Trends and future of digital accessibility

Digital accessibility is rapidly evolving to meet the needs of 14.5 million French people with disabilities. Technological innovations are transforming our approach to digital inclusion, while new European regulations are redefining standards. Discover the emerging trends shaping the future of web accessibility and the challenges to overcome for a truly inclusive society.

The law of February 11, 2005 constitutes the founding basis of digital accessibility in France, establishing for the first time an accessibility obligation for public services. This pioneering legislation has gradually extended its scope of application over the years.

The decree of July 24, 2019 marks a decisive step by extending these obligations to private companies exceeding 250 million euros in turnover. The 2020 ordinance strengthens this framework by specifying the implementation procedures and penalties incurred.

Since June 2025, a new turning point has occurred with the extension of obligations to many previously exempt private sectors. This evolution is part of the transposition of the European directive on accessibility, harmonizing French practices with community standards to ensure better inclusion of the entire population.

Published on September 20, 2019, RGAA 4 structures accessibility assessment around 106 precise criteria adapted from international WCAG standards. This current version, updated to 4.1.2, covers websites and applications but excludes native mobile applications which fall directly under the EN 301-549 standard.

The reference framework proposes a rigorous audit method organized into 13 themes, from images to consultation. Each criterion is accompanied by detailed technical tests allowing certified auditors to establish an objective compliance rate for organizations subject to legal obligations.

The improvement of accessibility for public and private sites now relies on this harmonized technical foundation, facilitating implementation for development teams as well as for people with disabilities who benefit from a standardized user experience.

The (EU) 2019/882 directive radically transforms the European accessibility landscape by establishing common requirements for all member states. Unlike disparate national approaches, this regulation creates a single market where products and services comply with standardized standards.

The European standard EN 301 549 becomes the shared technical reference, gradually replacing national specifications. This harmonization facilitates cross-border trade while guaranteeing the 87 million Europeans with disabilities an equivalent level of accessibility, regardless of their country of residence.

Since June 2025, this European convergence has redefined French obligations by expanding the scope to banking services, transportation and e-commerce. The objective: eliminate the regulatory fragmentation that hindered innovation and penalized companies operating in several European countries simultaneously.

Business sectors are developing specialized approaches to meet accessibility requirements. The banking sector now integrates voice interfaces and simplified pathways for visually impaired people. E-commerce platforms adapt their purchase funnels with detailed audio descriptions and optimized keyboard navigation.

Healthcare facility accessibility combines physical accommodations and digital tools. Hospitals deploy touch terminals with voice synthesis for patient orientation. Medical offices modernize their online appointment systems according to RGAA criteria.

Accessibility work in education is transforming digital learning. Universities equip their educational platforms with automatic subtitles and adaptive interfaces. This approach facilitates employment accessibility for graduates with disabilities, creating a virtuous circle of sustainable professional inclusion.

The decree of April 20, 2017 precisely frames the physical accessibility of establishments receiving the public. Unlike recent digital obligations, these standards apply differently depending on whether the building is new or existing. New constructions must integrate all requirements from their design.

For ERPs in categories 1 to 4, the entire building must allow access for people with disabilities. Exterior pathways, adapted parking and interior circulation constitute the pillars of this accessibility. Existing establishments benefit from a more flexible approach, with the possibility of justified exemptions.

Each ERP must maintain a Public Accessibility Register accessible to all users. This document details the accommodations made and provides information on the accessibility level of services offered, creating necessary transparency for people with reduced mobility.

French transport networks are undergoing a major transformation with the obligation to collect accessibility data according to the NeTEx profile since June 2021. This information now feeds route calculators and mobile applications, allowing people with disabilities to plan their trips with full knowledge.

The Acceslibre Mobilités platform centralizes this data to improve passenger information. NaviLens revolutionizes guidance for visually impaired people through QR codes readable up to 50 meters away in stations. On-demand transport services (TPMR) are developing in parallel to complement the accessible offer.

Île-de-France Mobilités illustrates this evolution with its scheduled accessibility agenda setting a precise timetable until 2024. The PAM service serves users 7 days a week, while new rolling stock systematically integrates access ramps and dedicated wheelchair spaces.

The European Accessibility Act redefines digital obligations since June 2025, extending RGAA compliance to private companies with more than 10 employees generating more than 2 million euros in turnover. E-commerce sites, online banking services and electronic communication platforms must comply with the 106 criteria of the French reference framework.

Less than 10% of French sites achieved full compliance in 2024. Financial penalties amount to 7,500 euros, increased to 15,000 euros in case of recurrence. The Ara audit tool, developed by DINUM, facilitates technical assessment for developers.

This transformation forces companies to rethink their user journeys. Keyboard navigation, text alternatives for images and compatibility with screen readers become essential to reach the 87 million Europeans affected by disability.

• Generative artificial intelligence automatically produces image descriptions and real-time subtitles for multimedia content.
• Conversational voice assistants allow visually impaired people to navigate the web by natural commands.
• Blockchain secures personalized accessibility data while preserving the anonymity of disabled users.
• IoT sensors detect assistance needs in real time in connected public spaces.
• Augmented reality overlays virtual tactile information to guide blind people in their environment.
• Brain-computer interfaces offer direct control of digital devices for tetraplegic people.
• Machine learning personalizes the user experience according to each individual’s accessibility preferences.

Intelligent voice assistants transform the autonomy of visually impaired people through advanced contextual understanding of natural commands. Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa now adapt to pronunciation variations and speech disorders, opening digital access to a wider audience. Next-generation voice synthesis produces expressive voices capable of restoring the emotions and nuances of the original text.

These assistive technologies learn from individual habits to automatically personalize interfaces according to specific needs. A user can navigate the internet, control their home automation or make online purchases using voice alone. Voice recognition algorithms today achieve 95% accuracy even with pronounced regional accents, democratizing usage for the entire French disabled population.

Immersive technologies revolutionize the digital experience of people with disabilities by creating personalized adaptive environments. Virtual reality allows wheelchair users to virtually explore physically inaccessible historical sites, while augmented reality overlays tactile indications to guide visually impaired people in their urban movements.

The Théâtre du Châtelet has been deploying AR glasses since 2024 that project surtitles directly onto the lenses, facilitating cultural access for deaf and hard of hearing people. Haptic interfaces enrich these experiences by stimulating touch, compensating for sensory deficiencies through precise tactile feedback.

WebAR democratizes these innovations by operating directly from a mobile browser, eliminating technical and financial barriers. This expanded accessibility opens new horizons for digital inclusion of the 87 million Europeans affected by disability.

Smartphones now integrate native accessibility features that surpass traditional external solutions. iOS Voice Control allows tetraplegic people to navigate entirely by voice commands, while Android offers TalkBack with gesture recognition for visually impaired users. Switch Control simplifies usage for people with reduced mobility through customizable external switches.

Next-generation haptic touchscreens enrich the sensory experience by reproducing different virtual textures. This technology helps blind people distinguish buttons, menus and interactive areas by touch. The Be My Eyes app instantly connects visually impaired users with sighted volunteers via video, creating real-time human assistance to identify objects or read documents.

• Configurable temporary message timeout from 5 seconds to 2 minutes to give users more time.
• Customizable vibrations with variable intensity and distinct patterns for each type of notification or application.
• Automatic inverted contrast activated by triple-clicking the power button to relieve eye fatigue.
• Touch zone size adjustable up to 200% to facilitate selection for people with tremors.
• Programmable gesture shortcuts allowing TalkBack activation by swiping three fingers upward.
• Configurable LED flash notification with differentiated colors according to the sender of incoming messages.
• Modifiable touch hold time from 0.1 to 4 seconds to adapt sensitivity to motor capabilities.

Jaccede Mobile transforms urban mobility for people with reduced mobility by collaboratively referencing the accessibility of thousands of French establishments. This community application precisely details door width, ramp presence and restroom layout for each visited location.

Acceo revolutionizes communication for deaf people by offering video interpretation in sign language with more than 30,000 partner establishments. Be My Eyes instantly connects visually impaired users with sighted volunteers via video call to identify objects or decipher documents.

StreetCo guides wheelchairs by signaling temporary and permanent obstacles on urban routes. Microsoft’s Seeing AI describes the visual environment through artificial intelligence, recognizing faces, texts and barcodes for blind people.

Generative artificial intelligence redefines accessibility standards by automating the creation of alternative content. This technological revolution nevertheless raises major ethical questions about the quality and reliability of automated descriptions.

Interoperability between platforms becomes a priority challenge. Users navigate daily between different digital ecosystems that apply heterogeneous accessibility standards. This technical fragmentation penalizes user experience and hinders mass adoption of assistance tools.

Professional training represents a major structural challenge. As Philippe Trotin from Microsoft France points out, recruiting developers trained in accessibility issues remains extremely difficult. This skills shortage slows down the inclusive digital transformation of French companies and administrations.

France now has 4.8 million people over 85 years old, compared to 1.4 million in 2020. This spectacular progression radically transforms digital accessibility requirements.

Seniors develop specific needs: simplified interfaces, reinforced contrasts and extended reaction times to compensate for decreased dexterity. INED reveals that 78% of French people fear aging mainly because of mobility and digital autonomy problems.

Web platforms must anticipate this demographic shift by natively integrating adapted features. Enlarged fonts, voice navigation and contextual assistance become essential to maintain inclusion of this growing population. This adaptation represents a market of 20 million people over 60 years old by 2030.

Beyond seniors, 17% of the French population suffers from digital illiteracy and cannot use the Internet autonomously. This digital exclusion particularly affects modest households, poorly connected rural areas and people far from employment.

The accelerated dematerialization of public services since the pandemic aggravates these access inequalities. Exclusively online administrative procedures de facto exclude a significant part of the population that does not master digital tools.

Public and associative initiatives are emerging to fill these gaps. The France Services digital advisors program has already supported more than 2 million people. Municipal libraries are developing digital mediation spaces, while mobile devices like DigiTruck bring training directly to priority neighborhoods.

Digital Accessibility Audit by DBM

DBM adopts a tailor-made methodology that combines technical expertise and personalized support. Each project begins with an in-depth analysis of your business context to define an audit scope adapted to your real challenges.

Our experts perfectly master the 106 RGAA criteria and use professional solutions like Ara to guarantee result reliability. Manual audit remains at the heart of our approach because only human intervention can evaluate the relevance of alternative content or the coherence of user journeys.

Beyond the simple technical report, we provide you with a prioritized action plan with concrete correction recommendations. This pragmatic approach facilitates the implementation of improvements by your development teams while respecting your budgetary and scheduling constraints.

Learn more about our Digital Accessibility audit: https://www.debussac.net/audit-accessibilite-numerique-by-dbm/

Inclusive User Testing

Recruiting people with disabilities to evaluate your interfaces in real-world situations is the most revealing approach to identifying actual accessibility barriers. These sessions allow you to directly observe how screen readers interact with your content or how visually impaired users navigate with software magnifiers.

The French Digital Affairs Directorate (DINUM) coordinates a specialized group of users with disabilities who test public websites, while platforms like AccessiWay connect businesses with a community of experienced testers. Each session typically lasts a maximum of 90 minutes and involves 4 to 5 participants using various assistive technologies.

This approach reveals issues invisible during automated audits: difficulties understanding labels, unsuitable user journeys, or insufficient response times for certain actions.

The year 2030 marks a conceptual revolution where accessibility will cease to be an add-on and become the very foundation of digital design. Development frameworks already automatically integrate WCAG standards into their architecture, making non-compliance technically impossible.

Artificial intelligence will radically transform the user experience by instantly adapting interfaces to specific detected needs. Gesture recognition, emotional speech synthesis, and predictive personalization will converge toward transparent universal accessibility. This technological shift will naturally accompany the aging of the European population, where 30% of the population will be over 65 by 2030.

To learn more, check out our comprehensive guide on the subject: https://www.debussac.net/guide-complet-de-laccessibilite-numerique-2025/

What is the RGAA?

The General Accessibility Improvement Framework (RGAA) is the official French regulatory framework that defines the technical requirements for accessibility in public digital services. Published by DINUM, this framework comprises 106 criteria based on international WCAG standards to ensure that websites and applications are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities.

What are the four principles of accessibility?

The four fundamental principles of digital accessibility are: perceivable (information must be presented in forms that users can perceive), usable (interface components must be operable), understandable (information and interface operation must be understandable), and robust (content must be robust enough to be interpreted by various assistive technologies).

How do I enable accessibility on a smartphone?

To enable accessibility on your smartphone, go to the Settings app and select the Accessibility section. On Android, you can also press and hold two fingers on the initial setup screen until you hear a beep. Once in the menu, choose the features you want, such as TalkBack, magnification, or accessibility shortcuts, depending on your specific needs.

What emerging technologies are transforming digital accessibility?

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing accessibility with advanced speech recognition tools and automatic image description generation. Gesture control interfaces enable navigation through facial movements, while augmented reality offers immersive solutions for visual assistance. AI-powered screen readers and improved speech synthesis technologies make digital content more accessible to all users.

How can you assess a website’s accessibility?

To evaluate a website’s accessibility, combine automated tools with manual testing. Tools such as WAVE, AccessScan, and Lighthouse quickly detect common technical errors. Manual auditing remains essential for verifying the relevance of text alternatives and testing keyboard navigation. Testing with users with disabilities provides valuable insight into the actual user experience.