Meeting the European Accessibility Act with Digipass®
In today's digital world, ensuring accessibility for all users is paramount. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) took effect in April 2019 and EEA compliance is required by 28 June 2025. This directive, which aims to make essential products and services usable by elderly people and people with disabilities, impacts a wide range of digital products and services, including digital banking and mobile banking.
OneSpan is committed to supporting financial institutions in achieving EAA compliance and meeting vital accessibility standards. OneSpan's comprehensive authentication portfolio includes solutions for enabling compliant and inclusive digital experiences across websites and mobile apps.
European Accessibility Act 2025 requirements apply to authentication
The EAA stipulates that accessibility requirements extend to identification and security methods used in consumer banking. This means that the tools individuals use to secure their online transactions must also be accessible.
To achieve this, digital banking services should follow the POUR principles from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The four principles are: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.
- Perceivable (P): Information and user interface components must be presented in a way that users can perceive them. Examples include providing content in multiple formats, such as text alternatives for images or captions for videos. This helps users with various sensory abilities.
- Operable (O): The user interface and navigation must be easy to use. This allows people to interact with content, no matter how they navigate (e.g., keyboard, mouse, touch screen). It also involves providing sufficient time to read and use content and avoiding elements that could cause seizures.
- Understandable (U): Information and the use of the user interface must be clear and understandable. Content should be concise with easy-to-follow instructions, and the design should be predictable with consistent navigation patterns.
- Robust (R): Content needs to be robust enough to be reliably interpreted by a wide range of user agents, including assistive technologies. This means using standards that ensure compatibility with current and future technologies.
OneSpan's accessible Digipass solution
OneSpan offers a hardware authenticator specifically designed with accessibility in mind: Digipass 750 Comfort Voice. This device helps financial institutions meet EAA accessibility requirements for consumer banking services.
Key accessibility features of Digipass 750 Comfort Voice
- Large display for large fonts
- Display backlight adjustment
- Larger buttons
- Button 5 identifiable by a physical dot
- Voice interface for reading screen content
- Adjustable volume
- Voice repeat function
- Adjustable reading speed
- Headset jack for increased privacy
- Optional read back of typed digits
- Multiple language support
- Configurable messages
- Does not use multi-function buttons
- Connected mode eliminates the need for users to input challenges or transaction data
Digipass 750 Comfort Voice is supported by OneSpan’s authentication back-ends:
- OneSpan Authentication Suite Server SDK
- OneSpan Authentication Server
- OneSpan Authentication Cloud
Case study
Learn from peers
“We always want to be mindful of creating barrier-free services, so that customers with disabilities can use our services with convenience. [...] We have now found a solution that provides them a high level of accessibility, security, and ease of use when doing their online banking.”
Read moreClosing thoughts on EEA compliance
In support of EEA compliance, the design and functions of Digipass 750 Comfort Voice follow the core web accessibility principles:
- Perceivable: Data is available through both the device's display and voice.
- Operable: They feature larger screens and buttons, adjustable speech speed, and a speech repeat function.
- Understandable: They include simple messages that your organization can customize to suit specific audience needs.
- Robust: These Digipass devices are compatible with different operating systems and browsers.
By incorporating these accessible features, OneSpan helps banks comply with the EEA. They empower financial institutions to meet the EU Accessibility Act requirements and deliver secure and inclusive digital banking experiences for all.
