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ECB details accessibility features for digital euro app
The digital euro app is expected to include tools such as screen reader support, full keyboard navigation, and simplified language, and is planned for testing in a 2027 pilot.
The European Central Bank outlined accessibility features for the proposed digital euro app, saying accessibility and inclusion are core design principles from the outset. The ECB said the app is intended to let users access basic digital euro services on equal terms, regardless of needs, abilities, or digital confidence.
According to the ECB, the design will go beyond requirements under the European Accessibility Act and related standards, applying the highest level of accessibility requirements based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines adapted for mobile payment applications. The planned features include enhanced visual design, full keyboard navigation, screen reader support, time-out warnings, simplified language, error prevention, and reduced motion settings.
The ECB said the proposal on accessibility features was shared with market participants and relevant stakeholders, developed with cooperation from consumer organizations, accessibility experts, and national central banks. ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone, who chairs the High-Level Task Force on a digital euro, said the approach is intended to ensure the digital euro can be accessed by everyone.
The ECB said the app is currently being developed and will be tested during a digital euro pilot planned for 2027, with additional usability and accessibility testing involving members of the ONCE Foundation and staff of the ECB and 19 national central banks. The bank also linked the work to the proposed digital euro Regulation.