Beyond Compliance: What Healthcare Learnt About Trust From Digital Accessibility
As the European Accessibility Act’s 2025 deadline nears, healthcare providers must make digital services accessible or risk fines and loss of patient trust

Healthcare organisations across Europe are scrambling to meet a critical deadline that could reshape how millions of patients access care. With the European Accessibility Act of 28 June 2025, hospitals and health tech companies face a stark reality: digital services that exclude people with disabilities risk not just hefty fines, but the loss of patient trust that underpins successful healthcare delivery.
The gap between what’s needed and what exists is stark. Recent data from WebAIM’s Million Project reveals that 96% of websites fail basic accessibility checks, with healthcare sites among the worst offenders. Each homepage averaged 57 distinct accessibility failures, creating barriers that lock out patients when they need care most.
Digital Healthcare Must Work For Everyone
The patient journey now begins long before stepping into a waiting room. Scheduling appointments, accessing test results, managing prescriptions and communicating with providers all happen through digital platforms that serve as healthcare’s front door. Yet for many of Europe’s 135 million citizens with disabilities , these essential services remain frustratingly out of reach.
The business implications extend far beyond compliance. The global disability community, including family members and caregivers, commands annual spending power of $13 trillion . Healthcare providers who ignore this market do so at their own peril, particularly as demographic changes make accessibility increasingly relevant to broader patient populations.
CurbCutOS, which provides accessibility solutions for healthcare organisations, recognises this need. ‘Access to care starts online,’ the company notes, highlighting how digital touchpoints have become the primary gateway to healthcare services. Their work with health systems shows that organisations treating accessibility as an afterthought miss opportunities to build lasting patient relationships.
Beyond Compliance: Building Patient Trust
The EAA sets minimum standards, but healthcare providers who dig deeper are discovering that genuine accessibility improvements deliver benefits far beyond regulatory compliance. When patients can easily navigate appointment systems, understand their health information and communicate with providers, trust builds naturally.
Patient advocacy research shows measurable improvements in patient satisfaction when digital accessibility improves. Research published in Nature demonstrates that accessible digital tools, particularly for chronic disease management, enhance both patient outcomes and clinical effectiveness. Companies like Concert Health and Omada Health have integrated accessible digital methods that boost patient engagement and health results.
The message from CurbCutOS is clear: ‘Compliance is the floor, compassion is the goal.’ This philosophy reflects a broader understanding that accessibility improvements benefit all users, not just those with disabilities. Clearer navigation, better colour contrast and simplified interfaces improve the experience for elderly patients, those with temporary injuries and anyone using mobile devices in challenging conditions.
The Enterprise Accessibility Market: Solutions, Not Silver Bullets
The accessibility solutions market has evolved beyond simple compliance checking to provide comprehensive support for healthcare organisations. CurbCutOS offers tailored audits that identify specific barriers within healthcare digital platforms, followed by remediation support that addresses both technical issues and user experience problems.
Their approach emphasises proactive planning rather than last-minute fixes. Healthcare organisations working with accessibility partners can turn regulatory requirements into competitive advantages, building patient trust while meeting legal obligations. The process typically begins with comprehensive audits of existing digital services, followed by tailored remediation plans that address the most critical barriers first.
Healthcare leaders who began accessibility improvements late in the process can still secure benefits. Organisations that started early found they could implement changes gradually, testing and refining their approaches based on patient feedback. Those waiting until the last minute face more challenging implementations with higher costs and greater risks of patient disruption.
What’s At Stake: Fines and Trust
The enforcement varies across EU member states, but penalties are substantial. Fines range from €100,000 in Germany to €250,000 in France , with some countries imposing penalties based on annual turnover. Beyond financial consequences, non-compliance can result in service suspensions and reputational damage that affects patient trust for years.
Like other EU regulatory frameworks, the EAA requires ongoing attention rather than one-time fixes. The key steps remain consistent: comprehensive audits of digital touchpoints, prioritised remediation of critical barriers and ongoing monitoring to ensure improvements stick. Patient advocacy groups emphasise that meaningful access requires understanding how people with disabilities actually use healthcare services, not just meeting technical standards.
The June 2025 deadline serves as a catalyst rather than an endpoint. Healthcare organisations that view accessibility as an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time compliance exercise position themselves for long-term success. The EAA framework provides structure, but the real value comes from sustained attention to patient needs and experiences.
First Impressions Matter
Digital accessibility represents many patients’ first meaningful contact with healthcare providers. A website that works smoothly for someone using screen reading software or voice recognition creates an immediate impression of competence and care. Conversely, barriers at the login screen suggest an organisation that doesn’t understand or value all its patients.
The human cost of inaccessible healthcare extends beyond individual frustration to broader public health outcomes. When people with disabilities struggle to access preventive care, manage chronic conditions or communicate with providers, entire communities suffer.
Healthcare organisations still have time to turn compliance requirements into trust-building opportunities. The EAA deadline may be next week, but the real measure of success lies in how well digital healthcare serves all patients, not just those without disabilities.