Liberty, equality, accessibility- French firms race to meet Olympic, EAA digital accessibility standards:
Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority (ARCOM) is tasked with enforcing digital accessibility rules.
This includes significant new measures under France’s Montchamp Law, its general accessibility statute, like fines of up to €50,000 for non-compliance, and the introduction of stricter sanctions for persistent breaches. Today, in the private sector, this applies to companies with an annual turnover of at least €300M.
French companies continue to be bound by ongoing obligations such as publishing an accessibility statement and a multi-annual accessibility plan, which is enforced with penalties up to €25,000 for non-compliance.
France is taking steps toward creating a more inclusive digital environment, but gaps remain:
These initiatives also lay the groundwork for implementing the European Accessibility Act (EAA) in 2025, further broadening the scope of digital inclusivity. The EAA aims to improve the functioning of the internal market for accessible products and services by removing barriers created by divergent rules in Member States. This act will extend additional obligations to the private sector beyond the Montchamp Law.
Olympian effort needed for French companies tackle accessibility before 2024 games:
In anticipation of the EAA and the Olympics, the private sector in France is expected to ramp up its efforts in digital accessibility.
For example, France boasts 14,000 digital career training courses, yet only a handful offer modules dedicated to accessibility. For companies of all sizes, the creation of specialized training programs for digital accessibility are crucial to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully maintain accessibility standards.
Accessibility requirements for companies now stretch across the digital and built environments. France is pioneering efforts to enhance accessibility in other areas, such as telephone services for individuals with hearing impairments. A new order mandates that large companies provide accessible customer service lines by incorporating simultaneous written and visual translation services.
By addressing both digital and built barriers to accessibility, this sets a precedent for a universally accessible future, marking significant progress in contrast to the disparities identified in the initial study.
