DIRECTIVE (EU) 2019/882 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 17 April 2019
on the accessibility requirements for products and services
(Text with EEA relevance)
CHAPTER I
General provisions
Article 1
Subject matter
Article 2
Scope
Article 3
Definitions
CHAPTER II
Accessibility requirements and free movement
Article 4
Accessibility requirements
Article 5
Existing Union law in the field of passenger transport
Article 6
Free movement
CHAPTER III
Obligations of economic operators dealing with products
Article 7
Obligations of manufacturers
Article 8
Authorised representatives
Article 9
Obligations of importers
Article 10
Obligations of distributors
Article 11
Cases in which obligations of manufacturers apply to importers and distributors
Article 12
Identification of economic operators dealing with products
CHAPTER IV
Obligations of service providers
Article 13
Obligations of service providers
CHAPTER V
Fundamental alteration of products or services and disproportionate burden to economic operators
Article 14
Fundamental alteration and disproportionate burden
CHAPTER VI
Harmonised standards and technical specifications of products and services
Article 15
Presumption of conformity
CHAPTER VII
Conformity of products and CE marking
Article 16
EU declaration of conformity of products
Article 17
General principles of the CE marking of products
Article 18
Rules and conditions for affixing the CE marking
CHAPTER VIII
Market surveillance of products and Union safeguard procedure
Article 19
Market surveillance of products
Article 20
Procedure at national level for dealing with products not complying with the applicable accessibility requirements
Article 21
Union safeguard procedure
Article 22
Formal non-compliance
CHAPTER IX
Compliance of services
Article 23
Compliance of services
CHAPTER X
Accessibility requirements in other Union acts
Article 24
Accessibility under other Union acts
Article 25
Harmonised standards and technical specifications for other Union acts
CHAPTER XI
Delegated acts, implementing powers and final provisions
Article 26
Exercise of the delegation
Article 27
Committee procedure
Article 28
Working Group
Article 29
Enforcement
Article 30
Penalties
Article 31
Transposition
Article 32
Transitional measures
Article 33
Report and review
Article 34
Article 35
ANNEX I
ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Section I
General accessibility requirements related to all products covered by this directive in accordance with Article 2(1)
Section II
Accessibility requirements related to products in Article 2(1), except for the self-service terminals referred to in Article 2(1)(b)
Section III
General accessibility requirements related to all services covered by this Directive in accordance with Article 2(2)
Section IV
Additional accessibility requirements related to specific services
Section V
Specific accessibility requirements related to the answering of emergency communications to the single European emergency number ‘112’ by the most appropriate PSAP
Section VI
Accessibility requirements for features, elements or functions of products and services in accordance with Article 24(2)
Section VII
Functional performance criteria
(a) Usage without vision
(b) Usage with limited vision
(c) Usage without perception of colour
(d) Usage without hearing
(e) Usage with limited hearing
(f) Usage without vocal capability
(g) Usage with limited manipulation or strength
(h) Usage with limited reach
(i) Minimising the risk of triggering photosensitive seizures
(j) Usage with limited cognition
(k) Privacy
ANNEX II
SECTION I: EXAMPLES RELATED TO GENERAL ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL PRODUCTS COVERED BY THIS DIRECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 2(1) |
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REQUIREMENTS IN SECTION I OF ANNEX I |
EXAMPLES |
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(a) |
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(i) |
Providing visual and tactile information or visual and auditory information indicating the place where to introduce a card in a self-service terminal so that blind persons and deaf persons can use the terminal. |
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(ii) |
Using the same words in a consistent manner, or in a clear and logical structure, so that persons with intellectual disabilities can better understand it. |
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(iii) |
Providing tactile relief format or sound in addition to a text warning so that blind persons can perceive it. |
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(iv) |
Allowing that text can be read by persons who are visually impaired. |
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(b) |
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(i) |
Providing electronic files which can be read by a computer using screen readers so that blind persons can use the information. |
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(ii) |
Using the same words in a consistent manner, or in a clear and logical structure, so that persons with intellectual disabilities can better understand them. |
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(iii) |
Providing subtitles when video instructions are provided. |
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(iv) |
Allowing that the text can be read by persons who are visually impaired. |
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(v) |
Printing in Braille, so that a blind person can use them. |
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(vi) |
Accompanying a diagram with a text description identifying the main elements or describing key actions. |
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(vii) |
No example provided |
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(viii) |
No example provided |
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(ix) |
Including a socket and software in automated teller machines which will allow the plugging of a headphone which will receive the text on the screen in the form of sound. |
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(a) |
Providing instructions in the form of voice and text, or by incorporating tactile signs in a keypad, so that persons who are blind or hard of hearing can interact with the product. |
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(b) |
Offering in a self-service terminal in addition to the spoken instructions, for example, instructions in the form of text or images so that deaf persons can also perform the action required |
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(c) |
Allowing users to enlarge a text, to zoom in on a particular pictogram or to increase the contrast, so that persons who are visually impaired can perceive the information. |
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(d) |
In addition of giving a choice to press the green or the red button for selecting an option, providing in written on the buttons what the options are, in order to allow person who are colour blind to make the choice. |
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(e) |
When a computer gives an error signal, providing a written text or an image indicating the error, so as to allow deaf persons to apprehend that an error is occurring. |
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(f) |
Allowing for additional contrast in foreground images so that persons who have low vision can see them. |
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(g) |
Allowing the user of a telephone to select the volume of the sound and reduce the interference with hearing aids so that persons who are hard of hearing can use the telephone. |
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(h) |
Making touch screen buttons bigger and well separated so that persons with tremor can press them. |
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(i) |
Ensuring that buttons to be pressed do not require much force so that persons who have motor impairments can use them. |
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(j) |
Avoiding flickering images so that persons who get seizures are not at risk. |
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(k) |
Allowing the use of headphones when spoken information is provided by automated teller machines. |
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(l) |
As an alternative to fingerprint recognition, allowing users who cannot use their hands to select a password for locking and unlocking a phone. |
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(m) |
Ensuring that the software reacts in a predictable way when a particular action is performed and providing enough time to enter a password so that is easy to use for persons with intellectual disabilities. |
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(n) |
Offering a connection with a refreshable Braille display so that blind persons can use the computer. |
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(o) |
Examples of sector-specific requirements |
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(i) |
No example provided |
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(ii) |
No example provided |
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Providing that a mobile phone should be able to handle real time text conversations so that persons who are hard of hearing can exchange information in an interactive way. |
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Allowing the simultaneous use of video to display sign language and text to write a message, so that two deaf persons can communicate with each other or with a hearing person. |
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(iv) |
Ensuring that subtitles are transmitted through the set top box for their use by deaf persons. |
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SECTION II: EXAMPLES RELATED TO ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCTS IN ARTICLE 2(1), EXCEPT FOR THE SELF-SERVICE TERMINALS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 2(1)(b) |
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REQUIREMENTS IN SECTION II OF ANNEX I |
EXAMPLES |
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Packaging and instructions of products |
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(a) |
Indicating in the packaging that the phone contains accessibility features for persons with disabilities. |
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(b) |
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(i) |
Providing electronic files which can be read by a computer using screen readers so that blind persons can use the information. |
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(ii) |
Using the same words in a consistent manner, or in a clear and logical structure, so that persons with intellectual disabilities can better understand it. |
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(iii) |
Providing tactile relief format or sound when a text warning is present so that blind persons receive the warning. |
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(iv) |
Providing that the text can be read by persons who are visually impaired. |
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(v) |
Printing in Braille, so that a blind person can read it. |
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(vi) |
Supplementing a diagram with a text description identifying the main elements or describing key actions. |
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SECTION III: EXAMPLES RELATED TO GENERAL ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SERVICES COVERED BY THIS DIRECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 2(2) |
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REQUIREMENTS IN SECTION III OF ANNEX I |
EXAMPLES |
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The provision of services |
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(a) |
No example provided |
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(b) |
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(i) |
Providing electronic files which can be read by a computer using screen readers so that blind persons can use the information. |
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(ii) |
Using the same words in a consistent manner or in a clear and logical structure so that persons with intellectual disabilities can better understand it. |
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(iii) |
Including subtitles when a video with instructions is provided. |
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(iv) |
Providing that a blind person can use a file by printing it in Braille. |
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(v) |
Providing that the text can be read by persons who are visually impaired. |
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(vi) |
Supplementing a diagram with a text description identifying the main elements or describing key actions. |
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(vii) |
When a service provider offers a USB-key containing information about the service, providing that information is accessible. |
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(c) |
Providing text description of pictures, making all functionality available from a keyboard, giving users enough time to read, making content appear and operate in a predictable way, and providing compatibility with assistive technologies, so that persons with diverse disabilities can read and interact with a website. |
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(d) |
No example provided |
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SECTION IV: EXAMPLES RELATED TO ADDITIONAL ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC SERVICES |
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REQUIREMENTS IN SECTION IV OF ANNEX I |
EXAMPLES |
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Specific services |
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(a) |
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(i) |
Providing that persons who are hard of hearing could write and receive text in an interactive manner and in real time. |
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(ii) |
Providing that deaf persons can use sign language to communicate among themselves. |
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(iii) |
Providing that a person who has speech and hearing impairments and chooses to use a combination of text, voice and video, knows that the communication is transmitted through the network to an emergency service. |
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(b) |
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(i) |
Providing that a blind person can select programmes on the television. |
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(ii) |
Supporting the possibility to select, personalise and display ‘access services’ such as subtitles for deaf persons or persons who are hard of hearing, audio description, spoken subtitles and sign language interpretation, by providing means for effective wireless coupling to hearing technologies or by providing user controls to activate ‘access services’ for audiovisual media services at the same level of prominence as the primary media controls. |
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(c) |
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(i) |
No example provided |
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(ii) |
No example provided |
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(d) |
No example provided |
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(e) |
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(i) |
Making the identification dialogues on a screen readable by screen readers so that blind persons can use them. |
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(ii) |
No example provided |
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(f) |
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(i) |
Providing that a person with dyslexia can read and hear the text at the same time. |
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(ii) |
Enabling synchronized text and audio output or by enabling a refreshable Braille transcript. |
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(iii) |
Providing that a blind person can access the index or change chapters. |
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(iv) |
No example provided |
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(v) |
Ensuring that information on their accessibility features is available in the electronic file so that persons with disabilities can be informed. |
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(vi) |
Ensuring that there is no blocking, for example that technical protection measures, rights management information or interoperability issues do not prevent the text from being read aloud by the assistive devices, so that blind users can read the book. |
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(g) |
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(i) |
Ensuring that available information on the accessibility features of a product is not deleted. |
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(ii) |
Making the payment service user interface available by voice so that blind persons can make online purchases independently. |
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(iii) |
Making the identification dialogues on a screen readable by screen readers so that blind persons can use them. |