PRESS RELEASE Digital euro app to incorporate highest accessibility standards 30 July 2026 – App design to go beyond requirements of European Accessibility Act – Accessibility features to address common barriers faced by users with different needs – ECB to start usability and…
cessibility testing as part of digital euro pilot in 2027 The European Central Bank has outlined the accessibility features of the digital euro app, which will allow users to access basic digital euro services. From the outset, accessibility and inclusion have been core design principles of the digital euro
The proposed app features reflect the ECB’s commitment to ensuring that every European can access digital payments on equal terms, regardless of their needs, abilities and levels of digital confidence. The proposed design includes best-in-class accessibility features that go beyond the requirements of the European Accessibility Act and related standard EN 301 549, and are among the most advanced in the market. This reflects the Eurosystem’s commitment to inclusion, ensuring that the digital euro will be accessible to all.
The design applies the highest level of accessibility requirements under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines adapted to mobile payment applications, covering perception, operability and cognitive accessibility. The app is expected to have advanced features to address common barriers faced by users with different needs, including enhanced visual design, full keyboard navigation, screen reader support, time-out warnings, simplified language, error prevention and reduced motion settings. “Like cash, the digital euro will be a public good and, in the digital age, every European should be able to access it on equal terms,” said ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone, who chairs the High-Level Task Force on a digital euro. “We support the European Commission’s legislative proposal, which would ensure that everyone has access to the digital euro app. Accessibility is…