Episode 004
Digital accessibility: turning a regulatory obligation into a competitive edge
Digital accessibility requirements as more than a compliance checkbox, and how to turn them into an advantage over competitors.
EU digital accessibility regulations took effect in July 2025 and require WCAG 2.1 compliance, immediately for new sites, within five years for existing ones. Michał Zabielski argues this shouldn’t be treated as a cost, it’s a genuine business opportunity.
Who this affects, more than you’d think
Around 8 million people in Poland face digital accessibility barriers, not just people with disabilities, but also older users and people with limited vision. That’s a large, still underserved market segment.
What a company actually gains
- First-mover advantage: early compliance gets ahead of competitors who leave it until the last minute.
- A better experience for everyone: clear structure and content hierarchy improve navigation whether or not someone uses a screen reader.
- An SEO boost: correct semantics and heading structure help indexing, though Zabielski notes a careless implementation can actually work against SEO goals.
Watch out for shortcuts
A plugin alone isn’t enough, a thoughtless implementation can hurt conversion instead of improving it. Zabielski recommends a professional audit covering UX, design, SEO, and sales impact, treated as a company-wide strategy (including customer support and logistics), not a one-off website fix. Audit and implementation costs can be partly offset by EU grants, this is a strategic investment, not just a compliance cost.
Not sure where to start auditing your platform’s digital accessibility? Get in touch with Endora.
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