Financial firms struggle to meet EU accessibility rules

Financial institutions are facing challenges in meeting accessibility standards set by the EU, according to recent research. The European Accessibility Act, implemented in June 2025, mandates that websites, apps, and devices be accessible for individuals with disabilities and senior citizens. Non-compliance can result in penalties, including substantial fines and potential prison sentences for top management.

The Act extends its scope beyond company websites to encompass digital documents customers receive, such as terms of business, fee schedules, product guides, and mortgage information. A Dublin-based document compliance platform, ComplyLoft, conducted a test by randomly selecting one digital customer document from 60 Irish financial services companies. The outcome revealed that none of the 60 documents complied with the European Accessibility Act requirements.

Conor Wilson, Founder and CEO of ComplyLoft, highlighted that accessibility gaps in documents are imperceptible to those creating and reviewing them but are crucial for people who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers. For a document to be navigable by a screen reader, it must include a hidden structure that identifies headings, tables, reading order, and the content of images. Without this structural information, people using assistive technology cannot easily read or navigate the document.

ComplyLoft's findings indicate that most of the 60 documents tested lacked essential features required by assistive technology, and 48 of them had no structural information at all. This absence of structure means that customers with visual impairments cannot easily access critical information, such as mortgage interest rates or fee schedules.