The Impact of the European Accessibility Act on the Broadcast Industry
The European Accessibility Act is a big step towards inclusivity. It requires organisations to enhance their services to make content more accessible. The act will have a significant impact on the broadcast industry, especially for digital broadcasters and streaming services.
Phil Hodgetts
Broadcast Media Lead
phil.hodgetts@caspianone.co.uk
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) represents a significant step towards a more inclusive society. For broadcast media companies, it offers an opportunity to enhance their services and reach a broader audience. By embracing the EAA's requirements and investing in accessibility, broadcasters can ensure that their content is accessible to all users, fostering a more inclusive and engaging viewing experience. Let’s explore the act, some of its key requirements, and how you can prepare.
What is the European Accessibility Act?
The EAA is a legislative framework designed to enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities across a broad spectrum of goods and services within the European Union (EU). The EAA aims to create a more inclusive society by mandating that businesses ensure their products and services are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. The EAA was introduced on June 28, 2019, and will become fully effective on June 28, 2025.
The EAA contains several key requirements that will significantly impact the broadcast industry. Websites and mobile applications must align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), ensuring that digital content is perceivable, operable, and understandable for all users. Broadcasters and streaming services must incorporate features such as closed captions and audio descriptions to make content accessible to individuals with hearing or visual impairments. Additionally, digital products and services must be compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers and speech recognition software.
What is WCAG and why is it Relevant?
The WCAG is a global standard first released in 1999. It ensures that digital content is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. The WCAG introduced three levels of accessibility criteria—A, AA, and AAA—that are still used today. Over time, the WCAG has been updated to include guidance for formats beyond HTML and establish four key principles underpinning accessibility requirements for web properties.
These principles are:
Perceivability: Make content available in ways users can see or hear, such as adding alt text to images.
Operable: Ensure users can navigate websites using different tools
Understandable: Web content should be simple, understandable, and appropriate for its audience
Robust: Build compatibility with emerging assistive technologies
The latest version of WCAG was released in October 2023 and introduced stricter guidelines relating to focus indicators, touch targets on mobile, and cognitive accessibility. The WCAG are relevant in the context of the EAA as it forms the guiding principles of the act that organisations must consider regardless of industry.
Challenges and Impact of the European Accessibility Act
The EAA presents both challenges and opportunities for the broadcast industry. On one hand, it necessitates significant changes to ensure compliance; on the other hand, it opens up new avenues for inclusivity and audience engagement.
The EAA's impact on the broadcast industry will require broadcasters to rethink their approach to content delivery and user interaction. The act emphasises functional accessibility, ensuring that platforms and devices can be operated with assistive technologies and that interfaces accommodate users with vision or motor impairments. There are some broadcast-specific requirements to meet to ensure compliance:
Closed Captions and Audio Descriptions: Broadcasters must ensure their content includes closed captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing people and audio descriptions for the visually impaired. This requirement extends to live broadcasts, recorded shows, and streaming services.
Interface Accessibility: Media players, set-top boxes, and other devices must have accessible controls and interfaces. This includes ensuring users can navigate these devices using assistive technologies such as screen readers.
Compatibility with Assistive Technologies: Websites and mobile applications must be compatible with assistive technologies, ensuring all users can access and interact seamlessly with digital content.
How to Prepare for the EU Accessibility Act
Preparation for the EAA involves a comprehensive approach to accessibility, focusing on both technological and organisational aspects.
Conduct thorough audits of websites, mobile applications, and digital platforms to identify and rectify accessibility barriers. Ensure compliance with WCAG standards to make digital content accessible to all users. Then, look at enhancing content accessibility by implementing closed captions, audio descriptions, and other accessibility features in all audiovisual content. This includes live broadcasts, recorded shows, and streaming services. Finally, ensure that media players, set-top boxes, and other devices have accessible controls and interfaces. This may involve redesigning interfaces to accommodate users with disabilities.
To effectively meet these requirements, broadcast media companies must invest in building tech teams with specialised knowledge in accessibility. This can be achieved through training and education, providing programs and educational resources to tech teams, focusing on accessibility standards and best practices. Another beneficial step will be to acquire experts in digital accessibility so that your teams can lead compliance efforts and ensure that all products and services meet the required standards.
The EAA Compliance Deadline is Coming
The June 28, 2025, compliance deadline sets a marker for broadcast media organisations to ensure their digital properties are accessible and in line with the latest WCAG. Building the right team to manage this challenge will be key to avoiding the penalties associated with non-compliance.
Speak to an expert at Caspian One today to learn more about how we can help you find the specialist skills and specific talent to navigate your EAA compliance journey.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available, AI-assisted research and Caspian One’s market expertise as of the time of writing; written by humans. It is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered formal advice or specific recommendations. Readers should independently verify information and seek appropriate professional guidance before making strategic hiring decisions. Caspian One accepts no liability for actions taken based on this content. © Caspian One, March 2025. All rights reserved.
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