Key Accessibility Trends and Updates for Professionals

The field of accessibility is dynamic, with new trends and updates emerging regularly. AbilityNet has been a global leader in accessibility for 20 years. From emerging technologies to policy changes, each month we share the stories that help you stay in touch with key trends that are shaping the future of accessibility.

Filter your news by month: June/July 2025 news | May 2025 news | April 2025 news | March 2025 news | February 2025 news | January 2025 news

June/July - New accessibility tools and celebrations

Accessible games on Steam with new tagging system

• Steam, one of the largest digital game publishers, now allows developers to add accessibility tags to their games.
• Users can filter games by features like built-in narration, captions, and colourblind-friendly schemes.

IAAP Network and Learn will focus on professional development

• Thursday, 4 September at 1pm BST. 
• If you're a member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) or thinking about joining, don't miss our regular 'Network and Learn' sessions.

Register your place for the IAAP session

Google Meet captions are now fully customisable

• Google Meet now allows users to fully customise the styling of captions, enhancing readability and personalisation.
• Users can adjust font size, font type, colour, and background colour of captions.

Japan's year-round commitment to digital accessibility

• Makoto Ueki, an accessibility consultant in Tokyo, discusses the growth of GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day) in Japan.
• Shares tips on starting and nurturing a grassroots accessibility movement driven by passionate individuals.

May - Advancing accessibility in multimedia, design, and digital tools

Streamlining European Accessibility Act (EAA) media compliance

• 3PlayMedia's outline on managing media content for EN301549 compliance.
• Title: "How to prioritise backlog video content for EAA compliance."

Information architecture and accessibility

• Government Digital Service (GDS), and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) research findings on integrating accessibility at the design stage.
• Report: "Unlocking accessibility: Information architects share their approach to digital accessibility and design with people with disabilities."

Microsoft 365: Accessibility upgrades

• Recent Microsoft advancements shared by Clint Covington, Group Product Manager for Accessibility.
• Features: Dark Mode in Excel, generating audio overviews of documents using Copilot.

Copilot and Neuroinclusion

• Microsoft shares Copilot prompts designed to support a neurodiverse workforce.
• Examples: Follow-up after networking, effective meeting questions, understanding different perspectives.

April - Inclusive product packaging, accessible games, and accessibility roles mapping

Inclusive design and product packaging

• Microsoft released a new inclusive design resource focussing on product packaging, complementing their existing toolkit.
• It includes a pseudo-case study on the accessible Xbox controller packaging, emphasising multiple paths for users to engage with products.

European accessibility Act (EAA) survey

• A survey by AbilityNet shows only 11% of organisations are confident they will comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) by the June 2025 deadline. Read AbilityNet's EAA survey results. 
• Key challenges include lack of in-house expertise, uncertainty about technical requirements, and budget constraints.

Accessible Games Initiative

• The Accessible Games Initiative, launched in April 2025, aims to make game accessibility information more readily available.
• It introduces a tagging system to identify accessibility features like narrated menus, difficulty levels, and button remapping.

Conference Accessibility

• The Zero Project's practical guide for event organisers offers realistic and actionable insights for creating inclusive events, based on their conference experience. Note this is only available on LinkedIn.
• A key takeaway is to involve local DPOs early and engage directly with participants for effective and cost-efficient solutions.

Accessibility Roles and Responsibilities Mapping

• The W3C's Accessibility Roles and Responsibilities Mapping resource emphasises that accessibility is a shared responsibility across an organisation.
• It maps testable success criteria to various job roles, helping identify which accessibility issues can be addressed by content authors, UX designers, and front-end developers.

March - Accessibility, artificial intelligence and the European Accessibility Act

Accessibility and AI: Podcast Series

• GAAD co-founder and TechSHare Pro speaker Joe Devon has created a new YouTube channel with leading experts at the intersection of accessibility and AI.
• Guests include Jenny Lay-Flurrie at Microsoft and Jennison Asuncion of LinkedIn and fellow co-founder of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).

EAA ChatGPT for EU accessibility compliance

• Taylor Arndt has developed the European Accessibility Act (EAA) ChatGPT, a tool designed to simplify understanding and compliance with EU accessibility laws.
• Users can ask questions in a natural, conversational tone to get clear explanations of the act and related regulations.

Department for Education offers free accessibility training

• The Department for Education has released a series of training modules designed for individuals with no prior experience in accessibility.
• These modules provide an introductory overview of accessibility and inclusive design.

​Many of our trainers have lived experience of disability. Their real-world insights help your teams connect with the needs of your customers.​

February 2025: European Accessibility Act and assistive tech innovations

Guidance from Accessible EU for the European Accessibility Act (EAA)

• Accessible EU has created three guides to help you understand and prepare for the European Accessibility Act, covering legislation, standards, and key topics.
• These guides provide stakeholders with essential insights into the EU's legislative landscape, promote standardised practices, and increase awareness and understanding of legal requirements.

UK Government report on accessibility compliance monitoring

• The UK Government Digital Service (GDS) published its second report on accessibility compliance monitoring for public sector websites and mobile apps under the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations (PSBAR), covering 2022-2024. Read more in AbilityNet's blog.
• The report provides valuable insights into the monitoring and testing processes, helping public sector organisations understand common accessibility issues and improve their compliance efforts.

Join the IAAP on Thursday, 20 February at 1pm GMT

• Thursday, 20 February at 1pm GMT. 
• Simon Ellis, Accessibility Specialist at Accenture will be sharing how to build accessibility into the software development lifecycle.
• If you're a member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) or thinking about joining, don't miss this month's online 'Network and Learn' event in the UK.

Award-winning assistive tech innovations for healthcare professionals

• The CES 2025 Innovation Awards recognised 13 groundbreaking assistive tech innovations for healthcare professionals, including a realistic prosthetic knee, an accessible makeup application system, and a re-imagined computer mouse controlled by tongue and head gestures.
• These innovations enhance mobility, communication, and usability for disabled inviduals, showcasing the potential of assistive technology to improve quality of life and independence.

Primark launches adaptive fashion to UK high streets

• Primark has launched its first adaptive fashion range for men and women in collaboration with designer Victoria Jenkins. The collection includes over 40 affordable and stylish wardrobe staples designed to meet the needs of disabled people.
• This initiative makes fashionable, adaptive clothing more accessible, addressing the challenges faced by disabled individuals in finding suitable attire and promoting inclusivity in the fashion industry. Read more about Why Primark builds accessibility in all aspects of its business and watch AbilityNet's TechShare Pro 2024 panel with Primark. 

January 2025: Accessibility regulations and standards compliance

WCAG 3.0 Working Draft

• The W3C has released the latest working draft of WCAG 3.0. While WCAG 2.2 is still the current standard, this draft provides insights into future compliance.
• Early visibility allows for community contributions and preparation for upcoming changes. Read more on the official W3C website.

How to prepare for the European Accessibility Act

• This session form TechShare Pro 2024 explored the different approaches that Sony, ebay, Reach and Elsevier are taking as they prepare for the EAA.

Free webinar: Introduction to accessible PDFs

• Wednesday, 5 February 2025, at 1pm GMT.
• AbilityNet's Accessibility Consultant, James Baverstock.
• The basics about how to make PDFs accessible.

Watch the recording

Leaders guide to Accessibility

• A cross department accessibility group within the gov.uk team, put together this leaders guide to accessibility.
• This guide outlines how accessibility should intersect with the different job roles in many organisations, from IT support, to designers, to CTO. The guide also introduces some of the relevant legislation, accessibility good practises, as well as how an appropriate accessibility policy should look.

accessiBe fined by the FTC

• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has fined accessiBe $1 million for misleading consumers about their accessibility overlay product.
• Highlights the importance of transparency in accessibility solutions.

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