For years, many organisations viewed accessibility as a future compliance requirement.
That future has arrived.
The Carrefour ruling demonstrates that accessibility is no longer just about meeting guidelines. It is about reducing legal exposure, protecting brand reputation, expanding customer reach and ensuring equal access to digital services.
Perhaps most importantly, it shows that courts are increasingly interested in real-world accessibility outcomes rather than theoretical compliance scores.
Organisations that continue to rely solely on automated scans may find that those reports provide little protection when challenged by regulators, courts or disability advocacy groups.
The organisations that will be best positioned are those combining automated monitoring with expert audits, manual testing and validation from people with lived experience of disability.
That approach not only improves compliance. It helps ensure digital services work for everyone.
And that is ultimately what accessibility legislation was designed to achieve.
Andrew Power - Chief Revenue Officer, Vially