What happened in digital accessibility news this month?
Each month, the Lumar team rounds up some of the top headlines for website managers and web accessibility professionals.
For March 2025, our a11y news roundup includes:
- 75% of European businesses at risk of non-compliance with the European Accessibility Act (coming into effect June 28, 2025)
- IKEA unveils a new vision for digital accessibility to build more inclusive retail experiences
- Travel websites are riddled with digital accessibility issues, study shows
- More lawsuits for web accessibility overlay companies
- New York City launches digital accessibility training program for city employees
- IAAP launches a certification scholarship for accessibility professionals
- … and more!
Read on for the top digital accessibility news stories this month.
75% of European businesses at risk of non-compliance with the European Accessibility Act (coming into effect June 28, 2025)
Only 25% of businesses are fully prepared with a detailed plan in place for complying with the upcoming European Accessibility Act (EAA), which takes effect on June 28, 2025, according to reporting by A1 Retail Magazine. The article cites an analysis conducted by Storyblok, which found that nearly half (47.5%) of European companies surveyed lack a full understanding of the law, 18.5% said they were not aware of the EAA’s requirements at all, and 9.5% have no plans at all to make the required accessibility changes—risking significant fines. The article stresses that compliance is not just a legal necessity but a business opportunity, as accessibility improvements can enhance user experience and expand market reach. The European Accessibility Act applies to any business providing products and services to EU citizens, meaning companies outside the EU also need to comply if they are serving EU customers.
(Source: A1 Retail Magazine and Customer Experience Magazine)
IKEA unveils a new vision for digital accessibility to build more inclusive retail experiences
IKEA has unveiled a comprehensive digital accessibility strategy to enhance online and in-store experiences for customers with disabilities. This includes live navigation tools for blind and low-vision users, multilingual voice guidance, and automated accessibility audits. Their Digital Inclusive Design, Equity & Accessibility Centre of Expertise (Digital IDEA CoE) is driving these efforts, embedding accessibility into policies and product design. IKEA is also investing in research, training, and partnerships with advocacy groups to ensure compliance with WCAG and set new industry benchmarks.
(Source: Ingka [IKEA parent company] )
Travel websites are riddled with digital accessibility issues, study shows
An AudioEye study on website accessibility in 2025 highlighted common accessibility issues that appeared on travel and booking websites. Analyzing 53,230 pages across 1,609 hospitality and travel sites, the study found that, on average, the following issues are common on travel websites:
- Missing alt text: On average, travel sites had nearly 27 inaccessible images per page.
- Keyboard accessibility issues: On average, travel sites had more than 7 keyboard accessibility issues per page.
- Inaccessible links: Travel site homepages, on average, showed more than 5 inaccessible links.
- Inaccessible forms and inaccessible buttons or labels: On average, travel and tourism websites hosted 4 inaccessible forms, buttons, or labels per page.
- Color contrast issues: On average, the study found 85 color contrast issues per page on travel and hospitality sites — higher than other industries studied.
(Source: Phocuswire by Northstar )
Google Drive launches searchable video transcripts
Google Drive has now launched searchable transcripts for videos stored in Google Drive, with the rollout completed on March 26th. Adding searchable video transcripts can help visually impaired users better interact with video content in Drive. According to the Google Workspace Updates blog:
- Your video must have captions to access this feature. A video with captions will have the CC button in the bottom right corner of the video player set to active. (You can add captions to a video by right-clicking the video in Drive > selecting Manage caption tracks > generate automatic captions.)
- To access video transcripts, open a video with captions in Google Drive > click the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the video to open the video settings > select “Transcript.”
(Sources: The Verge and Google Workspace Updates )
More lawsuits for web accessibility overlay tools
Accessibility consulting company QualityLogic reports that another web accessibility overlay company (UserWay) has been sued for false claims relating to its a11y overlay product. Per QualityLogic:
“Bloomsybox, a small flower delivery service, relied on UserWay to make their site accessible. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, they were taken to court in December of last year after a customer with a disability wasn’t able to use the website. In response, Bloomsybox filed a class action lawsuit, alleging that UserWay made statements that were not true in order to get Bloomsybox to buy the product.
You may recall the recent FTC order requiring popular competitor accessiBe to pay $1 million in damages, which unfolded in much the same way. We will have to see what happens. Regardless, the writing has been on the wall for years. It’s safe to say that serious limitations exist with accessibility overlays.”
(Source: QualityLogic )
New York City launches digital accessibility training program for city employees
New York City has launched a Digital Accessibility Training program in partnership with Microsoft to equip over 300,000 city employees with tools to create accessible digital content. Developed under the Mayor’s Plan for Career Success for People with Disabilities, the training covers web accessibility principles, assistive technologies, and Microsoft 365’s accessibility features. This initiative aims to improve digital inclusion across city services, ensuring that all residents, including those with disabilities, can access critical city information.
(Source: NYS DCAS press release)
IAAP establishes a certification scholarship for accessibility professionals
The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP for short) offers accessibility practitioners a highly sought-after way to demonstrate their expertise.
But these a11y certifications come with a price tag: $430 for IAAP sponsors or $530 for individuals (WAS), $385 for members, and $485 for IAAP sponsors (CPACC), etc. The Certification Scholarship Fund, announced at Axe-Con, offers some relief. Donations are tax deductible, and applications for this certification scholarship will open in August of this year.
(Source: QualityLogic )
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