Accessibility Act for Air Travel, How Check-in Changes

The Accessibility Act could change the way millions of Europeans travel. The law to improve the accessibility of services, especially digital ones, will also include airlines and airport management companies. The new obligations will be numerous and will aim to improve the independence of disabled people in these contexts.

The main changes will be the websites, which are the main field of intervention of this law. Airports will also have to adapt to the new rules, providing services that can also be used by people with various types of motor, sensory or cognitive disabilities.

The European Accessibility Act

In 2019, the European Parliament passed a law to improve the accessibility of websites and digital services for European citizens. The principle of accessibility for disabled people varies from country to country, and often includes only services offered by public administration.

The Accessibility Act instead establishes that this principle must be standardized throughout the EU, and that it must also be respected by private companies with more than 10 employees or more than 2 million euros in annual turnover. Italy has already implemented the rule , with a vote in Parliament in 2022, but is applying it gradually. For example, the new legislation for access to ATMs will come into force on June 28.

Among the sectors that will be changed the most by this law is air transport . Moving freely between states is one of the fundamental rights that the EU guarantees to its citizens and the Accessibility Act aims to allow disabled people to do so in complete autonomy.

How Check-in Sites and Apps Are Changing

Like many other companies affected by the Accessibility Act , airlines will have to modify their websites to provide a better experience for people with disabilities. This means redesigning websites and apps to comply with digital accessibility guidelines.

People should be able to interact with interfaces in different ways, according to their capabilities. Not only with text, but also with audio and voice commands . The aesthetics should be clear, with adequate contrasts and alternative texts for images that can be read by the appropriate software for blind and visually impaired people.

Regulations that also extend to online ticket booking services and check-ins , which must be equally accessible. Disabled people must be able to book a trip independently.

What's new at the airports

The Accessibility Act regulations will not be limited to the digital world, however; they will also change the airport experience. Airport operators will have to equip themselves with the means to provide information in accessible formats, through audio description or sign language.

Airport staff must be trained to assist disabled persons as needed, should they require it, and there must be suitable and accessible means of transport at all airports, including those with limited mobility.