by Lindsay Nash | May 27, 2025 | Article
Imagine being locked out of an online platform—not because of a forgotten password, but because the system wasn’t designed with your needs in mind.
For millions of people with disabilities, this is a daily reality. In response, the European Union will begin enforcing new legislation on June 28, 2025, to harmonise accessibility standards across the EU. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) aims to make digital products and services, including software like grant management platforms, more accessible for all users.
This means accessibility is no longer optional. If your organisation delivers digital services in the EU, including managing grants online, compliance will soon be mandatory. Is your grant program ready?
In this blog, we’ll explain why accessibility matters, what it entails, how to comply with the European Accessibility Act and how Good Grants has prepared for this legislative milestone.
Join Rachel Martin, the Product Manager and “accessibility champion” at Creative Force (the team behind Good Grants) as she chats with Lindsay Nash about accessibility and the European Accessibility Act.
First accepted in 2019, the EAA comes into effect in June 2025, to reduce barriers created by inconsistent accessibility rules across EU countries and ensure equal digital access for all individuals, especially those with disabilities.
“Accessibility, in general, is about making software usable by people with disabilities so they can do everything a non-disabled person can do,” explains Rachel Martin, Product Manager and our “accessibility champion” at Good Grants.
The EAA will:
People with disabilities and older individuals will benefit from:
One of the most impacted sectors will be software providers, especially those offering consumer-facing platforms—like grant management systems.
The EAA does not dictate specific technologies. Instead, it sets functional requirements based on international standards such as WCAG 2.1, EN 301 549, and ISO guidelines.
The law requires that digital tools meet the following principles:
Perceivable: Information must be presented in a way all users can perceive (e.g. captions, alternative text)
Operable: Interfaces must support different input methods (e.g. keyboard-only navigation, assistive technologies)
Understandable: The interface must be clear and consistent
Robust: Must be compatible with various assistive technologies, both current and future
Any business offering digital products or services within the EU must comply—even if the company is headquartered elsewhere. For example, if your grant platform supports applicants or reviewers based in the EU, you must meet EAA requirements.
The EAA applies to key digital sectors, including:
Understanding the difference between laws (like the EAA) and guidelines (like WCAG) is key.
Laws are mandatory, meaning that non-compliance can result in fines, legal action or loss of access to markets. While guidelines offer best practices and technical direction for how to meet those laws.
The bottom line: the EAA tells you what to do. Guidelines like WCAG tell you how to do it.
Here’s a breakdown of major accessibility laws vs. guidelines across key regions:
These are regulations or acts enforced by governments. Non-compliance can lead to fines, lawsuits or denied market access.
Applies from: June 28, 2025 (compliance deadline)Covers: Digital products/services including websites, mobile apps, e-commerce, banking, e-books, ticketing, etc.Goal: Create and enforce accessibility regulations across EU marketEnforcement: National authorities can impose fines or restrict product access
Applies to public accommodations, including websites and softwareEnforcement: Civil lawsuits, Department of Justice actionsCovers: Not specific to digital, but courts have interpreted it to cover websites and apps
Applies to: U.S. federal agencies and their contractorsRequires: Information and communications technology (ICT) must be accessible to people with disabilitiesBased on: WCAG 2.0 Level AA (as of the latest refresh)
ACA: Applies to federal institutions in CanadaAODA (Ontario): Private/public sector must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA for web contentDeadlines: AODA has phased deadlines for compliance
Replaced the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act)Requires: Reasonable accommodations in digital servicesCovers: Not specific on technical standards but often interpreted through WCAG
These accessibility guidelines include standards and best practices, and often form the basis for the above laws as industry standards for compliance.
Created by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), they are the most widely accepted international standard.Current version: WCAG 2.2 (released October 2023)Levels: A (basic), AA (intermediate, most laws require), AAA (highest)Covers: Perceivable, operable, understandable, robust (POUR) principles
An EU-based technical standard providing detailed accessibility requirements; a tool to help comply with laws like the Web Accessibility Directive and the EAA. The standard outlines accessibility requirements for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products and services to ensure they can be used by persons with disabilities.
Guidelines that help ensure tools used to create content (e.g. CMS, site builders) are accessible and encourage accessible output and accessible interfaces for content creators.
Guidelines for browsers and media players to support accessibility (less widely adopted).
Legal compliance is crucial now, but the case for accessibility goes far beyond that. Here are even more reasons to build accessibility into your digital experience.
Accessibility ensures everyone, regardless of ability, can participate in your grant programs. This is fundamental for organisations that want to ensure access to grant opportunities.
Roughly 15% of the global population lives with a disability. Collectively, they hold $6.9 trillion in annual disposable income. Ignoring accessibility is not just discriminatory—it’s bad business.
Accessible design benefits everyone:
Many mainstream tools were originally designed as accessibility features. Think email, voice-to-text or screen readers. Accessibility drives creative solutions that benefit all users.
Accessibility is now a legal requirement. Failing to comply can lead to fines, lawsuits, loss of contracts and significant reputational damage.
The 2025 deadline is fast approaching. Here’s how to get your grant program ready:
Conducting an audit is an important first step to identify any problems or issues with your digital products. You could bring in experts to do this for you, or follow the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) process yourself with the assistance of tools like Axe, Lighthouse or WAVE.
Accessibility is a team effort. Resources like W3C’s Introduction to Web Accessibility on edX are great starting points. Encourage team members to join communities like WebAIM and events like Global Accessibility Awareness Day. And nominate your own “accessibility champion” on your team to help drive efforts.
Aim for WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA—the baseline for most laws. These standards follow the POUR principles mentioned above.
Fix small but significant issues, such as:
Interview real users to uncover issues you might overlook internally. Their insights are invaluable for user experience and inclusive design.
Build accessibility into design, development, testing and QA processes. Make it part of your product culture, not just a last-minute fix.
If you’re using third-party tools—like a grant management platform—ask about their accessibility features. Your compliance depends on them, too.
Though not legally required, an accessibility statement shows transparency and commitment. Outline your standards, known limitations and how users can give feedback.
At Good Grants, accessibility is a core value. Our platform is built, tested and continuously improved with accessibility in mind. We aim to support all grant applicants, reviewers and grant managers—regardless of ability.
Our platform complies with:
We offer a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) report that outlines how our software meets these standards.
“Accessibility is not just a feature—it’s a responsibility,” said Rachel Martin. “Good Grants is committed to ensuring all users can fully engage with the platform, and that our clients can meet their own legal obligations with confidence.”
The European Accessibility Act is a major step forward in digital inclusion—and it’s coming fast. For grantmakers, now is the time to act. Prioritising accessibility helps you stay compliant, build trust and reach more deserving applicants.
Need a grant management platform built with accessibility in mind? Contact Good Grants to learn how we can help you stay ahead of the EAA and support every member of your community.
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