Digital accessibility in 2026: From compliance to scale
Paris, March 5th, 2026 – In 2026, digital accessibility is no longer just a technical issue, it’s about access to rights, education, and employment. Yet new research from the Contentsquare Foundation reveals the scale of the challenge: 94% of ecommerce checkout flows across Europe’s top shopping sites remain inaccessible to people with disabilities, and 84% of product pages are invisible to assistive technologies.
The Contentsquare Foundation’s 2025 Activity Report, published today, shows significant momentum in addressing these barriers—but underscores that 2026 must be the year accessibility moves from pilot projects to systemic change.
“An inaccessible website isn’t a bug—it’s discrimination by design,” said Marion Ranvier, Executive Director of the Contentsquare Foundation. “When a checkout flow, job application, or course enrollment becomes unusable, millions are locked out. In 2026, we must shift from fixing broken experiences to building inclusive ones from the start.”
2025 achievements: Building infrastructure for change
Different audiences require different entry points to accessibility. Some are moved by data (research, benchmarks), others by stories (testimonials, podcasts), and others need to experience barriers firsthand (immersive experiences). The Contentsquare Foundation combines all three approaches with one clear goal: remove barriers, for everyone.
Education: Embedding accessibility from classrooms to careers
12 universities signed the Foundation’s accessibility training pledge in 2025, committing to integrate digital accessibility into their curricula–potentially reaching 60,000 students across engineering, design, and business programs in France. The 2-hour module is provided free via SCORM file, removing technical and financial barriers to adoption.
Research & innovation: Exposing gaps, empowering solutions
The Foundation’s 2025 Ecommerce Accessibility Snapshot analyzed 250 pages across Europe’s most-visited shopping sites, evaluating five stages of the consumer journey – from product browsing to checkout. Product pages scored lowest (3.5/10 on average), with 84% of checkout pages invisible to assistive technologies due to unlabeled buttons and form fields. Beyond diagnosis, the research report provides actionable insights.
The 2025 Accessibility Innovation Prize went to CollectivAlly, an AI platform democratizing inclusive user testing based on lived experiences of the disabled community. The €10,000 grant plus expert mentorship helps accelerate development—particularly valuable for ecommerce teams who risk catching problems too late.
Readapt, the Foundation’s free open–source assistive reading tool for people with dyslexia and visual difficulties, served 6,400+ active users who adapted 100,000+ texts in 2025.
Advocacy: Making barriers tangible
2025 marked the Foundation’s most ambitious advocacy year, engaging over 6,000+ people through major public-facing initiatives, including:
- Hors Ligne (Offline) podcast – A six-episode series exploring digital exclusion through conversations with leaders including Contentsquare CEO Jonathan Cherki, former French Deputy Axelle Lemaire, and Diversidays co-founder Anthony Babkine. The podcast positions accessibility as a civil rights issue rather than a compliance checklist. Listen now on your favorite streaming platform
- Behind the Screen immersive experience – A free interactive experience demonstrating barriers people with disabilities face navigating inaccessible digital environments. Available on web, mobile, and VR, the experience engaged visitors at events including CX Circle (Paris, NYC, Milan) and Uniques Festival. Try the experience here.
The Foundation also convened 80+ leaders at its annual event on International Day of Persons with Disabilities and won the Grand Prix de la Philanthropie 2025 in the Handicap & Digital Accessibility category.
“Four years in, our mission isn’t just about tackling digital accessibility–it’s about igniting a movement that drives systemic change, creating a digital future that’s fair and inclusive for everyone.” – Jonathan Cherki, Chairman & President, Contentsquare Foundation, Founder & CEO Contentsquare
About the Contentsquare Foundation
Founded in 2021 and led by Executive Director Marion Ranvier under the presidency of Jonathan Cherki, the Contentsquare Foundation advances digital accessibility through education, research, and advocacy. As 70% of online content remains inaccessible to people with disabilities, the Foundation works to make the web the truly inclusive space it was designed to be—through training the next generation, producing evidence-based research, supporting innovation, and mobilizing cross-sector collaboration.
Press Contact:
Sophie Artonne : sophie@sophieartonneconsulting.com - 07 81 33 29 83
Nathalie Merle : nathaliemerleconsulting@gmail.com - 06 14 19 96 29