How the Accessibility Act is Set to Define Digital Success

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) isn’t just a legal milestone, it’s a business opportunity.

As of June 28, 2025, many websites within the EU must now comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards, also known as “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines”.

For brands and marketing professionals, this means moving beyond compliance to create more inclusive, scalable and effective digital experiences.

The Accessibility Opportunity

This isn’t about box-ticking, however, it’s about implementing smarter design and putting the user at the heart of innovation.

Inclusive content improves reach, builds loyalty and drives performance. According to SEMrush, 73% of websites experience growth in organic traffic after implementing accessibility improvements, with an average growth of 12%[1].

Brands that embrace this opportunity will define the future of digital success.

Quick links

• What the EAA means at a glance
• What you need to do
• Why it matters for digital growth
• What WCAG 2.1 looks Like in practice
• How KINESSO is evolving
• Lead with accessibility

What the EAA means at a glance

The EAA introduces a new legal standard for digital inclusion, ensuring that everyone including people with disabilities, can access online services with ease.

Digital accessibility in EU markets is no longer optional, it’s the law. If your website or app doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 standards, you risk legal action, fines and reputational damage.

But while compliance applies to sites and apps within the EU, brands and agencies would be wise to consider the possibilities this brings in non-EU markets as well. The guidelines at the heart of this Act could be considered a benchmark for forward-thinking, digital marketing best practice.

Under the UK’s Equality Act 2010, a person is considered disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a “substantial” and “long-term” negative impact on their ability to carry out everyday activities. Accessibility, in its broadest sense, means making content that is usable and perceivable by everyone, regardless of their abilities or impairments. Designing with this mindset is essential for creating equitable, human-centred digital experiences.

A strategic edge

By embedding accessibility into your digital strategy, you effectively future proof your platforms, and demonstrate leadership in inclusive design.

Accessibility offers a strategic advantage too. It improves user experience for everyone and strengthens brand trust. In fact, a 2024 survey by consumer research firm Harris Poll found that 76% of consumers view companies more positively when they make their digital content accessible to everyone[2].

On top of that, the latest report by McKinsey found that businesses that prioritise accessible and inclusive customer experiences see a 20% increase in customer satisfaction and a 15% boost in loyalty[3].

Why it matters for digital growth

Accessible design is a growth enabler. Over 25% of the UK and EU populations currently live with a disability[4], which means that inclusive digital experiences can immediately expand your connection with millions of underserved users.

It’s important to remember that not all disabilities are visible. Many individuals live with non-apparent conditions, such as cognitive, neurological, or mental health disabilities, which are often overlooked in traditional digital design and content creation.

There are general benefits to everyone too.

• Simpler layouts, clearer calls to action and intuitive navigation can help reach people across all devices, connection speeds and levels of digital literacy.
• Accessibility directly supports SEO performance. Using alt text, semantic HTML and proper heading structures improves how search engines crawl and rank your content. This in turn enhances visibility, discoverability and voice search readiness.
• Inclusive design also builds brand equity. Demonstrating a commitment to accessibility signals integrity, empathy and forward-thinking leadership. Research by Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Google found that 82% of shoppers want a brand’s values to align with their own[5].

Speed, clarity and empathy are fast becoming the expected standards for high-performing, inclusive brands.

[1] https://accessibe.com/blog/knowledgebase/how-web-accessibility-can-improve-website-performance

[2] https://accessibility-test.org/blog/industries/the-top-benefits-of-accessible-websites-in-2025/

[3] https://www.digitalexperience.live/customer-experiences-all

[4] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9602/

[5] https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/topics/consumer-trends/harris-poll-82-of-consumers-want-a-brands-values-to-align-with-their-own

How digital experiences will be improved

The WCAG 2.1 guidelines centre on four key accessibility principles known as ‘POUR’: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust.

Incorporating these into workflows can make brands truly accessible.

Perceivable

This ensures users can identify and interact with content using their available senses:

• Provide descriptive text alternatives for images and icons
• Add captions and transcripts to video content
• Use high-contrast colour schemes for readability
• Structure content with headings and landmarks for scan-ability and navigation

Operable

This ensures users can navigate and use interface elements without barriers:

• Ensure all navigation and functionality is accessible via keyboard
• Avoid flashing content that may trigger seizures
• Allow flexible time limits on required actions and maintain consistent navigation

Understandable

This ensures users can comprehend content and predict how interactions will behave:

• Use plain, easy-to-follow language
• Label buttons and actions clearly and consistently
• Enable error review and correction (e.g. form previews)
• Provide clear instructions and feedback for user interactions

Robust

This ensures content is compatible with a wide range of technologies and assistive tools:

• Use clean, well-structured code
• Test across devices, browsers, and screen readers
• Regularly audit and update code to meet evolving standards
• Avoid relying solely on one technology (e.g., JavaScript) for critical functionality

Read our full POV on Accessibility.

What you can do right now

Audit your digital content

Get familiar with the POUR principles

Build accessibility into every new project

Choose partners who design for everyone

Make accessibility a shared team objective

How KINESSO can help you lead on accessibility

At KINESSO, accessibility is built into how we strategies, design and deliver. We partner with brands to make digital content more inclusive and compliant from the ground up.

Clarify Scope and Requirements

• We can assess whether your websites and apps fall under WCAG 2.1 AA, including what’s in and out of scope under the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
• We can explain how regulations apply to your specific digital properties.

Consult, Support and Enable

• We can work directly with your teams, offering consultation, training, workshops and quality control tailored to your technical, SEO and content needs.
• Our client enablement programs include resources to scale accessible content production across your organisation.

Audit and Align

• Every strategy we deliver includes accessibility checkpoints, with content audits that identify key improvements.
• We apply the POUR framework:
  • Perceivable - Content works for all senses
  • Operable - Easy to navigate and control
  • Understandable - Clear actions and language
  • Robust - Compatible with assistive technologies

Design for DEI and Inclusion

• We build tools, templates, and frameworks that support diverse representation and work seamlessly with assistive tech.
• From image alt tags to consistent heading structure, we design and write with accessibility in mind.
• As part of IPG Mediabrands, KINESSO proudly partners with our Neurodiversity and Disability Employee Resource Group (ERG), one of our Open Networks. We collaborate closely on initiatives such as policy creation, accessibility audits, and inclusive content development, bringing real lived experience into our work.

Embed accessibility into your workflow

• We help you bake accessibility into every project from planning to launch.
• We promote accessibility as a shared goal across teams.
• We guide you in choosing inclusive tools and partners.

Lead by Example

• We’re working with internal stakeholders to ensure our marketing channels (including this very blog) follow accessibility best practices such as alt tags, heading structure and plain language.
• KINESSO is proud to be a Disability Confident employer within IPG Mediabrands, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to inclusive hiring practices and workplace accessibility.

Stay tuned for more from our compliance and design teams and updates on how we’re leading this space.

Ready to future-proof your content? Let’s talk about your accessibility roadmap here.