Accessibility

On 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (“EAA”)—a 2019 directive—will begin applying to covered products and services.  The EAA imposes various obligations on technology and online service providers among others, requiring them to ensure that the products and services that they offer in the EU are made accessible to consumers with disabilities. According to its recitals, the goal of the EAA is to increase the availability of accessible products and services in the EU and improve the accessibility of information provided to consumers about those products and services.Continue Reading European Accessibility Act: June 2025 deadline has arrived

On Tuesday, July 25, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that it has finalized a notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) to establish clear technical accessibility standards for state and local governments’ websites and mobile applications (“apps”).  Although the text of the proposed rule has not yet been released, according to the White House, it “suggests clear technical standards, like including text descriptions of images so people using screen readers can understand the content, providing captions on videos, and enabling navigation through use of a keyboard instead of a mouse for those with limited use of their hands.”  Note that the proposed rule would apply to state and local government websites and apps only, but as discussed below this rulemaking could have a shadow effect on disputes about the accessibility of commercial websites and apps. Continue Reading Biden Administration Announces Rulemaking to Improve the Accessibility of Online Public Services for Americans with Disabilities