Accessibility regulations

Synthesis of regulations focused on digital accessibility in France and E.U.

Law for a digital republic – Decree 2019-768 regarding the access for the disabled to digital services provided by the government or large businesses (France) #

The Access for the disabled to various digital services is made mandatory to ensure digital inclusion. The decree published on July 24, 2019 specifies the accessibility obligations of digital services, in particular for private companies whose turnover in France is greater than 250 million euros.

Scope of digital services:

• Internet sites, extranet, intranet, business applications
• Mobile applications
• Pre-recorded office, audio and video files
• Software packages

Large companies must:

• Publish a multi-year accessibility plan over a maximum of 3 years with an action plan for the current year (for example, Orange's multi-year plan)
• Train all digital stakeholders: decision-maker, buyer, product manager, designer, developer, testers, content publisher ...

Digital services must:

• be compliant to international standard, such as WCAG 2.1 level AA
• provide an accessibility statement including the compliance status, the non-accessible content, the method used, contact information for users to report a problem…

Start from

• October 1, 2019
  • websites, intranet, extranet, office files (published after 1/10/2019)
• October 1, 2020:
  • Internet *, intranet, extranet sites (published before 1/10/2019)
  • Office files (published after 9/23/2018 or required for a process)
  • Pre-recorded audios and videos (published after 9/23/2020)
• July 1, 2021:
  • Mobile applications (updated after 9/23/2019 or required for a process)
  • Software packages

The fine can go up to 20,000 euros per service and per year.

The European accessibility act - Directive (EU) 2019/882 of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services #

• Laws to be published by Member States by 28 June 2022
• All measures to be applied from 28 June 2025
• Measures apply even if a service, or part of a service, is subcontracted to a third party
• Personnel to be properly and continuously trained

Scope: products and services placed on the market (or updated) after 28 June 2025

Services:

• E-commerce (i.e. websites or mobile applications in which companies sell their products or services online)
• Consumer banking services
• Services providing access to audio-visual media services (e.g. websites, mobile apps, set-top box-based applications, media players, electronic program guides of TV channels and video of demand platforms)
• Electronic communication services (i.e. telephony services)

Accessibility Guidelines to be applied: WCAG 2.1 AA

Products:

• Self-service terminals: automated teller machines, ticketing machines, interactive self-service terminals providing information
• Terminal equipment with interactive computing capability, used for accessing audiovisual media service

Guidelines for products should be detailed by then