Did you know that on June 28, 2025, the EAA came into force?

The European Accessibility Act is an EU directive that marks an important step in the evolution of the concept of accessibility.

Accessibility is no longer only physical

Traditionally, the concept of accessibility has been mainly associated with physical spaces: buildings, public environments, products, and assistive devices.
Today, however, this perspective is significantly expanding.
The European Accessibility Act introduces a key principle: accessibility also concerns digital services and the ways in which information is communicated and made available.
Websites, applications, digital documents, and information systems must be designed to ensure simple, clear, and accessible use for all users.

Digital accessibility and communication

One of the most relevant aspects of this evolution concerns the digital dimension.
It is not enough to simply “make information available”: it must be truly usable.
This means working on elements such as:

• content readability
• contrast and visual accessibility
• information structure
• simplicity of language
• multi-device usability

Accessibility therefore also becomes a matter of user experience and communication design.

A cultural shift before a regulatory one

The European Accessibility Act is not just a legislative update, but a cultural evolution.
Organizations are required to rethink how they design products, services, and content, adopting an approach that is more attentive to inclusion and user diversity.
In this sense, accessibility becomes a cross-cutting design criterion, involving not only the technical dimension but also communication and strategy.

Accessibility as an integrated approach

Today, talking about accessibility means adopting a broader, more integrated vision.
Not only accessible environments, but also:

• accessible content
• accessible digital tools
• accessible information

An approach that requires consistency across design, production, and communication.

The entry into force of the European Accessibility Act in 2025 represents a fundamental step toward a new concept of accessibility: broader, more digital, and more integrated.
An evolution that concerns not only regulatory compliance, but the very way experiences, services, and information are designed.

From this perspective, even the world of physical space and product design is increasingly called to interact with the digital and communication sphere.
Accessibility, in fact, cannot be considered an isolated element, but a cross-cutting principle that runs through every phase of a project: from defining spaces, to choosing solutions, to how these are communicated and made understandable.

It is in this direction that the daily work of companies like Thermomat is positioned, contributing to a culture of accessibility that goes beyond the product itself, extending to training, knowledge sharing, and support for design professionals.