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Digital Transformation Notes | April 2024
12 April 2024
Aside from the AI Act’s final blessing by the European Parliament earlier in March (extensively covered by our previous Monthly Notes), the past month was dominated by legislative...
We have a long history of advising leading players on a wide range of issues relating to digital accessibility, from monitoring legislative processes and engaging with regulators, to lobbying. We also lead in helping to bring innovative products to market – and digital accessibility has become front and center for many of our clients, particularly as digital accessibility is an integral part of the “social” in ESG compliance.
The growing regulatory focus on digital accessibility is long overdue but well deserved. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated the way in which we access goods and services online, and with this rise has come an increased regulatory expectation for vulnerable users to also be able to access goods and services online in the same way as everyone else.
Although services provided by governmental and other public bodies have largely been the focus of digital accessibility legislation, over time the focus of lawmakers has expanded to also include the private sector and require private product manufacturers and service providers to design their products and services in such a way that ensures they are accessible to individuals with disabilities and functional limitations (such as the elderly). A good example of this is the EU’s adoption of the European Accessibility Act, which sets EU-wide minimum accessibility requirements for a range of products and services (including computers, smartphone, TVs, electronic communications services and e-commerce services) ad which applies as of 28 June 2025.
Where the EU has taken the lead on digital accessibility, other jurisdictions are likely to soon follow, and we are closely monitoring regulatory developments across the globe. We have built up an impressive knowledge across a range of jurisdictions on the intricacies of the various digital accessibility requirements, enabling us to provide solution-oriented advice. Get in touch to find out how we can be supporting you with compliance in this space.
