iOS Accessibility and European Accessibility Act Compliance
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) applies from 28 June 2025. If your iOS app provides consumer services in the EU, it must comply with EN 301 549. Fines in Spain can reach one million euros.
At AtalayaSoft, accessibility is not a last-minute audit. Our iOS architect, Francisco José García Navarro, has worked on Juegos ONCE — an app where accessibility is the primary feature, not a secondary requirement. Users with visual impairments depend on every interface element working correctly with VoiceOver, Dynamic Type and assistive technologies.
That direct experience — making an app genuinely usable for people who depend on it — is what we bring to your team.
What we do in iOS Accessibility
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iOS Accessibility Audit
Comprehensive review of your app against EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria. We identify every issue, classify it by severity and deliver a report with specific remediation for each case. -
VoiceOver Implementation
Correct element labelling, logical focus order, custom actions, descriptive hints and dynamic content management. We make your app genuinely navigable with VoiceOver, not just technically compatible. -
Dynamic Type and Visual Adaptation
Implementation of dynamic typography that respects user preferences, layouts that scale correctly and colour contrast compliant with WCAG AA (minimum ratio 4.5:1). -
Semantics and Navigation Structure
Definition of semantic roles, logical element grouping, navigation landmarks and notification management for screen readers. The structure users cannot see but need to use the app. -
EAA Compliance and Documentation
We prepare the mandatory accessibility statement, document the measures implemented and help you establish a continuous accessibility maintenance process — an explicit requirement of the directive. -
Development Team Training
Practical workshops so your iOS team learns to develop with accessibility from the start: Accessibility Inspector, VoiceOver testing, common patterns in SwiftUI and UIKit, and accessible acceptance criteria.
The EAA clock is already running
The European Accessibility Act is not a future goal. It is a binding obligation in force since June 2025. Here are the key facts:
Application date: 28 June 2025 for new digital products and services. Existing services that undergo substantial modifications must comply immediately.
Transposition in Spain: Law 11/2023 and RD 143/2026 (creation of UTAC as supervisory body). There is no grace period until 2030 — this is a myth the Government itself has denied.
Fines: Up to €30,000 (minor), €90,000 (serious) and €1,000,000 (very serious) under current Spanish legislation. Non-compliant companies may be excluded from public procurement.
Scope: 101 million people in the EU have some form of disability (1 in 4 adults). Accessibility is not niche — it is a quarter of your potential market.
Real Accessibility, not theoretical
The difference between "passing an audit" and "being genuinely accessible" is learned by working with users who depend on accessibility every day. At Juegos ONCE, Francisco José García Navarro worked on an app where the primary users are people with visual impairments. Every button, every transition, every notification must work perfectly with VoiceOver. There is no room for shortcuts.
That experience translates into a practical approach: we do not simply add accessibilityLabel to elements. We review the complete user flow with VoiceOver enabled, test with Dynamic Type at extreme sizes, verify focus order on every screen and ensure the app works for real people, not just automated auditing tools.
How we execute an Accessibility project
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01. Initial Audit
We review the app screen by screen against EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 AA. We test with VoiceOver, Switch Control and Dynamic Type. We deliver a report prioritised by severity.
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02. Remediation Plan
We define a correction roadmap ordered by impact: critical blockers first (inaccessible elements that prevent app use), then experience improvements.
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03. Implementation or Team Integration
Depending on your needs, we can implement fixes directly (as developers integrated in the team) or guide your team with pair programming and accessibility-focused code reviews.
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04. Validation, Documentation and Training
Final testing with real assistive technologies, preparation of the mandatory accessibility statement and a training workshop so your team maintains accessibility in future development.
Companies we have worked with on Accessibility
We have implemented accessibility improvements in production apps for companies like Juegos ONCE, Zara and Banco Santander, where accessibility is not a "nice to have" but a requirement for millions of users.