Author
Stéphanie Dorval
As a UX designer at EDL, Stéphanie designs complex user journeys, audits existing experiences, and helps software companies improve user happiness.
Many SaaS platforms unintentionally create barriers for people with disabilities, from missing keyboard navigation to low contrast or interfaces that are hard to read. Making your product accessible is no longer just a nice-to-have; it’s becoming a must-have.
With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) coming into effect in June 2025, more digital products will have to meet accessibility standards to stay available and usable across the EU.
A market you can’t ignore
About one in four adults in Europe lives with some form of disability, whether it’s visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive. These people expect your product to work for them just as well as for anyone else.
Ignoring accessibility doesn’t just feel unfair: it’s bad for business. You lose millions of potential users, risk damaging your brand, and face expensive fixes down the line when problems show up.
Accessibility is a competitive advantage
Improving usability benefits everyone, not just users with disabilities. Here’s why it makes sense:
Reach more users: Accessible products open your platform to millions more, including the 15% of the world’s population living with disabilities.
Boost user retention: Frustrated users leave. Inclusive design reduces friction for everyone, improving satisfaction and loyalty.
Lower support costs: Clear navigation, proper error handling, and logical structure mean fewer user errors and support tickets.
Build brand trust: Inclusion is increasingly expected by customers, partners, and investors, strengthening your market position.
Stay ahead of regulation: Meeting accessibility standards proactively avoids last-minute legal challenges and costly redesigns.
Driving innovation and better experiences
Designing for accessibility encourages your team to solve real problems creatively. Building with everyone in mind leads to improvements that benefit all users.
Clear navigation and readable text don’t just help people with permanent disabilities. They also support users facing temporary or situational challenges, such as noisy environments, bright sunlight on a screen, a broken arm that makes mouse use difficult, or fatigue after a long day. Keyboard navigation speeds up power users and anyone who can’t easily use a mouse.
Building with accessibility in mind from the start makes your product more robust, adaptable, and easier to use. It leads to better design decisions and helps your platform stand out.
Start with a clear picture
Before jumping into fixes, it’s essential to know where your product stands.
An accessibility audit reviews your visual design, form usability and error handling, screen layouts, component use, interaction patterns, navigation, responsive design, and keyboard accessibility.
It highlights issues like missing labels or poor contrast and helps you prioritise the most important fixes first. Combining automated tools and manual testing, an audit helps you avoid costly surprises later and saves time overall.
At EDL, we strongly recommend companies begin with an audit to meet accessibility standards and legal requirements.
Conclusion
Accessibility is not just a feature to add on. It’s the foundation for products that are inclusive, reliable, and high quality.
Building accessibility from the start helps your team work better, creates great experiences for all users, and future-proofs your product in terms of usability and compliance.
