New legislation for a more inclusive future
Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day so we’re spotlighting a major shift that’s about to reshape the sports industry. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) comes into force across the EU in June 2025, and UK organisations need to pay attention: over 100 million people in the EU live with a disability – they’re your fans, customers, players, and participants.
Breaking it down
- Only 4 in 10 UK websites fully meet accessibility standards.
- 3 in 4 disabled people have left a business due to poor accessibility.
- In sport, disabled fans still struggle with inaccessible ticketing platforms, videos with no captions, and apps that don’t work with screen readers.
- “Inclusion” too often stops at a single para-athlete post.
Who does it affect
If your organisation sells tickets, streams matches, runs fan platforms, delivers social media campaigns, or partners with EU events, EAA compliance is a legal requirement.
This includes:
- Websites and apps that work with assistive tech
- Digital journeys that don’t block users at the first click
- Marketing and content that includes everyone
At MATTA, we believe accessibility isn’t a constraint, it’s a creative edge. It’s how you build trust, reach new audiences, and show up with purpose. And it just so happens to open up a £1 trillion+ global market.
A practical guide to staying compliant
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is coming into force on the 28th June 2025 and it is about to reshape how sports organisations communicate, sell, and engage with fans in the EU. If your business touches ticketing, fan apps, content, merch, or events, and you operate in the EU (or want to), you need to act now.
To help, we’ve put together a quick, practical guide to:
- What the EAA actually covers
- Who needs to comply (yes, it does affect UK organisations)
- Best practice tips for building accessible fan experiences
Accessibility isn’t just a legal requirement – it gives you a competitive advantage.
