As we kick off 2025, digital accessibility continues to evolve from a niche consideration to a mainstream priority for organizations across industries and the globe. It is important to note that this shift isn’t just about compliance.
Although regulatory deadlines and legal pressures will undoubtedly drive action (or reaction), it is always critical to recognize accessibility as a business need and celebrate accessibility wins when achieved.
In this guide, I aim to provide a roadmap to help you plan for the year ahead, highlighting key deadlines, anticipated trends, and practical steps to either rebuild your accessibility strategy or continue expanding on your progress from 2024.
Whether you’re navigating new regulations, enhancing your team’s knowledge, or preparing for the next wave of innovation, 2025 is poised to be a pivotal year for digital accessibility.
Why 2025 Matters for Digital Accessibility
When we think about accessibility, it’s easy to focus on the here and now—meeting today’s requirements or responding to immediate legal challenges.
But 2025 is a year in which I envision a shift in the market.
Forward-thinking planning will pay strong dividends or be realized by those teams that began this in 2024.
Several major regulatory deadlines loom, and the groundwork laid now will determine whether organizations stay ahead of the curve or struggle to keep pace.
Let’s dive into some of these key deadlines and what they mean for your organization.
Key Accessibility Deadlines Shaping 2025
European Accessibility Act (EAA) – June 2025
The EAA is a game changer for businesses selling to European markets. By June 2025, companies must ensure their digital products and services comply with EN 301 549 (based on WCAG 2.1 AA), a standard that ensures accessibility for people with disabilities.
This requirement applies to websites, mobile apps, e-commerce platforms, and even certain physical products featuring digital interfaces.
Non-compliance carries significant risks. This includes exclusion from the EU market of consumers but also legal penalties.
If your organization operates internationally, now is the time to assess your digital properties, identify gaps, and create a roadmap for compliance. Learn more about the EAA and its impact in this in-depth article.
Colorado HB-21 – July 1, 2025
Closer to home, Colorado’s HB-21 is setting a new standard for state-level accessibility legislation. This law requires state government websites, mobile applications, and digital documents to meet the standards of WCAG 2.1.
For organizations working with or within state government, this deadline serves as a clear call to action. The bill’s supporters emphasized that after the 12-month extension granted in 2024, the time to comply is now.
More broadly, HB-21 is a bellwether for other states. As we’ll discuss later, I believe we’ll see similar legislation emerging across the U.S. in the coming years!
Future Regulations: Preparing Beyond 2025
While the immediate focus is on 2025, it’s critical to keep an eye on what lies ahead after a ground-breaking year for accessibility regulations in 2024.
Some of the most significant accessibility regulations (specifically for U.S.-based organizations) have deadlines in 2026, but providing your team with enough time to conform means starting now.
DOJ Title II Regulations (2026)
The long-awaited Title II regulations will set clear requirements for public sector entities (Federal and State Governments and Public Education, for example) to ensure their digital properties comply with WCAG 2.1 AA.
These rules will bring much-needed clarity to accessibility expectations for government agencies, but they also require extensive planning and resources.
The deadline to comply with this regulation for covered entities is April 2026 – less than a year and a half away, which means your team should be well underway with procurement and vendor selection in order to meet the forthcoming deadlines and compliance requirements for your website(s), applications and digital documents. Learn more about how Allyant can help here.
HHS Accessibility Mandates (2026)
Healthcare organizations face their own set of challenges with new regulations under Section 504. As patient care increasingly moves online, ensuring accessible digital experiences and documents isn’t just about compliance—it’s about equity.
The final ruling released in May 2024 outlined a clear scope and timeline for healthcare organizations to comply with these regulatory updates.
Like the Title II regulations, the HHS regulations’ May 2026 compliance deadline is less than a year and a half away. This detailed breakdown explains what is required of healthcare organizations.
AODA Reporting Deadline – December 31, 2026
Canadian organizations must report (for the second time) their accessibility compliance under the AODA by the end of 2026.
However, this deadline is a bit of a misnomer, as many organizations have learned through settlement agreements in 2024. If you’re not already in compliance with the AODA, you’ve missed the mark. For businesses operating in Canada, the time to act is now. Explore our full breakdown of the AODA and Canadian accessibility laws.
Building Knowledge: Where to Learn and Grow in 2025
Accessibility is a constantly evolving field, and staying informed is key to keeping pace with the latest regulations, trends, and innovations.
Conferences and industry events provide not only valuable knowledge but also the opportunity to connect with peers and thought leaders across many sectors.
As any accessibility SME would highlight, the number of conferences or global industry events (e.g., CES and SXSW in recent years) that now include accessibility tracks and sessions has grown exponentially in the past few years.
This growth provides your team with many more opportunities to learn about digital accessibility and build out your internal processes. However, here are just a few standout events I would strongly recommend your team considers attending in 2025:
- CSUN Assistive Technology Conference:
Held annually in Anaheim, California, this March event is a cornerstone for accessibility and assistive technology professionals. Known for its hands-on exhibits and in-depth sessions, it’s the perfect place to explore cutting-edge technology and practical solutions. - Disability:IN Global Conference:
Scheduled for July 2025 in Orlando, Florida, this conference is a hub for corporate accessibility leaders. A significant focus is on accessibility within procurement, hiring and building out internal processes and policies, with sessions and workshops offering practical tools for organizations striving to meet legal and ethical requirements. - M-Enabling Summit:
This event, set for October 2025 in Washington, D.C., will examine global accessibility trends and innovative technologies affecting the space. Its focus on enabling inclusive technology solutions across industries makes it a fantastic resource for organizations looking to stay ahead of their competitors and increasing regulatory requirements.
These are just a few of the many fantastic accessibility conferences where you’ll find Allyant in 2025 attending, speaking, and sharing insights across a number of topics.
Stay tuned to our Allyant LinkedIn page for updates on industry events and conferences that your team might want to attend. We’ll keep you informed on opportunities to learn, connect, and grow alongside us!
My Predictions for 2025
Predicting the future is always tricky and perhaps even risky if you take it too seriously. In fact, I’ll admit, I might be completely off on a few of these when we look back 12 months from now!
However, based on the trends our team has seen over the past 6-12 months, here are some developments I think will shape the accessibility landscape in 2025.
These predictions are rooted in experience and emerging patterns, but hey, if the future proves me wrong, at least we’re having a fun conversation!
1. Procurement Accessibility Takes Center Stage
Accessibility is no longer just a check-the-box procurement exercise but has quickly become a strategic priority.
Why? Procurement (and legal) teams are realizing that buying inaccessible technology introduces risks far beyond compliance penalties outlined in the above regulations. Inaccessible tools can exclude employees, limit productivity, and lead to legal exposure. As a result, I predict an even greater demand for updated, third-party verified VPAT ACRs to extend the headwinds on this topic we saw in 2024. Organizations will shift to annual accessibility testing and continuous updates to VPAT documentation due to contract requirements and competition with other vendors prioritizing accessibility.
Our work with leading enterprises shows that procurement decisions increasingly include accessibility as part of the vendor scorecard. Through the work that Disability:IN is doing with Procure Access and organizations like NCADEMI pushing accessible procurement in education, I expect this accessibility topic to continue to drive conversations throughout 2025!
2. WCAG Conformance Becomes a Contract Standard for Digital Agencies
If you’re a digital agency, get ready: WCAG conformance is fast becoming a must-have “feature” in website and application builds.
Lawsuits like Heritage Restaurant Brands v. JT Investment Ventures in Q4 of 2024 have raised the stakes for digital agencies that fail to deliver accessible websites. Clients are now asking for accessibility assurances, and WCAG 2.2 AA is the baseline standard they expect.
For agencies, this shift is both a challenge and an opportunity. Strong accessibility practices aren’t just a risk management tool but rather a strong competitive differentiator when done properly. Agencies that invest in strong accessibility partnerships and testing can win new business and build deeper client trust. Learn more about how your digital agency can pick a strong Accessibility Partner in 2025.
3. Legal Pressure Continues to Drive Action
I would love to say that 2025 is the year when most companies prioritize accessibility solely because it’s the right thing to do. While that is certainly true, I believe that legal pressure and reactive accessibility will remain the primary drivers of digital accessibility for at least another year. Although industry articles and Google searches may suggest that web accessibility legal actions are declining, I find this impression somewhat misleading based on my direct experience and the efforts of Allyant’s Accessibility Claims Teams.
Ultimately, the number of demand letters vs. formal lawsuits has been rising over the past 12 months (a trend that I firmly believe continues), creating an illusion of reduced legal activity related to digital accessibility. However, I would warn your team not to be fooled as the pressure is as strong as ever, and now the number of global regulations that affect ALL verticals (EAA) is increasing.
4. State Accessibility Regulations Gain Momentum
I believe we will look back on Colorado’s HB-21 as the tip of the iceberg. By 2026, I anticipate more states will introduce accessibility legislation, especially on the heels of the noted Title II federal regulations that already mandate many state-funded entities. If I had to guess, based on reading the tea leaves, I anticipate five states (with as many as ten states) introducing some form of accessibility regulation akin to HB-21 by the end of 2025.
This trend indicates that accessibility strategies can no longer follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Specifically, companies selling to state-funded organizations must navigate varying state requirements while aligning with broader standards. This is why we continue to recommend testing to the latest standard, WCAG 2.2 AA. For organizations that embrace accessibility as a core value, this complexity can be transformed into an advantage, presenting a clear opportunity to lead the market and increase revenue in 2025 and beyond.
5. Increased Scrutiny of Mobile Accessibility
Mobile app accessibility has continued to gain focus as mission-critical for many organizations in the public sector. With the EAA regulations, I’m seeing a shift to the private sector as well.
The stats show that consumers interact with brands on mobile devices more than ever, and accessibility expectations are catching up. I predict heightened scrutiny of mobile apps, with audits expanding to include native iOS and Android experiences as part of digital accessibility roadmaps across many sectors.
Through partnerships like the Inclusive App Accelerator by ArcTouch, we’ve seen how intentional design and live-user testing can make or break mobile accessibility. Forward-thinking companies will prioritize accessible mobile experiences to stay competitive while following global regulations that will explicitly mandate this by mid-2025.
Final Thoughts
I have said this for nearly seven years now, but I’ll continue to double down year over year. Regardless of predictions, I’m positive that 2025 will remind us that accessibility is not a destination but a journey. Trends will shift, regulations will evolve, and the bar for inclusivity will continue to rise in 2025 and beyond.
The good news if your team is just getting started is that you don’t have to navigate this alone.
At Allyant, we’re here to help you stay ahead of the curve. Whether through strategic planning, legal and compliance support, training, or even document remediation, we have software and services that can be tailored to your exact requirements.
Here’s to making 2025 a year of progress, innovation, and inclusion!
