From June 28, 2025, the law on digital accessibility between fully in force for many digital products and services in France. The new legislation imposes strict standards on all websites, digital products and services, with a clear objective: to make digital more inclusive for people with disabilities. How to comply with it? What tools to use? And what risks in the event of a breach? Here is everything you need to know to calmly anticipate this deadline.
Legal context of digital accessibility in France
The basis of this obligation is the Directive (EU) 2019/882known asEuropean Accessibility Act (EAA). This European directive aims to remove digital barriers for disabled people.
In France, it is added to already existing obligations:
- 2005 law on equal rights : it requires digital accessibility for public services.
- Decree of May 14, 2009 : It introduces the General Referential for Improvement of Accessibility (RGAA), today in version 4.1.
- Order n ° 2023-859 (September 6, 2023) and Decree n ° 2023-931 (October 9, 2023): They transpose the EAA directive into French law.
The technical requirements to be respected are defined by the European standard EN 301 549which is based on Wcag (Web content accessibility guidelines) 2.2, as well as on the RGAA. These two standards constitute the regulatory base of digital accessibility in France.
Note
How is all this structured?
- EAA directive requires a European framework.
- There Transposition in French law is provided by prescription and decree.
- The standard EN 301,549 technically concretizes the requirements on the basis of Wcag and Rgaa.
Who is affected by the Digital Accessibility Act 2025?
This legislation applies to a wide range of digital products and services, such as:
- Online trade and booking sites
- Banking services and digital applications
- Interactive terminals (automatic distributors, etc.)
- Devices such as smartphones, readers, routers
- Software with user interface
The companies concerned are those with more than 10 employees or generating more than 2 million euros in turnover. Microentreprises can benefit from conditions under conditions, provided that the requirements represent a disproportionate charge. Justifying documentation is necessary for this.
Advice
Even if your website is not one of those targeted by a strict legal obligation, adopting an inclusive approach remains a real asset remains an asset. Web accessibility improves user experience, SEO and inclusiveness: so many advantages for all businesses!
What the law on digital accessibility provides
As of June 28, 2025, the companies concerned will have to:
- Comply with WCAG 2.2 level AA level
- Respect the 106 RGAA criteria
- Publish an accessibility declaration for each site concerned
- Guarantee the accessibility of new content as soon as they put online
- Apply rules to existing sites as well as new
- Integrate accessibility from design to avoid costly corrections
What types of handicap should be taken into account?
For complete accessibility, you should think of different user profiles:
- Visual handicaps: blindness, marse, daltonism
- Hearing handicaps: deafness, misunderstanding
- Motor handicaps: difficulties in use of mouse or keyboard
- Cognitive handicaps: dyslexia, ADHD, attention disorders
- Temporary handicaps: injury, fatigue, unfavorable environment
- Make an audit : Select a representative sample of pages and assess their compliance with the 106 criteria of the RGAA.
- Use evaluation tools : Like Lighthouse, Devtools, Wave or PAC 3 axis to detect technical and accessibility errors.
- Correct non-conformities : to integrate as soon as the site is created, then each technical or editorial update.
- Update the accessibility declaration : by integrating the changes made and the results of the checks.
- Make regular audits : Ideally every 6 to 12 months, or after any significant modification of the site.
Advice
Combine automated tests and actual user tests: this allows you to detect obstacles invisible to tools, such as unclear error messages or inconsistent navigation.
Useful tools and plugins
The following tools can help you check and improve the accessibility of your content:
| Tool | Function | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| Google Lighthouse | Automated audit in Chrome Devtools | Open source |
| DEQUE AXE | Extension for developers with error detection | Free |
| PAC 3 | Checking the accessibility of PDF files | Free |
| Eyety | Interface customization widget for users | On license |
| Site Improve/Monsido | Global monitoring of sites, including SEO and accessibility | On subscription |
Maintenance and accessibility update
Digital accessibility does not stop at an initial compliance: it is a continuous improvement process. Each technical update, redesign or addition of content can introduce new obstacles.
When to redo an accessibility check?
It is recommended to Revalle accessibility at least every 6 to 12 monthsbut also with each significant modification of your site. Here are some standard situations that require in -depth verification:
Even the existing contents must be Reviewed regularly To ensure that they remain in accordance with current standards.
Good practices for continuous update
To guarantee long -term compliance, companies must make accessibility an integral part of their maintenance processes. A structured plan makes it possible to regularly check the technical and editorial changes and to identify obstacles at an early stage. Here are some good practices to integrate into your organization:
- Set up a maintenance plan integrating accessibility into internal processes
- Form the teams techniques and editorials with RGAA rules and WCAG good practices
- Collect user feedbackespecially those of people with disabilities
- Update accessibility In the event of a change in structure or content
Note
There accessibility is a compulsory document to publish. She must mention:
- The level of conformity reached (A, AA or AAA)
- Content not accessible and why
- The alternatives offered
- Contact to report a problem
- The control procedure in place
Sanctions and profits: Why take accessibility seriously?
What are the risks in the event of non-compliance?
The risks involved from June 2025:
- Fines: up to € 50,000, or even € 100,000 in the event of a serious breach
- Legal proceedings
- Loss of public funding
- Brand image degradation
- Negative impact on SEO
What concrete benefits for your website?
Adopting digital accessibility is not only to comply with the law: it is also to anticipate obligations to avoid costly and Invest in a sustainable strategy which in particular strengthens the visibility, performance and image of your site.
- Improved user experience for all profiles, including people with disabilities.
- Simplified and intuitive navigation, which reduces user stress and increases their overall satisfaction.
- Optimization of natural referencing: accessible sites have a clear structure, better understood and better indexed by search engines.
- Increased time spent on the site, thanks to more readable content and coherent interfaces.
- Better web performance: accessibility promotes eco-design practices, with lighter, faster and more compatible pages.
- Valuation of corporate social responsibility: a commitment to inclusion strengthens ethical and responsible perception of the brand.
- Reinforced competitive advantage: By committing to accessibility, a company attracts customers sensitive to societal values and improves its brand image.
By integrating accessibility practices, you make your site more efficient, more visible and more inclusive. Digital accessibility is a sustainable strategic lever to meet legal requirements, while strengthening user engagement and your company's reputation.
WCAG is based on four main fundamental principles: accessible content must be noticeable, usable, understandable and robust. These concepts may seem abstract, but they translate concretely into technical and editorial criteria that each website can implement. The table below presents these requirements in a simplified way, by grouping them according to these main categories, to better understand what implies digital accessibility on a daily basis:
| Category | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Perceptible | Alternative texts for images, subtitles for videos, sufficient color contrasts |
| Usable | Navigation entirely possible on the keyboard, absence of flashing content, control of the display duration of timed content |
| Understandable | Clear structure, simple language, help texts in forms |
| Robust | Semantic HTML code, support for screen players, compatibility with assistance technologies |
In summary
The 2025 digital accessibility law is more than simple bureaucracy : It is a call for more inclusion in the digital space, as well as an opportunity for companies to increase their scope, to reach new target groups and to remain competitive in the long term. SO, act now : Form your teams, assess your sites, establish a compliance plan!
