accessibility of products and services, EUR-Lex, 10.09.2019.
• Hakobyan, Mher: European Accessibility Act Toolkit for transposition, European Disability Forum, 31.05.2021.
• European Accessibility Act – Toolkit for transposition, European Union of the Deaf, updated on 09.09.2022.
• European Accessibility Act (EAA) Resource Center, TPGi, last updated 17.12.2024. (You can download a guide from this page.)
• Cooper, Michael: The European Accessibility Act: Understanding Digital Accessibility, Digital Accessibility Centre blog, 18.12.2024. (See also the LinkedIn announcement by the Digital Accessibility Centre (Wales, UK) and Michael Cooper's LinkedIn post.)
• Huertas, Michael: The European Accessibility Act: an overview what’s changing and for whom, PwC Legal Germany, 23.10.2024.
• McGirr, Dermot: Preparing for the European Accessibility Act: A Guide for Irish Businesses, Business Plus, 02.01.2025.
• Rietveld, Rian: The European Accessibility Act 2025: It May Apply to Your Website, Kinsta blog, 25.07.2023.
• Der „European Accessibility Act“, Bundesfachstelle Barrierefreiheit (no date).
• Abbott, Craig: European Accessibility Act: Article 32, and why it sucks!, craigabbott.co.uk, 24.08.2023.
  This blog post is about the transitional measures in article 32, which allows certain products, especially self-service terminals, to remain inaccessible until 28 June 2030 if they were put in place before 28 June 2025.
• Abbott, Craig: European Accessibility Act: What you need to know, craigabbott.co.uk, 20.08.2023.
• Hellbusch, Jan: European Accessibility Act. Ab dem 1. März 2018 wird wieder offiziell darüber verhandelt, 28.02.2018.
• Trichter, Danny: EAA Compliance for Websites: The Definitive Guide, acessibilitychecker.org, February 2022.
• Tempest, Matthew: Public transport bosses: EU Accessibility Act focuses too much on ticket machines, Euractiv, 19.05.2017.
• Michalopoulos, Sarantis: European Accessibility Act ‘not future-proof enough’, Euractiv, 06.12.2016.
• European Accessibility Act (Special Report), Euractiv, 05.12.2016, updated 14.12.2016.
• Moledo, Alejandro: The European Accessibility Act: A Push for Accessible Publications, Inclusive Publishing blog, 28.03.2018.
• European Accessibility Act, EDF, no date (2019). This page contains a link to the EDF analysis of the European Accessibility Act (June 2019).
• European Accessibility Act - Update (DAISY Consortium on YouTube, 52 minutes, 07.12.2021).
  This video focuses on the impact of the European Accessibility Act on digital publishing, including the publication of EPUB books.
• European Accessibility Act verabschiedet, Barrierekompass, 31.03.2019.
• DBSV-Stellungnahme zum Referentenentwurf eines Gesetzes zur Stärkung der Teilhabe von Menschen mit Behinderungen (Teilhabestärkungsgesetz), Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband, 14.01.2021.
• Ragas, Sophie: Een update over de European Accessibility Act, Eleven Ways on Medium, 18.11.2020.
• Overview of the European Accessibility Act, Lexology, 18.01.2022.
• Saez, Catherine: New European Directive adds impetus to international efforts to promote accessibility, WIPO, June 2020.
• EC considers web accessibility legislation, The Register, 05.09.2009.
  The article's subtitle, Viviane Reding sees herself as internet Robin Hood, is representative of The Register's general attitute towards accessibility: dismissive. The topic is very rarely covered on the site.
• 23 Member States are running late with the European Accessibility Act, European Disability Forum, 06.07.2022.
  EU member states were expected to transpose the European Accessibility Act into national legislation by 28.06.2022. But for now, only four Member States have officially notified the European Commission that they finalized transposition and published their national laws: Austria, Belgium, Estonia, and Finland. (Had the European Union not been notified about the German Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz from 15.06.2022 and the Italian legislative decree from 27.05.2022?)
• Non-transposition of EU legislation: Commission takes action to ensure complete and timely transposition of EU directives, European Commission: Press Corner, 20.07.2022.
  This document lists 26 EU member states that had not transposed directive 2019/882 into national law. (Only Estonia had met the deadline.)
• Most EU Countries Are Failing to Transpose the European Accessibility Act, Monsido blog, 06.10.2022.
  According to this blog post, 24 out of 27 EU member states had not transposed European Accessibility Act into national law by the deadline of June 2022. Only Estonia, Italy and Denmark had transposed the directive in time. (The blog post ignores that Germany had transposed the directive during the summer.)
• van de Sande, Christien: Wat betekent de European Accessibility Act 2025 voor jouw website?, Level Level blog, 20.10.2022.
• Golding, Dara: Understanding How the European Accessibility Act Will Impact Your Business, TPGi, 02.03.2023.
• The European Accessibility Act (EAA), Deque, 08.05.2024, updated on 12.11.2024.
  Among other things, this page says, It’s important to understand that the EAA is a directive, not a standard. It does not refer to a specific accessibility standard, and leaves it to each country to define its own regulations and adopt a specific standard and conformance level. Some member states reference the European Standard EN 301 549, which is based on WCAG 2 Level AA, whereas other member states simply refer to WCAG 2 Level AA.
• Luken, Matthew: European Accessibility Act (EAA): Top 20 Key Questions Answered, Deque blog, 03.07.2024.
• EESC opinion: European Accessibility Act, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC, adopted on 25/05/2016.
• European Accessibility Act: a rule changer treaty, Every Effort Matters, 21.10.2021, updated on 13.12.2021.
• How the European Accessibility Act will affect the UK, AbilityNet, 07.09.2021. Recording of a webinar that took place on 07.09.2021
• Ritter, Marli: Introduction to The European Accessibility Act (EAA), LinkedIn, 08.09.2024.
• Ritter, Marli: Top 10 questions about The European Accessibility Act (EAA), LinkedIn, 18.09.2024.
• Ritter, Marli: How to get started with compliance with the EAA, LinkedIn, 30.09.2024.
• Alexiou, Gus: 4 Tips For Global Companies Navigating The European Accessibility Act, Forbes, 11.12.2024.
  The European Accessibility Act applies to all companies wishing to sell into the European Union via e-commerce platforms. Under the EAA, CE certification is now dependent on accessibility. Since the EAA comes into force in six months, companies really need to prioritise conformance to accessibility standards. In order to get ready in time, it is essential to get market access people and accessibility experts together. Finally, it is important to go beyond the compliance mindset and focus more on innovation and user experience.

CE Marking

For hardware products in the scope of the European Accessibiity Act, CE marking will depend on conformance to harmonised standards for this directive. Below are several resources about CE marking (not necessarily about accessibility).

• CE marking – obtaining the certificate, EU requirements, Your Europe (European Union) (no date, accessed on 22.12.2024).
• Technical documentation and EU declaration of conformity, Your Europe (European Union) (no date, accessed on 22.12.2024).
• How is the CE Mark Enforced?, CE Marking Association (no date, accessed on 22.12.2024).
• CE-markering in de Europese Unie: regels en richtlijnen, Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, 24.03.2011, updated on 21.10.2024.
  See also the related page CE-markering in de EU: verplichte productgroepen.
• CE-markering, Belgium.be (no date, accessed on 22.12.2024).
• Veelgestelde vragen over CE-markering, FOD Economie (no date, accessed on 22.12.2024).

Other Policies in the European Union

• Broughton, Andrea: 2003 designated European Year of People with Disabilities, Eurofund, 08.09.2002.
• Broughton, Andrea: Commission issues action plan for people with disabilities, Eurofund, 23.11.2003.
• Web Accessibility Action Plan 2022–2025, European Commission (archived version on Archive.org), 2022.
  This action plan was published around 20 years after 2003 was designated “European Year of People with Disabilities” and six years after the European Parliament had adopted the Web Accessibility Directive in 2016. The Directive had exempted European Union institutions from its own web accessibility legislation.
• EU Framework for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (accessed on 02.06.2022).
• Council Decision of 26 November 2009 concerning the conclusion, by the European Community, of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, EUR-Lex, 27.01.2010.
  This decision by the Council of the European Union approves the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and stipulates that the Commission shall be a focal point for matters relating to the implementation of the UN Convention in accordance with Article 33.1 of the UN Convention. The Council decison reproduces the entire UN Convention in an annex.
• Union of equality: Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030, Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion (European Commission) (no date; accessed on 11.05.2022).
  The European disability strategy is the umbrella for directives, regulations and other decisions related to accessibility and inclusion in the European Union.
• Regulation (EU) 2017/1563 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2017 (…), EUR-Lex.
  Full title: “Regulation (EU) 2017/1563 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2017 on the cross-border exchange between the Union and third countries of accessible format copies of certain works and other subject matter protected by copyright and related rights for the benefit of persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print-disabled”.
• Directive (EU) 2017/1564 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2017 (…), EUR-Lex.
  This directive implements the Marrakesh Treaty in the European Union. See also Document 32017L1564: Directive implementing the Marrakesh Treaty in the EU, which summarises the directive's key points.
• Directive (EU) 2018/1972 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 establishing the European Electronic Communications Code (Recast), EUR-Lex, 17.12.2018 and the consolidated version of 18.10.2024.
  This directive does not focus on accessibility but one of its aims is to ensure the provision throughout the Union of good quality, affordable, publicly available services through effective competition and choice, to deal with circumstances in which the needs of end-users, including those with disabilities in order to access the services on an equal basis with others, are not satisfactorily met by the market and to lay down the necessary end-user rights.
• European Commission: Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States as regards the accessibility requirements for products and services (COM/2015/0615 final - 2015/0278 (COD)).
• Update on the EU accessibility requirements and legislation (Funka Research on YouTube, 31 minutes, 23.03.2022).
  Video in which Susanna Laurin discusses the Web Accessibility Directive, the European Accessibility Act and the relevant European standards (EN 301 549, EN 17161 on Design for All and EN 17210, which applies to the built environment) in the first half of the video. The second half of the video is a question-and-answer session.
• Thyssen, Marianne: Better accessibility is good for consumers and businesses, Euractiv, 12.12.2016.
  This opinion piece was part of a series of articles about the European Accessibility Act.
• Tempest, Matthew: Public transport bosses: EU Accessibility Act focuses too much on ticket machines, Euractiv, 19.05.2017.
• Tempest, Matthew: Disabled groups’ dismay at Parliament vote on accessibility, Euractiv, 28.04.2017.
• Michalopoulos, Sarantis: European Accessibility Act ‘not future-proof enough’, Euractiv, 06.12.2016.
• Aalen, Ida: It’s illegal to have an inaccessible website in Norway — and that’s good news for all of us, Confrere on Medium, 17.02.2018.
• Top 25 influential ICT for Active and Healthy Ageing projects, European Commission: Digital Single Market, 21.03.2018.
• Ilona, Anthony: How we’re helping public sector websites meet accessibility requirements, Government Digital Service Blog (UK), 24.09.2018.
• Christopherson, Robin: Government identifies body to enforce website accessibility - now will they step up to the task?, AbilityNet blog, 07.08.2018.
• Tannam, Ellen: Report finds official EU websites fail users with disabilities, Silicon Republic, 19.02.2019.
• Neue BITV 2.0 in Kraft, Bundesfachstelle Barrierefreiheit, last updated on 25.05.2019.
• Verordnung zur Schaffung barrierefreier Informationstechnik nach dem Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz (Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung - BITV 2.0), Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz.
• Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbrauchershutz: Verordnung zur Schaffung barrierefreier Informationstechnik nach dem Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz (Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung - BITV 2.0), Gesetze im Internet, 12.09.2011, updated 21.05.2019.
• Hellbusch, Jan: Update für BITV 2.0 , hellbusch.de, 01.07.2019.
• Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts, also known as the public procurement directive of 2004, which was valid until April 2016. It was repealed by Directive 2014/24/EU. Article 29 of this directive mentioned, among other things, Contracting authorities should, whenever possible, lay down technical specifications so as to take into account accessibility criteria for people with disabilities or design for all users.
• Consolidated text: Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC.
  Article 42 contains the following text: For all procurement which is intended for use by natural persons, whether general public or staff of the contracting authority, the technical specifications shall, except in duly justified cases, be drawn up so as to take into account accessibility criteria for persons with disabilities or design for all users.
  Where mandatory accessibility requirements are adopted by a legal act of the Union, technical specifications shall, as far as accessibility criteria for persons with disabilities or design for all users are concerned, be defined by reference thereto.
• Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors and repealing Directive 2004/17/EC. Article 60 contains the following statements regarding technical specifications: For all procurement which is intended for use by natural persons, whether general public or staff of the contracting entity, the technical specifications shall, except in duly justified cases, be drawn up so as to take into account accessibility criteria for persons with disabilities or design for all users. and Where mandatory accessibility requirements are adopted by a legal act of the Union, technical specifications shall, as far as accessibility criteria for persons with disabilities or design for all users are concerned, be defined by reference thereto. Article 81 also says, Contracting entities shall, where they require the production of certificates drawn up by independent bodies attesting that the economic operator complies with certain quality assurance standards, including on accessibility for disabled persons, refer to quality assurance systems based on the relevant European standards series certified by accredited bodies.
• Barrierefrei:EN 301 549, Verwaltungswiki / BKA-Wiki.
• Union of Equality: European Commission presents Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, European Commission, 03.03.2021 (press release)
• Felix, Andre: EU needs to make accessibility standards affordable, EDF, 20.05.2021.
• Access to European national law databases, Tingtun Checkers Dev Blog, 19.03.2019.
• Disability Intergroup Bureau: AccessibleEU centre: a first step towards an EU agency on accessibility, European Disability Forum, 19.07.2022.
• Felix, Andre: Equality left out in Commission portfolios, EDF, 17.09.2024.
  Quote: The European Disability Forum is extremely surprised and disappointed with the downgrade of “Equality” to only be part of the portfolio of the Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management. This represents a rollback on all the achievements of the previous Commission on Equality and sets a dangerous precedent.
  The post ignores that most commissioners would have more than one portfolio. If EDF had criticised that Equality had not been combined with a somewhat related portfolio, such as Justice, Intergenerational Fairness (taking equality as a different type of fairness) or even Health (in spite of the criticism we can level at the medical model of accessibility), EDF's concern would have been more on point.
• Felix, Andre: European Commission confirms update to the Disability Rights Strategy!, EDF, 19.12.2024.
  During a debate in the European Parliament on 19 December, Commissioner Lahbib stated that, during the first year of year of her mandate, she intended to communicate new actions and flagship initiatives to close the remaining gaps in the EU Disability Rights Strategy.
• Council of the European Union: Inclusion in action: my experience as a visually impaired trainee at the Council, LinkedIn, 16.05.2024.

Harmonised Standards (EU)

The European Union's policy regarding harmonisation of standards has also influenced the development of accessibility standards. The following links are about harmonisation and have no direct relevance to accessibility.

• Directive (EU) 2015/1535 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 September 2015 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical regulations and of rules on Information Society services (Text with EEA relevance), EUR-Lex, 17.09.2015.
• Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations, EUR-Lex, 21.07.1998.
  This was the directive that recognised CEN, CENELEC and ETSI as the three official European standardisation bodies. It is no longer in force. It had no direct relevance to accessibility but it meant that EU member states were expected to withdraw a national standard (if any existed) when any European standard was created that covered the same field.
• Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on European standardisation (…), EUR-Lex, 14.11.2012.
  This regulation amends or replaces a number of older directives and decisions. Among other things, it contais definitions for “European standard” and “harmonised standard”; Annex 1 acknowledges CEN, CENELEC and ETSI as the three official European standardisation bodies.
• Harmonised Standards, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission (no date; accessed on 02.06.2022, 15.12.2024).
  This page defines “harmonised standard” as follows: A harmonised standard is a European standard developed by a recognised European Standards Organisation: CEN, CENELEC, or ETSI. It is created following a request from the European Commission to one of these organisations. Manufacturers, other economic operators, or conformity assessment bodies can use harmonised standards to demonstrate that products, services, or processes comply with relevant EU legislation.
  On 15.12.2024, almost six months before the European Accessibility Act comes into force, there were no harmmonised standards for Directive 2019/882. EN 301 549 is listed as a harmonised standard for the Web Accessibility Directive only.
• , ,
• New legislative framework, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission (no date; accessed on 02.06.2022).

Conformity Assessment and Presumption of Conformity (EU)

More about conformity assessment and the presumption of conformity:

• Conformity assessment, Your Europe (no date; accessed on 02.06.2022).
• Technical documentation and EU declaration of conformity, Your Europe (no date; accessed on 02.06.2022).
• Commission Notice — The ‘Blue Guide’ on the implementation of EU products rules 2016 (Text with EEA relevance), EUR-Lex, 26.07.2016.
  Among many other things, this notice states that as a consequence of the European Union's “New Approach” to technical harmonisation and standards, products manufactured in compliance with harmonised standards benefit from a presumption of conformity with the corresponding essential requirements of the applicable legislation. It defines harmonised standards as ‘European standards’ adopted, upon a request made by the Commission for the application of Union harmonisation legislation. Section 4.1.2.3 discusses the process to harmonised standards providing presumption of conformity.
• Myths and reality of the presumption of conformity, Orgalim, 01.12.2017.
• Sikorska, Karolina: The presumption of non-conformity in European consumer sales law, University of Groningen, 2015 (abstract).

Austria

• Bundesrecht konsolidiert: Gesamte Rechtsvorschrift für Web-Zugänglichkeits-Gesetz, Fassung vom 18.10.2023 , Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes, 18.10.2023 (accessed on 18.10.2023).
• Digitale Barrieren gefunden – was tun?, FFG (no date; accessed on 18.10.2023).
  The FFG is the monitoring agency for web accessibility in Austria.
• Das Web-Zugänglichkeits-Gesetz (WZG), FFG (no date; accessed on 18.10.2023).
• Gelungener EU-Bericht Österreichs über Barrierefreiheit öffentlicher Webseiten, BIZEPS, 03.04.2022.
• Veröffentlichung im Bundesgesetzblatt: Barrierefreiheitsgesetz u.a., Unternehmensserviceportal, 21.07.2023.
• Neues Gesetz soll Barrierefreiheit wichtiger Produkte sicherstellen. Einhellige Zustimmung im Sozialausschuss für Umsetzung einer EU-Richtlinie, Parlament Österreich, Parlamentskorrespondenz Nr. 751 vom 28.06.2023
• Barrierefreiheitsgesetz beschlossen, Österreichischer Behindertenrat, 17.05.2023.

Belgium

In Belgium, the European Union's Web Accessibility Directive was transposed into a law by means of a ream of decrees, one for each region or community. (Some of the links below refer to Etaamb. This is not an official publication of any of the public authorities in Belgium. Unfortunately, the search options of the Moniteur belge / Belgisch Staatsblad are unusable.)

• Federal government: Wet inzake toegankelijkheid van de websites en mobiele applicaties van overheidsinstanties, European Legislation Identifier / Belgisch Staatsblad, 19.07.2018, published on 03.09.2018. This federal law refers to EN 301 549 version 1.1.2 (April 2015), which is not the most recent version.
  5 SEPTEMBER 2019. - Koninklijk besluit tot aanduiding van de instantie die toezicht houdt op de toegankelijkheid van websites en mobiele applicaties van overheidsinstanties, en tot vaststelling van de toezichtmethodiek: this royal decree assigns FPS Policy and Support (better known as BOSA) as the monitoring institution for the previous law.
  Other relevant documents at the federal level:
  • Methodologie voor een diepgaande audit op de toegankelijkheid van websites 2021-2022, Belgian Web Accessibility, last updated on 22.03.2023 (last accessed on 19.07.2024).
    In French: Méthodologie pour une contrôle approfondie de l'accessibilité des sites web 2021.
  • Wat is een toegankelijkheidsverklaring?, Belgian Web Accessibility, (last accessed on 19.07.2024).
    This page explains what an accessibility statement is and what its required parts are. One of the required parts is a link to an audit report.
  • Invulassistent Toegankelijkheidsverklaring, BOSA / FOD Beleid & Ondersteuning (accessed on 27.11.2022). French version: Assistant à la création de votre déclaration d’accessibilité. This tool is not available in German or English.
• Flanders: Bestuursdecreet van 7 december 2018: Afdeling 4. - Toegankelijkheid van websites en mobiele applicaties, Justel, published on 11.01.2019.
  This decree does not refer to any version of EN 301 549; instead, it states that websites and mobile apps by public authorities must meet the requirements defined in Directive 2016/2102 if that does not constitute an undue burden for that public authority (als dat geen onevenredige last met zich meebrengt voor de betrokken instantie. The second article in the relevant section of the decree lists a number of types of websites and apps that are exempted from the decree. Schools and child care are exempted except their essential online administrative functions (wezenlijke online administratieve functies).
  Bestuursdecreet (07/12/2018): Afdeling 4. Toegankelijkheid: this decree determines that websites and mobile applications must conform to the standard required by European Directive EU 2016/2102. It does not identify a monitoring agency.
  The Decreet tot wijziging van het Bestuursdecreet van 7 december 2018 (1) from 02.07.2021 did not change anything related to accessibility.
  Toegankelijkheidsverklaring describes the required content of an accessibility statement and provides a model accessibility statement.
• Wallonia: Décret relatif à l'accessibilité des sites internet et des applications mobiles des organismes du secteur public (1), Moniteur belge, 02.05.2019.
  This decree refers to EN 301 549 version 1.1.2 (April 2015), which is not the most recent version, but states that when the EU directive is updated to refer to a newer version, the decree should be read as referring to that newer version.
• Wallonia: Décret relatif à l'accessibilité des sites internet et des applications mobiles des organismes du secteur public pour les matières réglées par l'article 138 de la Constitution Moniteur belge, 02.05.2019.
  This decree lists organisations to which the previous decree is applicable.
• Brussels Capital Region: Ordonnance relative à l'accessibilité des sites internet et des applications mobiles des organismes publics régionaux et des communes, Etaamb, 04.10.2018, published on 30.11.2018. Ordonnance relative à l'accessibilité des sites internet et des applications mobiles des organismes publics régionaux et des communes / Ordonnantie inzake de toegankelijkheid van de websites en mobiele applicaties van de gewestelijke overheidsinstanties en de gemeenten, Justel, 04.10.2018, published on 30.11.2018.
  This decree refers to EN 301 549 version 1.1.2 (April 2015), which is not the most recent version.
• Brussels Capital Region: Arrêté du Gouvernement de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale portant exécution de l'ordonnance du 4 octobre 2018 relative à l'accessibilité des sites internet et des applications mobiles des organismes publics régionaux et des communes / Besluit van de Brusselse Hoofdstedelijke Regering houdende uitvoering van de ordonnantie van 4 oktober 2018 inzake de toegankelijkheid van de websites en mobiele applicaties van de gewestelijke overheidsinstanties en de gemeenten, Justel, 05.05.2022, published on 24.08.2022.
  This degree names equal.brussels as the organisation in charge of monitoring the implemenation of the Web Accessibility Directive. (See also Accessibilité des sites publics (2) : un cadre c’est bien, un contrôle c’est mieux… by Brigitte Doucet (25.02.2022).
• Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles: Décret relatif à l'accessibilité des sites internet et des applications mobiles des institutions publiques de la Commission communautaire française, Justel, 09.05.2019, published on 06.06.2019, updated on 24.02.2023.
  Both the original version of this decree and its update from 24.02.2023 refer to EN 301 549 version 1.1.2 (April 2015), which is not the most recent version. However, whenever a reference to a newer harmonised standard is published in the Official Journal of the European Union, that newer standard defines the appliable accessibility requirements. The Collège de la Commission communautaire française (COCOFp has the duty of making sure websites and mobile applications are accessible and implementing a monitoring mechanism.
  Side note: based on COCOF's accessibility statement, last updated on 28.10.2021, the site is only partially acccessible; COCOF vows to work with AnySurfer to improve this. (Accessed on 29.04.20223.)
• The French-speaking community: Décret relatif à l'accessibilité des sites internet et des applications mobiles des organismes publics, Etaamb, 03.05.2019, published on 29.08.2019.
  This decree refers to EN 301 549 version 1.1.2 (April 2015), which is not the most recent version.
• German-speaking community: 15. OKTOBER 2018 - Dekret über die individuelle und öffentliche elektronische Kommunikation der Behörden des deutschen Sprachgebiets / Decreet betreffende de niet-openbare en openbare elektronische communicatie van de overheden van het Duitse taalgebied, Etaamb, 15.10.2018, published on 16.11.2018.
  This decree refers to EN 301 549 version 1.1.2 (April 2015), which is not the most recent version, but states that when the EU directive is updated to refer to a newer version, the decree should be read as referring to that newer version.
• Jaarverslag over de toegankelijkheid van websites en mobiele applicaties van overheidsinstanties in België - 2021, Belgian Web Accessibility (no date; accessed on 11.05.2022).
  This is a report on the state of the accessibility of public sector websites and apps, more specifically their compliance with the laws and decress that transpose the Europen Web Accessibility Directive.
• Dossier : Accessibilité Web, Belgian Disability Forum, last updated on 10.05.2022.
• Recommandations pour des services publics numérisés accessibles et inclusifs, CAWaB (no date; accessed on 21.06.2022).
• Belgian Web Accessibility: website by the FOD Beleid en Ondersteuning (BOSA).
• Toegankelijkheidsverklaring, Vlaanderen Intern (no date; accessed ono 06.12.2022).
• Azzouz, Kamel: Enorme retard de la Belgique dans l’accessibilité numérique des personnes porteuses d’un handicap, RTBF, 10.07.2021.
• Belgium lagging behind European neighbours in digital inclusiveness, The Bulletin, 12.07.2021.

Transposition of the European Accessibility Act in Belgium

• Wet houdende wijziging van de wet van 13 juni 2005 betreffende de elektronische communicatie, ter gedeeltelijke omzetting van Richtlijn 2019/882 van het Europees Parlement en de Raad van 17 april 2019 betreffende de toegankelijkheidsvoorschriften voor producten en diensten (1), Etaamb, published on 29.09.2023.
  This federal law applies to consumer computer equipment and the operating systems for such equipment, various types of self-service terminals and e-readers but not to websites. It does not define a standard for accessibility but relegates that to a royal decree.
• Koninklijk besluit tot vaststelling van de voorschriften en nadere bepalingen inzake toegankelijkheid voor personen met een handicap tot elektronische communicatiediensten, Etaamb, 13.09.2023, published on 25.10.2023.
• Koninklijk besluit betreffende de toegankelijkheidsvoorschriften voor producten, Etaamb, 01.10.2023, published on 06.11.2023.
  This royal decree applies to hardware such as end-user computers, self-service terminals, devices to be used by consumers for electronic communication, devices to be used by consumers for audio-visual media services and e-readers.
• Wet tot wijziging van diverse boeken van het Wetboek van economisch recht en van de wet van 2 augustus 2002 … met het oog op de gedeeltelijke omzetting van Richtlijn 2019/882 van het Europees Parlement en de Raad van 17 april 2019 …, Etaamb, 05.11.2023, published on 28.11.2023.
  This federal law applies to banking services for consumers and e-commerce. It states that applicable standards will be identified in the Offical Journal of the European Union. It also introduces fines, especially fines related to misleading conformity claims or certificates. See also the updated Boek XV - Wetboek van economisch recht (gecoördineerde teksten - Justel).
• Wet betreffende de toegankelijkheidsvoorschriften voor vervoersdiensten en houdende de oprichting van het Federaal Agentschap voor de Regulering van Transport, Etaamb, 08.05.2024, published on 07.06.2024.
  This federal law applies to certain types of products and servcices that are relevant to public transportation: websites, apps, electronic tickets and ticket vending machines. It states that the presumption of conformity is fulfilled when the product or service conforms to the applicable harmonised standards identified in the Official Journal of the European Union. Fines may apply under certain conditions.
• Decreet over e-boeken en bijbehorende software, Etaamb, 29.03.2024, published on 17.04.2024.
  This Flemish decree requires that sellers of e-books must explain how their e-books conform to the applicable accessibility standards and that they must do this in an accessible way. Fines for non-compliance will range between 5,000 and 125,000 Euro per violation. The decree does not state how the applicable standards will be identified; there is no mention of the Official Journal of the European Union.
• German-speaking community: Décret relatif aux services de médias et aux représentations cinématographiques, Etaamb, 01.03.2021, published on 12.04.2021.
  This decree partially transposes EU Directive 2019/882 (and a few other not related to accessibility), Directive 2018/1808 and Directive 2018/1972. It does not specify relevant standards but states that harmonised European standards identified in the European Journal of the European Union apply to certain products within the scope of the decree.
• Arrêté royal fixant les exigences et modalités d'accessibilité des utilisateurs finaux handicapés aux services de communications électroniques, Etaamb, 13.09.2023, published on 25.10.2023.
  This royal decree contains some broad accessibility criteria but does not reference or identify any relevant European standards, except by mentioning that certain harmonised European standards identified in the European Journal of the European Union may apply.
• Koninklijk besluit tot vaststelling van de voorschriften en nadere bepalingen inzake toegankelijkheid voor personen met een handicap tot elektronische communicatiediensten, Etaamb, 13.09.2023, published on 25.10.2023. This is a Dutch version of the above royal decree.

Other documents relevant to the transposition of the European Accessibility Act in Belgium:

• Advies 2022/04/ Avis 2022/04, Nationale Hoge Raad Personen met een Handicap, 17.01.2022.
  Document about limitations in the scope of transposition of the European Accessibility Act in Belgium. At the time of publication, the directive had not yet been transposed into Belgian laws or decrees.
• Advies 2022/20 (BIPT), Nationale Hoge Raad Personen met een Handicap, 16.05.2022 (accessed on 22.12.2022).
  Document about a draft proposal to modify the law from 13 June 2005 regarding electronic communication. The NHRPH's view on the proposal is negative: (…) In aansluiting op de reeds uitgebrachte adviezen over de European Accessibility Act kan de NHRPH alleen maar vaststellen dat de Belgische wetgever heeft gekozen voor een minimalistische omzetting van de Richtlijn: de voorziene uitzonderingen (geen onevenredige last van de aanpassing en niet van toepassing op micro-ondernemingen) zullen de meeste diensten de facto niet toegankelijk maken.
• Advies 2022/27 (BIPT bis), Nationale Hoge Raad Personen met een Handicap (no date (after 17.10.2022); accessed on 22.12.2022).
  Another document about a draft proposal to modify the law from 13 June 2005 regarding electronic communication. One of the comments is about standardisation in Belgium: De NHRPH is van mening dat de aandacht voor de toegankelijkheid van goederen en diensten binnen het NBN aanzienlijk moet worden opgevoerd. De huidige samenstelling van de Raad van bestuur van het NBN en van de commissies voor normalisatie laat het niet toe dat toegankelijkheid als een belangrijk aandachtspunt wordt opgenomen. Nochtans herinnert het NBN zelf aan het belang van de duurzame ontwikkelingsdoelstellingen bij het op elkaar afstemmen van “duurzaam beleid en rendabele groei”.
• Transposition de la directive européenne relative aux exigences en matière d’accessibilité, News.belgium, 17.03.2023.
• Omzetting van de Europese richtlijn inzake toegankelijkheidsvoorschriften, News.belgium, 17.03.2023.
• Exigences en matière d’accessibilité pour les services de transport, News.belgium, 24.03.2023.
• Thielemans, Wout: European Accessibility Act: status in Belgium, Craftzing, 23.01.2024.

Anti-discrimination Legislation in Belgium

Note: the resources listed below are not in English.

• De gecoördineerde Grondwet - Art 10, 11, 22ter, 191, Unia (no date).
  Articles from the Belgian constitution of 17.02.1994. Article 22ter is about the inclusion of people with disabilities and reasonable accomodations.
• Wet ter bestrijding van bepaalde vormen van discriminatie (10 mei 2007), Kruispuntbank Wetgeving, 30.05.2007; in force since 09.06.2007.
  This law also defines reasonable accomodation: redelijke aanpassingen: passende maatregelen die in een concrete situatie en naargelang de behoefte worden getroffen om een persoon met een handicap in staat te stellen toegang te hebben tot, deel te nemen aan en vooruit te komen in de aangelegenheden waarop deze wet van toepassing is, tenzij deze maatregelen een onevenredige belasting vormen voor de persoon die deze maatregelen moet treffen. Wanneer die belasting in voldoende mate wordt gecompenseerd door bestaande maatregelen in het kader van het gevoerde overheidsbeleid inzake personen met een handicap, mag zij niet als onevenredig worden beschouwd.
  Referrer: Antidiscriminatiewet (Inter, Vlaanderen.be).
• Wet van 10 mei 2007 ter bestrijding van bepaalde vormen van discriminatie (Antidiscriminatiewet), Unia (no date; accessed on 05.10.2023).
  Provides context to the federal anti-discrimination law of May 2007.
• Wet van 25 februari 2003 (Antidiscriminatiewet) - opgeheven door wet van 10/05/2007, Unia (no date; accessed on 05.10.2023).
  About an older federal law that was superseded by the federal law of May 2007.
• Wet houdende wijziging van de wet van 30 juli 1981 tot bestraffing van bepaalde door racisme of xenofobie ingegeven daden, van de wet van 10 mei 2007 ter bestrijding van bepaalde vormen van discriminatie en van de wet van 10 mei 2007 ter bestrijding van discriminatie tussen vrouwen en mannen (28.06.2023), Kruispuntbank Wetgeving, 20.07.2023; in force since 30.07.2023.
  Referrer: Antidiscriminatiewetten: nieuwe vormen van discriminatie en aanpassing van bepaalde beschermde criteria (Securex, 08.08.2023).
• Wetgeving rond discriminatie op de werkvloer, Vlaanderen.be (no date; accessed on 05.10.2023).

Denmark

• Forslag til lov om tilgængelighedskrav for produkter og tjenester, Høringsportalen, 15.10.2021.
  Proposal for an act on accessibility requirements for products and services. There was a public consultation on the poposed act until 26.11.2021.

Finland

• The European Accessibility Act, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (no date; accessed on 30.07.2022).
  Even though this page is about the European Accessibility Act link that is supposed to point to the act references the Finnish translation of the Web Accessibility Directive. The page summarises what the act wants to achieve and contains a link to the Finnish text of the Act on the Provision of Digital Services (306/2019) (a Swedish version of Act 306/2019 is also available). See also the press release Implementation of the EAA has begun – aiming for a society accessible to all (23.06.2021).

France

• Loi n° 2018-771 du 5 septembre 2018 pour la liberté de choisir son avenir professionnel, Légifrance, published on 06.09.2018.
  See section 3 of the law, especially article 80. Article 80 modifies article 47 of an older law, namely, la loi n° 2005-102 du 11 février 2005 pour l'égalité des droits et des chances, la participation et la citoyenneté ́ des personnes handicapées. This update, combined with Decree n° 2019-768, transposes the Web Accessibility Directive. It does not refer to standard EN 301 549.
• Décret n° 2019-768 du 24 juillet 2019 relatif à l'accessibilité aux personnes handicapées des services de communication au public en ligne, Légifrance, published on 25.07.2019.
  This decree, combined with law n° 2018-771, transposes the Web Accessibility Directive. It does not refer to standard EN 301 549.
• Ordonnance n° 2023-859 du 6 septembre 2023 prise en application du 1° du VII de l'article 16 de la loi n° 2023-171 du 9 mars 2023 portant diverses dispositions d'adaptation de l'Union européenne dans les domaines de l'économie, de la santé, du travail, des transports et de l'agriculture, Légifrance, 06.09.2023.
  This documents contains some changes relevant to the European Union's Web Accessibility Directive (2016/2102) and nothing that refers to the European Accessibility act. See also Ordonnance du 6 septembre 2023 prise en application du 1° du VII de l’article 16 de la loi n° 2023-171 du 9 mars 2023 portant diverses dispositions d’adaptation au droit de l’Union européenne dans les domaines de l’économie, de la santé, du travail, des transports et de l’agriculture on the website Vie publique.
• Observatoire du respect des obligations d’accessibilité numérique – Ce que les sites nous disent de leur accessibilité, Fédération des Aveugles et Amblyopes de France (no date, accessed on 07.10.2024).
  On 07.10.2024, the state was as follows: 187 out of 4147 evaluated sites (4.51%) have an accessibility statements and a plan for improvement. Only 25 out of 4147 evaluated sites (0.6%) claim full conformance to RGAA.
• Chevallier, Hélène: Poussé par une pétition, le Sénat envisage de revoir l'attribution de l'allocation Adulte Handicapé, France Inter, 26.01.2021.
• La nouvelle version de la loi accessibilité numérique, Natural-net, 09.09.2019.
• Décision unilatérale du gouvernement de reporter à 2027 l’échéance d’accessibilité des sites internet publics : réaction du CNCPH, Conseil national consultatif des personnes handicapées (CNCPH), 21.11.2022.
• Altinier, Armony: Rapport de la France à la Commission européenne sur la Directive Accessibilité Web : règles du jeu modifiées ?, Koena, 10.01.2023.

As of early December 2022, the European Accessibility Act has not been transposed into French law. On a few occasions, politicians have asked questions about the state of accessibility in the Assemblée nationale and the Sénat:

• Question N° 3557: Accès aux outils numériques pour les personnes handicapées, Assemblée nationale, 05.12.2017; answer published on 12.01.2021.
  The answer mentions the European Accessibility Act, which was published almost two years after the question.
• Accès des personnes aveugles et malvoyantes au livre, Sénat, 10.02.2022.
• Kieffer, Aurélie; Chaverou, Éric: Les personnes handicapées souffrent toujours pour accéder aux lieux et aux pratiques culturelles, Radio France, 25.07.2017.
• Plaidoyer pour l’accessibilité numérique, association Valentin Haüy, 15.11.2021, updated on 15.12.2021.
• Chaverou, Éric: "En France, une infime partie des sites Internet est accessible aux personnes en situation de handicap", Radio France, 15.06.2022.
  Intro: Malgré une loi de 2005, la situation décrite par un responsable de l'association Valentin Haüy est dramatique : seulement 3 à 4% des sites sont accessibles aux personnes en situation de handicap. Et la culture ne fait pas exception, même après les développements numériques liés aux confinements.
  Quote: Parce que l'accessibilité n'est quasiment jamais enseignée dans les cursus de formation aux métiers du Web.
• Transposition en droit français de la directive (UE) 2019/882. Question écrite n°04626 - 16e législature, Sénat, question published on 29/12/2022; answer by the responsible minister published on 02/02/2023.
  In February 2023, work to transpose the European Accessibilit Act was still ongoing.

The European Accessibility Act was transposed into French law in March 2023. This transposition was done in two phases and modified several existing laws (rather than introducing a new one).

• Villain, Jean-Pierre: Transposition de la Directive européenne (UE) 2019/882 relative aux exigences en matière d’accessibilité applicables aux produits et services, Access42, 14.03.2023, updated on 09.10.2023.
• Villain, Jean-Pierre: Impact sur l’accessibilité numérique de la Directive européenne (UE) 2019/882 relative à l’accessibilité des biens et services, Access42, 22.03.2023, updated on 21.06.2023.

Germany

• Forderungspapier des Inklusionsbeirats des Koordinierungsmechanismus bei dem Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für die Belange von Menschen mit Behinderungen, Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für die Belange von Menschen mit Behinderungen, Jürgen Dusel, 07.01.2021.
• Verordnung zur Schaffung barrierefreier Informationstechnik nach dem Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz (Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung - BITV 2.0), Bundesmninistermium für Justiz und Verbraucherschutz (12.09.2011, last updated on 21.05.2019).
• Verordnung zur Änderung der Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung und der Behindertengleichstellungsschlichtungs­verordnung, Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (BMAS, 25.05.2019.
  This decree updates BITV to the requirements of the European Union's Web Accessibility Directive.
• Gesetz zur Umsetzung der Richtlinie (EU) 2019/882 des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates über die Barrierefreiheitsanforderungen für Produkte und Dienstleistungen1 (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz - BFSG), Gesetze im Internet (Bundesamt für Justiz), 16.07.2021.
• Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz:Gesetz zur Umsetzung der Richtlinie (EU) 2019/882 des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates über die Barrierefreiheits­anforderungen für Produkte und Dienstleistungen (BFSG), Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (no date; accessed on 25.05.2022, 12.10.2024).
  This page contains links to the law itself, to two drafts of the law and other related documents.
• Das Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), Bundesfachstelle Barrierefreiheit (no date; accessed on 11.05.2022).
• Ottmar Miles-Paul: Das muss ein gutes Barrierefreiheitsrecht leisten, Barrierefreiheitsgesetz.org, 19.02.2021.
• Übersicht Markt­überwachungs­behörden BFSG, E-Commerce Barrierefrei, 18.04.2024, updated on 17.11.24.
• Aus 16 wird (wohl) 1, E-Commerce Barrierefrei, 17.11.24. (See also Marcus Herrmann's LinkedIn post, 18.11.2024.)
• #Barrierefreiheitsrecht – Barrieren brechen: Ein Projekt der Sozialheld*innen (accessed on 16.04.2021).
• Barrierefreiheit im Netz: Es gibt Nachholbedarf, MDR, 05.05.2021.
• Forderungen des DBSV zur Bundestagswahl 2021, Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband (DBSV), 07.05.2021.
  See also the press release DBSV verabschiedet Resolution zur Bundestagswahl.
• Behindertenbeauftragte fordern barrierefreie Medien / „Mainzer Erklärung“ verabschiedet, Bundesfachstelle Barrierefreiheit, 10.12.2020.
• Höchstmögliches Maß an Barrierefreiheit BITV 2.0, BIT inklusiv, 14.12.2021.
• Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung — BITV 2.0, Barrierefreies Webdesign (no date; accessed on 06.05.2022).
• BITV 2.0 – Liste der Landes-Gesetze, Barrierekompass, 31.10.2019.
• Gesetz und Verordnung – Richtlinien der BITV, Barrierekompass (no date; accessed on 06.05.2022).
• Deutscher Behindertenrat fordert mehr Tempo bei Barrierefreiheit, BIZEPS, 30.10.2022.
• Was ist die Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit?, Inklusion, Rheinland-Pfalz (no date; accessed on 23.02.2023).
• Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit, Agentur für digitale Barrierefreiheit Barrierekompass, 28.08.2019.
• Schwerbehinderten-Ausgleichsabgabe, Wikipedia.
• § 160 - Neuntes Buch Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB IX), Gesetze in Deutschland - Buzer.de, (accessed on 30.11.2024).
  Quote: Solange Arbeitgeber die vorgeschriebene Zahl schwerbehinderter Menschen nicht beschäftigen, entrichten sie für jeden unbesetzten Pflichtarbeitsplatz für schwerbehinderte Menschen eine Ausgleichsabgabe. Die Zahlung der Ausgleichsabgabe hebt die Pflicht zur Beschäftigung schwerbehinderter Menschen nicht auf. Die Ausgleichsabgabe wird auf der Grundlage einer jahresdurchschnittlichen Beschäftigungsquote ermittelt.
• Beschäftigung schwerbehinderter Menschen, Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (BMAS), (accessed on 30.11.2024).
  Quote: Einige der Nachteile behinderter Menschen im Arbeitsleben versucht das Schwerbehindertenrecht in Teil 3 des SGB IX (§§ 151 ff. SGB IX) auszugleichen. Es gilt für schwerbehinderte und ihnen gleich gestellte Menschen. Menschen mit Behinderung mit einem GdB von weniger als 50, aber wenigstens 30, die infolge ihrer Behinderung keinen geeigneten Arbeitsplatz erlangen oder behalten können, werden auf Antrag von der Agentur für Arbeit schwerbehinderten Menschen gleich gestellt.
• Schwerbehinderte Menschen und ihnen gleichgestellte Personen, Bundesagentur für Arbeit, (accessed on 30.11.2024).
• 39 Prozent der Arbeitgeber kommen ihrer Pflicht zur Beschäftigung schwerbehinderter Menschen vollständig nach, Bundesagentur für Arbeit, 12.07.2024.

Ireland

• S.I. No. 358/2020 - European Union (Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations 2020, electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB), 25.09.2020.
  This statute transposes the Web Accessibility Directive into Irish law. It does not mention EN 301 549.
• European Union (Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations 2020, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (no date; accessed on 11.05.2022).
• Writing an Accessibility Statement for your website or mobile app, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (no date; accessed on 11.05.2022).
  Article about how to provide an accessibility statement in accordance with the European Commission's Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1523.
• The European Accessibility Act and Irish Law, Equal Entry blog, 11.06.2024.

Italy

• Italian Accessibility Requirements, Level Access blog, 14.12.2010.
• Barricelli, Barbara Rita; Casiraghi, Elena; Dattolo, Antonina; Rizzi, Alessandro: 15 Years of Stanca Act: Are Italian Public universities websites accessible?, Universal Access in the Information Society volume 20 (2021), pages 185–200.
• Decreto legislativo recante attuazione della direttiva (UE) 2019/882 sui requisiti di accessibilità dei prodotti e dei servizi, Camera dei deputati, 10.03.2022.
  As of 24 May, this document is not available on Normattiva, the site for Italian laws that are currently effective.
• Decreto legislativo 27 maggio 2022, n. 82: Attuazione della direttiva (UE) 2019/882 del Parlamento europeo e del Consiglio, del 17 aprile 2019, sui requisiti di accessibilita' dei prodotti e dei servizi, Gazzetta Ufficiale, 01.07.2022.
  This legislative decree transposes the European Accessibillity Act into Italian law.
• Atto del Governo sottoposto a parere parlamentare n. 362: Schema di decreto legislativo recante attuazione della direttiva (UE) 2019/882 sui requisiti di accessibilità dei prodotti e dei servizi, Senato della Repubblica, 22.04.2021.
  A draft for the transposition of EU directive 2019/882 into Italian law.
• Decreto legislativo 10 agosto 2018, n. 106: Riforma dell'attuazione della direttiva (UE) 2016/2102 relativa all'accessibilita' dei siti web e delle applicazioni mobili degli enti pubblici, Gazzetta Ufficiale, 10.08.2018.
  This decree transposed the European Union's Web Accessibility Directive into Italian law and came into force on 26.09.2018.
• Decreto legislativo 27 maggio 2022, n. 82: Attuazione della direttiva (UE) 2019/882 del Parlamento europeo e del Consiglio, del 17 aprile 2019, sui requisiti di accessibilita' dei prodotti e dei servizi. (22G00089), Normattiva, 16.07.2022 (entry into force).
  This legislative degree transposes the European Accessibility Act into Italian law.
• Decreto legislativo 27 maggio 2022, n. 82: Attuazione della direttiva (UE) 2019/882 del Parlamento europeo e del Consiglio, del 17 aprile 2019, sui requisiti di accessibilita' dei prodotti e dei servizi. (22G00089), Gazzetta Ufficiale, 16.07.2022 (entry into force).
• Linee guida cookie e altri strumenti di tracciamento - 10 giugno 2021, Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, 10.06.2021.
  This guideline is about the accessibility of cookie consent mechanims. This page also has an English version of the cookie guideline, which says, it will be the controller’s responsibility to take all suitable measures to ensure that the information contained in the banner can be accessed without any discrimination by disabled persons who need assistive technologies or specific configurations under the terms of Law No 4 of 9 January 2004 as last amended by Law No 120 of 11 September 2020.
• Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, delibera 10 giugno 2021 / Linee guida cookie e altri strumenti di tracciamento, Gazzetta Ufficiale, 10.06.2021 / 09.07.2021.
  This is the same guideline requiring that cookie consent banners must be accessible. See for example the statement, Allo stesso modo, sara' onere del titolare adottare ogni piu' opportuno accorgimento affinche' le informazioni contenute nel banner siano fruibili, senza discriminazioni, anche da parte di coloro che a causa di disabilita' necessitano di tecnologie assistive o configurazioni particolari, (…)

Luxembourg

• Loi du 28 mai 2019 relative à l’accessibilité des sites internet et des applications mobiles des organismes du secteur public, Legilux, 31.05.2019.
  This law, which entered into force on 4 June 2019, transposes the European Web Accessibility Directive. It references standard EN 301 549 V1.1.2 (2015-04), but only as a fallback to harmonised European standards published in the European Union's Official Journal.
• Loi du 8 mars 2023 relative aux exigences en matière d’accessibilité applicables aux produits et services, Legilux, 15.03.2023.
  This law, which will enter into force on 28 June 2025, transposes the European Accessibility Act into law.

Netherlands

• Tijdelijk besluit digitale toegankelijkheid overheid, wetten.nl, 03.05.2018, in force since 01.07.2018.
  This decree transposes the Web Accessibility Directive into Dutch law.
• Besluit van 3 mei 2018, houdende tijdelijke regels betreffende de toegankelijkheid van de websites en mobiele applicaties van overheidsinstanties (Tijdelijk besluit digitale toegankelijkheid overheid), Overheid.nl: Officiële bekendmakingen, published on 24.05.2018.
  As the title suggests, this is a temporary order. It does not designate a monitoring agency and is intended to be replaced by another legislative document that covers digital government service in general. See Novelle Wet digitale overheid (35.868) on the website Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal for progress on the definitive law. (See also Wet digitale overheid on the Dutch-language Wikipedia and the article Overheid schiet tekort in digitale toegankelijkheid by Pim van der Beek on Computable.nl (25.04.2022).)
• Wet ter implementatie leesgehandicaptenrichtlijn en ter uitvoering leesgehandicaptenverordening, wetten.nl, 11.10.2020, in force since 11.10.2018.
  Law transposing EU Directive 2017/1564 (implementing the Marrakesh Treaty) and European Decree EU 2017/1563.
• Controle door Logius, Digitoegankelijk (no date; accessed on 22.11.2022).
  This page defines requirements for accessibility statements for websites of public authorities. These requirements include a well documented evaluation methodology (i.e. WCAG-EM), data on the sample, the technology baseline, the technologies or formats used by the website, etc. The accessibility statement should be at most 36 months old. Logius does not require conformance to requirements from EN 301 549 that are not part of WCAG, even though the European standard contains other requirements that may be applicable.
• Duidelijkheid ontbreekt in implementatiewet over toegankelijkheid, Stichting Hoormij , 14.03.2022.
  Joint statement by several organisations representing people with disabilities on the proposed law to transpose the European Accessibility Act into Dutch law. The statement is a response to an invitation to comment: Consultatie Implementatiewet toegankelijkheidsvoorschriften producten en diensten (published on 22.12.2021; responses could be submitted until 25.02.2022).
• Wet- en regelgeving, Stichting Accessibility (no date).
• Ernst, Jules: Digitale toegankelijkheid in Nederland, 200 OK, last updated on 13.04.2022 (accessed on 11.05.2022).
• Derksen, Niek: Nederlandse wetgeving, Digitale toegankelijkheid (no date; accessed on 11.05.2022).
  This page discusses the transposition of the Web Accessibility Directive; it does not (yet) discuss the European Accessibility Act.
• Toegankelijkheidsverklaringen, Logius (no date; accessed on 27.11.2022). A list of links to accessibility statements.
• Controle van de verklaringen, DigiToegankelijk (no date; accessed on 29.11.2022).
• Beenen, Ron; Ernst, Jules: Monitor 2020, Digimonitor (no date; accessed on 23.02.2023).
  Subtitle: Analyse 7000 websites overheid: Slechts 1% aantoonbaar toegankelijk.
• Digitale toegankelijkheid schiet tekort voor mensen met een beperking: overheid moet extra stappen zetten, College voor de Rechten van de Mens, 03.12.2024.
  Quote: De overheid heeft door de jaren heen al veel stappen gezet richting digitale toegankelijkheid. Toch voldeed in oktober 2024 slechts 6% van de ruim 9059 websites en mobiele apps waarvoor de overheid verantwoordelijk is, aan alle toegankelijkheidseisen.
• Wetsvoorstel van kabinet om producten en diensten toegankelijker te maken voor personen met een beperking, Nieuwsbericht, Rijksoverheid.nl, 20.06.2023.

Portugal

• Lomba, Pedro; Cabugueira, Inês; de Sousa Costa, Rita: Transposition of the European Accessibility Act into Portuguese law, PLMJ, 10.10.2024.

The GDPR and Modal Dialogs

Some people seem to think that the GDPR prohibits the use of modal dialogs for cookie consent mechanism. This seems to stem from a confusion between user interface specifics and privacy policies.
A cookie wall is a mechanism that prevents access to the site if you don't give consent for non-essential cookies. Cookie walls are often implemented as modal dialogs, since is the strongest mechanism for blocking access to the underlying content until the user has interacted with the dialog. However, , the fact that the cookie consent widgets are modal is not the issue. What is illegal is only allowing access if users agree that you store their data and blocking access if they reject cookies. That is a web site policy issue rather than a user interface issue. Of course, implementing the cookie consent mechanism as a modal dialogs makes it easier to enforce consent, but the modal is not the policy. Modal dialogs that give access to the site if you only accept essential cookies are fine.

(Sidenote: If the site only uses essential cookies, i.e. cookies that are strictly necessary for the site to work properly, then consent will be the only option. Note that without essential cookies, the site can't even remember what the user's choice is.)

• Guidelines 05/2020 on consent under Regulation 2016/679, European Data Protection Board (EDPB), 04.05.2020.
• EDPB Response to the letter of 13 July 2020 from News Media Europe and others regarding cookie walls, European Data Protection Board (EDPB), 19.11.2020.
• European Data Protection Board guidelines for consent, Usercentrics GmbH, 13.09.2021.
  This article summarises the updated Guidelines on consent for the use of websites (PDF) that the EDPB published on 04.05.2020. The top-three points are listed below.
  • Consent is only valid if it is given explicitly, so simply scrolling a website does not count towards a form of valid consent.
  • Consent must be voluntary, so if the site visitor refuses to disclose their data, this must not result in any disadvantages to them.
  • Cookie walls, which force interaction with the cookie consent options, are only permitted if the user is allowed to decline and can then still use the site.
• EDPB adopts Guidelines on Right of Access and letter on cookie consent, European Federation of Data Protection Officers (EFDPO), 19.01.2022.
  Quote: (…) the EDPB has recently set up a taskforce on cookie banners to coordinate the response to complaints concerning cookie banners. Furthermore, the EDPB has updated the Guidelines on consent in order to ensure a harmonized approach on the conditionality of consent and on the unambiguous indication of wishes.
• Altpeter, Benjamin: Legal requirements for tracking and consent dialogs under the GDPR and ePrivacy directive, Benjamin Altpeter, 20.09.2022 (Creative Commons).
• EDPB and Cookie Walls, Cookiebot, updated on 22.03.2020.
• Poler De Zwart, Alja; Storm, Marijn: The Cookie Crumbles: Diverging Approaches to Cookie Consent Requirements, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 05.05.2022.

Europe Outside the European Union

• The Web Accessibility Directive will be introduced outside of the EU, Funka (no date; accessed on 11.09.2022).

Norway

Norway is a special case: the country is not part of the European Union but has transposed many European Union directives.

• Laurin, Susanna: Web Accessibility Directive: Norway is facing a choice, Funka (no date; accessed on 11.09.2022).
  When the European Union's Web Accessibility Directive was introduced, Norway already had legislation covering both the public and the private sector. On the other hand, Norwegina accessibility legislation is still based on WCAG 2.0 instead of WCAG 2.1.
• Laurin, Susanna: Norway one step closer to the Web Accessibility Directive, Funka (no date; early 2021; accessed on 11.09.2022).
• What we can learn from Norway about accessibility legislation, AbilityNet, 08.12.2020.
  Resources from a webinar that took place on 08.12.2020.

United Kingdom

• Disability Access, Brexit Information (no date; accessed on 11.05.2022).
• Heathcote, Chris: Some changes to the public sector digital accessibility regulations, Accessibility in government, 09.12.2022.
  The technical standard for public authority websites and mobile applications is no longer EN 301 549 but the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, level AA. When WCAG 2.2 is published as a W3C recommendation, it will automatically become the technical standard for public authority websites and mobile applications in the UK.
• Watson, Léonie: Amendment to the Public Sector Accessibility Regulations, Tetralogical blog, 07.11.2023.
  In October 2022, the public sector body accessibility regualations were updated as a consequence of Brexit. The amendment removes references to the European Union's Web Accessibility Directive and to standard EN 301 549. The reference to EN 301 549 was replaced with the following: A website or mobile application of a public sector body will be presumed to be in conformity with the accessibility requirement to the extent that the website or mobile application conforms to Level A and AA Success Criteria as set out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium, as amended from time to time. This means that WCAG 2.2, which was released on 5 October 2023, immediately came into effect upon publication.
• McRae, Isabella: Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal, Big Issue, 06.07.2023.
• Finding funding for an adapted computer system, AbilityNet, last updated June 2024 (accessed on 09.12.2024).
• Equipment and assistive technology, Carers Support Centre, 17.05.2017, updated on 14.11.2023.
• Heathcote, Chris: What GDS has found from public sector accessibility monitoring, Accessibility in government (Gov.uk), 17.12.2024.
  Quote: 85% of websites and mobile apps we monitored had published an accessibility statement. We found that many accessibility statements are now out-of-date and have not been reviewed in the last 12 months, which may mean users are more likely to encounter problems with the website or app.

Outside Europe

• Country Dashboard, G3ict: The Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (accessed on 26.11.2021).
• Disability Laws and Acts by Country/Area, United Nations: Disability Laws and Acts by Country/Area. Note that this list covers general anti-discrimination legislation; these laws do not necessarily cover digital accessibility.
• Overview of website accessibility laws, Siteimprove (no date; accessed on 11.05.2022).
• Quesenbery, Whitney: A review of Structured Negotiation: A Winning Alternative to Lawsuits by Lainey Feingold, UXP Magazine, February 2017.
• Care, Gregory P.: Accessibility and the Law, UX Magazine, 07.09.2010.
• Sutton, Marcy: Accessibility is a Civil Right, MarcySutton.com, 16.01.2017.
• Bolivia Enacts Law to Provide Job Stability for the Disabled Evo Morales decreta ley que protege a personas con discapacidad, telesur, 26.09.2017.
• Feingold, Lainey: Shifting from Fear to Motivation when Talking about Digital Accessibility Law, 24 Accessibility, 11.12.2017.
• Complete Report: 2020 Website Accessibility Lawsuits, Accessibility.com, January 2020.
• 2020 End of year Report on Digital Accessibility Lawsuits, UsableNet.
• Web Accessibility Lawsuit Trends for 2021, eSSENTIAL Accessibility blog, 05.01.2021.
• Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies, Gov.UK, 09.05.2018; updated on 09.07.2021.
• Digital Accessibility Legal Updates on LFLegal (May 1 – July 10, 2022), Law Office of Lainey Feingold, 10.07.2022.
• Guideline on Making Information Technology Usable by All, Government of Canada, last updated on 23.06.2022 (accessed on 15.08.2022).
  Quote: Departments, agencies and organizations are strongly encouraged to leverage the Harmonised European Standard, EN 301 549 (2018), when (…).

USA

• About the ICT Accessibility 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines, U.S. Access Board (accessed on 17.02.2022).
• 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, ADA.gov (United States Department of Justice) (accessed on 27.09.2022).
• The Americans with Disabilities Act: Title II Technical Assistance Manual, ADA.gov (United States Department of Justice) (accessed on 27.09.2022).
• Mulvaney, Erin: Judge Wants DOJ's Views on Website Accessibility for Blind Users, The National Law Journal, 05.09.2017.
• Davis, Lennard; Perry, David: Protecting the rights of people with disabilities is not optional, The Washington Post, 26.09.2017.
• March 2017 Digital Accessibility Legal Update, Law Office of Lainey Feingold, 07.03.2017, updated on 28.09.2020.
  Among many other things, this article contains information related to the Section 508 refresh.
• Enomorado, Sofial How a Web Accessibility Lawsuit is Created & Settled, 3PlayMedia, 04.11.2019.
• New Year, New Digital Accessibility Content on LFLegal, Law Office of Lainey Feingold, 03.01.2022.
• Gower, Michael: Revised Section 508 Standards Now in Effect, IBM Age and Ability blog, 25.01.2018.
• Agrawal, Rishi: What's New in the Section 508 Refresh? Level Access, 31.01.2018.
• Section 508 Refresh: Understanding the New Requirements, white paper, Level Access (no date).
• Agrawal, Rishi: What Technology is Covered by Section 508 after the Refresh?, Level Access, 07.02.2018.
• Big Win for Web Accessibility in Domino’s Pizza Case, Law Office of Lainey Feingold, 15.01.2019.
• U.S. Supreme Court Passes on Domino’s Case: Commenters Misunderstand, Law Office of Lainey Feingold, 14.10.2019.
• In 2021 The Proposed Online Accessibility Act in US Congress is [STILL] Bad for Digital Inclusion, Law Office of Lainey Feingold, 05.10.2020.
  A bill introduced by a Republican congressman tried to reduce or eliminate the applicability of the ADA to websites by allowing an “alternative means of access for individuals with disabilities” when a website is not accessible.
• Another Big Win in the Domino’s Pizza Accessibility Saga, Law Office of Lainey Feingold, 25.06.2021.
• Mullin, Joe: Netflix agrees to subtitle all films by 2014, CNN, 11.10.2012.
• Netflix Settlement, Disability Rights Advocates, 14.04.2016.
  As a consequence of this settlement, Netflix will provide audio description for much of its content.
• Launey, Kristina M.; Vu, Minh N.; Ryan, Susan: Number Of Federal Website Accessibility Lawsuits Nearly Triple, Exceeding 2250 In 2018, Seyfarth's ADA Title III Team, 31.01.2019.
• Fins, Joseph J.; Bagenstos, Samuel: The Americans with Disabilities Act at 30: A cause for celebration during COVID-19?, The Conversation, 26.07.2020 (Creative Commons).
• Birkeland, Bente: Colorado Government Websites Still Aren’t Accessible To Many People With Disabilities. But New Funding Could Finally Change That, Colorado Public Radio, 03.06.2021.
• Pulrang, Andrew: What Went Right, What Went Wrong With 2020 Voting Accessibility, Forbes, 22.11.2020.
• Myers, Ben: A First Look at the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act Bill, Ben Myers, 01.10.2022.
• Graham, Edward: After a Decade of Noncompliance, DOJ Issues Report on Federal Website Accessibility, Nextgov, 23.02.2023.
  Intro: The release of the Justice Department’s first Section 508 report since 2012 comes after lawmakers raised bipartisan concerns about agencies’ continued inability to meet federal technology accessibility standards.
• Shaw, Seyfarth: 2023 Mid-Year Report: ADA Title III Federal Lawsuit Numbers Continue to Decline, Seyfarth's ADA Title III Team, 29.08.2023.
• Shaw, Seyfarth: California Assembly Bill on Website Accessibility Downgraded from Potential Lawsuit Tsunami to 2024 Weather Watch, Seyfarth's ADA Title III Team, 11.09.2023.
• Logan, Thomas: What an Economist Article Says About Website Accessibility and Lawsuits, Equal Entry, 19.09.2023.
• Disability/Accessibility, Stop The Coup 2025 (no date; accessed on 21.08.2024).
• Paduda, Joe: Project 2025 - part 2 - the disabled, elderly, babies and children, Managed Care Matters (on Substack), 10.07.2024.
• Project 2025's Plan to Sabotage Deaf Access, Ava Blog, 11.07.2024.
• Brick, Kelby: I want to talk about Project 2025, LinkedIn, early July 2024.
• Project 2025 and the Threat to Disabled People, Law Office of Lainey Feingold, 07.07.2024, updated on 12.07.2024.
  Subtitle: Disability Rights, Digital Accessibility, and Much More at Stake if Trump is elected. At the time when this article was published, Project 2025 was nowhere near an actual policy but the plan looks more than ominous.
• Access*Ability: Project 2025's threat to Disability Rights, Buttondown, 24.07.2024.
• Alms, Natalie: Agencies still struggle with online accessibility, GSA says, Nextgov/FCW, 06.01.2025.
  According to the FY 24 Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment, only a third or less of federal agencies’ most viewed tech is fully in line with Section 508 standards meant to ensure accessibility, and governmentwide digital accessibility decreased in fiscal 2024.

Canada

• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
• Cardoso, Tom: Ottawa cites translation, accessibility costs as reason for keeping documents from public, The Globe and Mail, 10.11.2022.
• Everyone’s business: Accessibility in Canada - Report from the Chief Accessibility Officer, 2023, Government of Canada, last modified on 15.02.2024.
• Wilson, Jim: Ottawa releases new accessibility standard for workplaces, HRD Canada, 02.12.2024.
• Harrison, Lee: Ontario was supposed to be accessible by 2025. Some advocates say it's not even close, CBC News, 06.01.2025.
  Subtitle: Province maintains it has met accessibility goals laid out 20 years ago.

Japan

• Japan (日本), WCAG in International Law, last updated on 27.09.2019 (accessed on 22.12.2022).
• JIS X 8341 Compliance - Japan web accessibility, EqualWeb (no date; accessed on 22.12.2022).
• The Japan Web Accessibility Consortium.
• Understanding Accessibility in Japan, Accessible Japan, 05.05.2018; updated on 06.04.2019.
  This website is about accessibility in the physical environment and does not cover digital acceessibility.

Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)

don’t get me started on VPATs. They are not a way to report conformance. They are a way to avoid reporting conformance. In VPATs one never says that one meets an SC. Only that they ’support’ it. Which is carefully chosen and defined as NOT meaning that one conforms or meets the provision.

Gregg Vanderheiden on the w3c-wai-gl mailing list, 13.03.2023 in a discussion that was not about VPATs.

• Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), Section508.gov, updated in April 2018.
• VPAT®, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), 2019.
  This page contains information and links for VPAT 2.3 from April 2019. This includes VPAT 2.3 EU for reporting conformance to the European standard EN 301 549.
• YouTube videos by ITI:
  • VPAT Training | Module 1: Introduction (14 minutes, 01.03.2021). Presented by Michele Van Doozer (Oracle).
  • VPAT Training | Module 2: Preparing to Write the ACR (8 minutes, 01.03.2021). (Curiously, the trainer refers to the WCAG versions as the “WCAG acts”.)
  • VPAT Training | Module 3: WCAG (25 minutes, 01.03.2021). An introduction into WCAG by Mary Jo Mueller of IBM.
  • VPAT Training | Module 4: Section 508 (25 minutes, 01.03.2021).
  • VPAT Training | Module 5: EN 301 549 (18 minutes, 01.03.2021).
  • VPAT Training | Module 6: What Makes a Good ACR? (16 minutes, 01.03.2021). Presented by Sheri Byrne-Haber.
  • VPAT Training | Module 7: Your ACR is Filled Out… What's Next? (9 minutes, 01.03.2021). Presented by Michele Van Doozer (Oracle).
  • VPAT Training | Module 8: ACR Readers and Evaluators (21 minutes, 01.03.2021). Presented by Laura Renfro (HP.)
• Hassell, Jonathan: Demystifying VPATs & Accessibility Conformance Reports, LinkedIn, 13.12.2024.
• DeConinck, Brian: What’s wrong with VPATs?, Brian DeConinck, 03.06.2024.
• VPAT® resources, Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC).
• Feldman, Matt: VPAT 2.0: Accessibility Compliance Reporting (IS AWESOME) (The Paciello Group on YouTube, 43 minutes, streamed live on 17.05.2018).
• Khan, Salim: What is a VPAT? Should I create a VPAT for my product?, BarrierBreak, 13.07.2022.
• McNeilly, Brian; Bahram, Sina: How to Read a VPAT: Assessing Accessibility Conformance Reports, MW 2019, 31.01.2019.
• Groves, Karl: Why a Third Party Should Prepare Your VPAT/GPAT, KarlGroves.com, 07.07.2011.
• Springer, Timothy Stephen: How to get a VPAT, Level Access, 05.10.2010.
• Mueller, Mary Jo: Quality Accessibility Conformance Reports Using The VPAT, Knowbility, John Slatin AccessU 2020 (accessed on 16.09.2021).
• OpenACR: OpenACR is a digital native Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). The initial development is based on Section 508 requirements. The main goal is to be able to compare the accessibility claims of digital products and services. A structured, self-validated, machine-readable documentation will provide for this. (Accessed on 01.06.2022.)
• OpenACR Editor: With this tool, people can generate Accessibility Conformance Report in the OpenACR format. (Accessed on 01.06.2022.)

Other Self-declarations of Conformity

• Roselli, Adrian: Be Wary of Accessibility Guarantees from Vendors, Adrian Roselli, 28.03.2016.
• Steenhout, Nicolas: Checking 3rd Party Vendors’ Product Accessibility, Knowbility, 08.01.2020.
• Partially supported is not supported, craigabbott.co.uk, 02.03.2022.
  WCAG 2.1 is a binary standard but many conformance claims for products try to get around this by stating that certain success criteria are “supported with exceptions”.

Statistics on Impairments or Disabilities

• Factsheet on Persons with Disabilities, United Nations Enable (no date; accessed on 17.02.2022).
  Quotes: Around 15 per cent of the world’s population, or estimated 1 billion people, live with disabilities. They are the world’s largest minority.
  Eighty per cent of persons with disabilities live in developing countries, according to the UN Development Programme.
  In most OECD countries, women report higher incidents of disability than men.
  Comparative studies on disability legislation shows that only 45 countries have anti-discrimination and other disability-specific laws.
• Data Fellows Programme Showcase - Statistics for Disability (UN Humanitarian on YouTube, 10 minutes, 14.10.2019).
  Description below the video: Watch Gagan Narula present on the results of his fellowship with the OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data in The Hague in July 2019. (One of the methods discussed in this presentation is the Washington Group's Short Set of Questions on Disability.)
• February 2021 US Disability Unemployment Rate, NP Training, 05.03.2021.
  According to figures published by Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S. Deparment of Labor), the unemployment rate among persons with a disability was 12.6%, whereas among persons without a disability it was 6.3%.
• Shandra, Carrie L.; Avery, Roger C.; Hogan, Dennis P.; Msall, Michael E.: Child and adult disability in the 2000 census: Disability is a household affair, Disability and Health Journal, Volume 5, Issue 4, October 2012.
• Les chiffres-clés du handicap en France, OCIRP, 12.07.2018.

Etiquette

• Disability Sensitivity Training Video (dcgovernment on YouTube, 4 minutes, 02.10.2014).
• How to Treat a Person with Disabilities, According to People with Disabilities (VICE on YouTube, 4 minutes, 28.11.2018).
• Disability Etiquette Training (Ohio OOD on YouTube, 70 minutes, 20.07.2020).

Studying with a Disability

The resources listed below focus mainly on higher education.

• Elwes, Sophie: 6 Tips For Studying With A Disability, MyPlus Students' Club, 08.01.2019.
• Disability support, The Open University (no date).
• Disability Advisory and Support Service and University of Manchester Assessment Centre, The University of Manchester (no date).
• Studying with a disability, Tilburg University (no date).
• Was heißt barrierefrei?, Universität Rostock. This includes Hinweise zur barrierefreien Gestaltung von Lehrveranstaltungen und -materialien.
• Barrierefreie Hochschuldidaktik und inklusive Lehre, Inklusive Hochschule | TU Chemnitz.
• beeinträchtigt studieren – best2: Datenerhebung zur Situation Studierender mit Behinderung und chronischer Krankheit 2016/17, Deutsches Studentenwerk, 2018. (324 pages)
• Studieren mit Behinderungen in Zahlen und Fakten, Deutsches Studentenwerk.
• Sozialerhebung.
• Barrierefreie Lehre, Universität Wien (no date; accessed on 24.02.2022).
• Pocklington Trust, Thomas: Blind and partially sighted students struggling to access online exams, FE News, 17.03.2021.
• Bialka, Christa: College students with disabilities are too often excluded, The Conversation, 05.11.2018 (Creative Commons).
• Beater, Emily: Studying with dyspraxia: 'I never truly understood an academic text', The Guardian, 05.03.2019.

Studying with ADHD

• How I Succeed with ADHD at Harvard [CC] (65PinkRoses on YouTube, 22 minutes, 12.08.2018).
• ADHS Studium - Wie du trotz ADHS nach Harvard kommst... (ADHS Success on YouTube, 7 minutes, 29.10.2019).
  This is a German-language summary of the video by 65PinkRoses.

Other Links

• Accessibility Laws & Standards, Level Access (no date; accessed on 27.09.2022).
• Pfeifer, Whitney: From “Nothing About Us Without Us” to “Nothing Without Us”, National Democratic Institute (NDI, 28.03.2022.
• Kaufman, Julia: Nothing About Us Without Us, The Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, 10.08.2018.
• Brodey, Denise: Why Underemployment Plagues People With Disabilities Even In A Strong Economy, Forbes, 27.10.2019.
• Disability, The Micropedia of Microaggressions (no date; accessed on 16.05.2022).
• International Day of People with Disabilities. (As of early December 2022, the homepage features the slogan Nothing About Us Without Us.)
• The BIPOC Project. From the project's mission statement: The BIPOC Project aims to build authentic and lasting solidarity among Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), in order to undo Native invisibility, anti-Blackness, dismantle white supremacy and advance racial justice. (Accessed on 06.12.2022.)
• Bernard, Jack: Bringing a Closing to Disclosing the Clothing, Braille Monitor, Volume 65, Number 1 (January 2022).
  Quotes: Because I am confident that my own experiences may not be the experiences of others, I have scoured the literature on accommodations for research, observations, or recommendations that would support this practice. I have found none. I have also reviewed guidance from organizations for people who are blind and/or visually impaired, centers for independent living, the federal government, public goods (such as colleges, universities, libraries, museums, and archives), and organizations that help people learn how to run meetings or make public presentations. I have found no entities recommending this practice. Moreover, throughout my lifetime, I have attended dozens of meetings stewarded by organizations for the blind, and I have never encountered this practice in those settings, nor have I heard people who are blind clamoring for it.
  It is difficult enough to inspire society to make accommodations that are unequivocally helpful. However, allowing practices like these to take up the little bandwidth we get does a disservice to all the accommodations we need but do not receive.
  See also the Twitter thread / conversation started by Denis Boudreau (16.02.2022).
• Chiwandire, Desire; Vincent, Louise: Funding and inclusion in higher education institutions for students with disabilities, African Journal of Disability, 2019.
• Philosophy, Disability and Social Change: Online Conference, Blavatnik School of Management, University of Oxford.
  The event takes from Wednesday 09 December 2020 - Friday 11 December 2020. Registration is free of charge.
  See also: Shelley Tremain: Update/Programme/Registration Info for Philosophy, Disability and Social Change, Oxford Online, Dec. 9-11, 2020, Biopolitical Philosophy, 31.10.2020.
• Alexiou, Gus: A Fully Accessible Rail Network Could Help Thousands Of Disabled People Find Work, Forbes, 17.12.2020.
  A report by the U.K. disability charity Leonard Cheshire revealed that 41% of U.K. train stations lack step-free access. Making the entire U.K. railway network accessible would cost betwen £2 billion and £6 billion. However, a fully accessible rail network could help around 51,000 people with work-limiting disabilities into employment. This could deliver £450 million into the coffers of the Exchequer and produce an economic output (GVA) boost of around £1.3 billion.
• Girma, Haben: Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. Little, Brown & Company / Hachette, 2019. (288 pages) ISBN 9781538728734.
  See also
  • Girma, Haben: One L, only harder, The Harvard Gazette, 08.11.2019.
  • Haben Girma's website.
  • Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law on Wikipedia.
• Pulrang, Andrew: What I’ve Learned As A Disabled Person From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Forbes, 28.12.2020.
• Praslova, Ludmila N.: How to Weigh the Risks of Disclosing a Disability, Harvard Business Review, 07.05.2024.
• Michigan Disability Rights Coalition (MDRC): Disability History.
• Jackson, Liz; Haagaard, Alex; Williams, Rua: Disability Dongle, Platypus, 19.04.2022.
  Quote from the summary: Disability Dongles are contemporary fairy tales that appeal to the abled imagination by presenting a heroic designer-protagonist whose prototype provides a techno-utopian (re)solution to the design problem. Disability Dongle rhetoric instills in students the value of a quick fix over structural change, thus preventing them from seeking out, participating in, and contributing to existing inquiry.
• Bailey, Eric: Global Accessibility Anger Day, Eric Bailey, 18.05.2023.
• Breschendorf, Felicitas: "Sehbehinderte Menschen bewegen sich jetzt viel gehemmter in ihrem Alltag", Zeit Magazin, 16.12.2020.
  Quote: Andreas Krüger arbeitet als Referent für Barrierefreiheit und Inklusion in der Berlinischen Galerie. Er leidet selbst unter zunehmendem Sehverlust und sagt: In der Pandemie ist es für Sehbehinderte schwer, ihren Alltag selbstbestimmt zu bewältigen.
• Peter, Tobias: Inklusion an deutschen Schulen: Lehrer geben der Politik die Note 4,5, Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, 09.11.2020.
• Slomski, Anita: Doctors share views on patients with disability, Harvard Gazette, 01.02.2021.
  Subtitle: Survey says most physicians associate disabilities with worse quality of life, a finding that may contribute to care disparities.
• Onibada, Ade: This Woman Sent A Very Important Message With Her Silhouette Challenge, BuzzFeed News, 02.02.2021.
• Biografien behinderter Menschen, Lesefutter (no date).
• Ferner, Jakob: Plastikstrohhalmverbot – Ausnahmebestimmung für behinderte Menschen dringend notwendig, Bizeps, 25.01.2021.
• Blind und ausgebremst – warum?, inklusion-tv.de, 07.02.2021.
• Lehmann, Anna: Barrierefreie Kommunikation im Netz: Linke will aufs Gendern verzichten, taz.de, 03.09.2019.
• Disability, Accessibility und das Gender*sternchen, blog.df-edv, 07.02.2021.
• Thier, Clara: "Es bringt nichts, wenn eine App 75 Prozent barrierefrei ist", Süddeutsche Zeitung, 16.03.2021.
  (Seeing AI app von Microsoft, Erdin Ciplak (known as Mr. BlindLife on social media), VoiceOver, TalkBack, Friedhelm Turinsky, Detlev Fischer.)
• Morris, Zachary; Goodman, Nanette; McGarity, Stephen: Living with a disability is very expensive – even with government assistance, The Conversation, 23.03.2017 (Creative Commons).
• Mitra, Sophie; Mont, Daniel; Kim, Hoolda; Palmer, Michael; Groce, Nora: The hidden extra costs of living with a disability, The Conversation, 26.07.2017 (Creative Commons).
• Cambridge Disability Law and Policy Series.
• Pulrang, Andrew: Forbes: 10 Teachable Disability Moments In “Game Of Thrones”, Forbes, 18.10.2021.
• Disability Inclusion Overview, The World Bank, last updated on 10.10.2021.
• Hawkins, Andrew J.: Uber and Lyft are terrible at providing wheelchair-accessible service, and here’s the proof, The Verge, 23.05.2018.
• Landman, Hanna: Wheelchair Accessibility Bloopers, Avacare Medical Blog, 29.03.2017.
• Robinson, Syd: 14 Times "Accessible" Design Severely Failed People With Disabilities, BuzzFeed, 20.06.2021.
• Romaine, Jenna: Utah yearbook photo excludes cheerleader with Down syndrome, The Hill, 17.06.2021.
• Hong Kong Phab Association – Their Point of View , Campaigns of the world, 11.19.2019.
• Miles-Paul, Ottmar: Kein Abendessen mit Führhund im Hotelrestaurant, Kobinet-Nachrichten, 25.10.2021.
• Disability Evidence Portal (DEP): A repository of solutions, evidence and tools for strengthening decision-making within Disability-Inclusive Development (accessed on 17.01.2022).
• Fischer, Manfred: Sehbehinderter Banker Markus Ertl: „Barrierefreiheit hat noch keinem Unternehmen geschadet“, biallo.de, 10.01.2022.
• Iacobien Riezebosch (Twitter), 16.01.2022: GebarenTAAL is essentieel voor Doven. Maar Hoogleraar Communicatie (!) Bas van den Putte zegt: “[..] en daardoor was de gebarentolk niet altijd goed in beeld. Ik zou zeggen: kies dan voor ondertiteling.” Leer alsjeblieft bij. #a11y #Doof #persco.
  Includes link to Coronapersconferentie-nieuwe stijl: plaatjes voegen weinig toe, tolk is nu postzegel (RTL Nieuws, 14.01.2022.
  Bas van den Putte, professor in health communication at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) does not understand that subtitles are not as good as a sign language interpreter.
• Greco, Lucy: The 2024 international day of persons with disabilitys, Access Aces, 03.12.2024.
• Missies en klachten, De Federale Dienst voor Digitale Toegankelijkheid, (no date; accessed on 12.07.2021).
• Website aangepast aan EU-toegankelijkheidsrichtlijnen, Directie-generaal Personen met een handicap, 23.09.2020.
• Toegankelijke websites bij lokale besturen, Gelijke kansen Vlaanderen, 31.08.2020.
• Digitale toegankelijkheid, Vlaanderen Intern (no date; accessed on 12.07.2021).
• Wettelijk kader webtoegankelijkheid, Vlaanderen Intern (no date; accessed on 12.07.2021).
• Taube Intervention bei einem gedolmetschten Konzert, Taubenschlag, 23.09.2019.
• La liquidation de l'association BrailleNet, signe de la fragilité de l'édition adaptée, Actualitte.com, 31.01.2022.
• Paretti, Jim; Ray, Niloy; Mrkonich, Marko: EEOC Issues Guidance on Artificial Intelligence and Americans with Disabilities Act Considerations, Littler Mendelson P.C., 18.05.2022.
• Wölfl, Lisa: "Ich habe eine Behinderung, aber das ist nur ein Teil von mir", Moment, 08.04.2022.
• AccessibleEU centre: a first step towards an EU agency on accessibility, European Disability Forum, 19.07.2022.
• La vie de couple et la déficience sensorielle : entre ruptures et continuités, FIRAH - Fondation Internationale de la Recherche Appliquée sur le Handicap (no date; 14.11.2022).
• A Quick Guide To Kiosk User Interface Design, Tillster blog, 25.04.2023.
• Assistive Technology for People with Disabilities and Older People: A Discussion Paper by Enable Ireland and Disability Federation Ireland (DFI), FreedomTech, November 2016.
• Klassen, Julia: Blindenfußball: Blindes Vertrauen, Stuttgarter Nachrichten, 16.07.2015.
• Peeters, Ann: Sportdag voor blinden en jongeren met beperkingen, Het Nieuwsblad, 28.04.2011.
• Hassell, Jonathan: Why digital accessibility is key to recruiting a neurodivergent workforce, HR magazine, 04.03.2024.