The European accessibility act (EAA) influences how meetings and conferences communicate. If you are wondering what it means in practice—and how to prepare without derailing timelines or budgets—you are not alone. With the right audiovisual approach, you can make your programme more inclusive, meet regulatory expectations and deliver a better experience for every participant.
What the European Accessibility Act (EEA) is—and why it matters to events
The EAA (Directive (EU) 2019/882) sets accessibility requirements for certain products and services across the EU. From 28 June 2025, many digital touchpoints that events rely on—websites, mobile apps, ticketing, real-time communications and media—will need to be accessible to people with disabilities.
While the act is not a venue-building regulation, it does have clear implications for event communications and technology. In practice, organisers should review how information is created, delivered and made perceivable both on-site and online.
- Event websites and apps: navigation, contrast, structure and screen-reader support
- Livestreams and webcasts: real-time captions and accessible players
- Pre-recorded video: captions, transcripts and audio description where needed
- Self-service terminals: accessible check-in or info kiosks used during events
- Remote participation platforms: accessible interfaces and support for captions
- Public announcements: clear audio, redundancy and visual reinforcement
For background, see the European Commission’s overview of the act and scope: European accessibility act.
Practical implications for your meeting or conference
Accessibility is most effective when it is built in from the start. For conferences and policy meetings, the following areas typically need attention:
- Provide text alternatives: live captioning for spoken content; captions and transcripts for recordings
- Support multiple modalities: sign language interpretation where required; clear visuals and descriptive slides
- Ensure audio clarity: consistent microphone use, adequate speech reinforcement and controlled background noise
- Offer hearing assistance: induction loops, infrared or radio systems in plenary and breakout rooms
- Make remote access workable: accessible webcast interfaces and reliable, sync’d captions
- Plan for multilingual needs: simultaneous interpretation for participants who prefer another language
How duvall builds accessibility into your AV plan
duvall is a service-oriented provider of audiovisual solutions for meetings and conferences. We support event organisers, governmental bodies and multinationals with full-service delivery as well as dry-hire options. Our solutions bridge language gaps and raise audience engagement—so accessibility becomes a natural part of your production.
- Simultaneous interpretation: ISO-compliant booths, interpreter consoles and distribution for multilingual sessions. Explore our approach to multilingual meetings and events.
- Live captioning and subtitling: On-site or remote CART services with accurate, real-time captions in the room and on the stream. Post-event subtitles and transcripts for recordings.
- Assistive listening systems: Induction loops, infrared or RF systems designed to the room acoustics, available in plenary and breakouts. Part of our conference AV technology.
- Accessible hybrid and streaming: Player configurations that support captions, readable controls and keyboard navigation, with tested latency between audio, video and text.
- Inclusive audience engagement: Electronic voting and polling that everyone can follow on the main screen and, where suitable, on personal devices. See our interactive voting systems.
- Project coordination: One point of contact who aligns suppliers, interpreters, captioners and venue teams. Learn more about our project coordination.
- Dry-hire with guidance: If you manage production in-house, we supply compliant equipment with practical setup notes and remote support.
Our goal is straightforward: make your communications perceivable, operable and understandable for every participant—without adding complexity to your agenda.
An EAA-ready workflow
- Discovery:
We clarify audience needs, languages and accessibility goals, including captioning, interpretation and assistive listening. - Technical design:
We specify the right microphones, loudspeakers, distribution, booths, captioning approach and streaming platform settings. - On-site rehearsal:
We test signal flow, audio intelligibility and caption timing across rooms and remote feeds. - Delivery and monitoring:
Our technicians supervise every session, with live quality checks for captions, interpretation and recordings.
Timelines, exemptions and where to read more
The EAA started to apply on 28 June 2025. There are transitional periods and some exemptions in scope—details depend on how the directive is implemented in each Member State. This article is not legal advice, so always check national guidance. Useful resources include the European Commission’s EAA page and independent primers on captioning and event readiness, such as captioning requirements under the EAA and how to prepare your communications.
Ready to make accessibility effortless?
If you want a clear, practical plan for your next meeting or conference, we are here to help. Contact duvall to discuss simultaneous interpretation, live captioning, assistive listening and accessible audience engagement—all integrated into a single, coherent AV solution.