The European Central Bank (ECB) this week unveiled the accessibility features planned for the digital euro app, saying the platform will exceed European Union accessibility standards ahead of pilot testing scheduled for 2027.

The app will provide users with access to basic digital euro services and has been designed with accessibility and inclusion as core principles from the outset, reflecting the ECB’s aim of ensuring that every European can access digital payments on equal terms, regardless of their needs, abilities or level of digital confidence.

According to the ECB, the proposed design includes best-in-class accessibility features that go beyond the requirements of the European Accessibility Act and the related EN 301 549 standard, placing the app among the most advanced currently available on the market.

The central bank said this approach underlines the Eurosystem’s commitment to inclusion and ensuring that the digital euro is accessible to everyone.

The app has been designed to meet the highest level of accessibility requirements under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as adapted for mobile payment applications, covering perception, operability and cognitive accessibility.

Among the proposed features are enhanced visual design, full keyboard navigation, screen reader support, time-out warnings, simplified language, error prevention measures and reduced motion settings, all intended to address common barriers faced by users with different accessibility needs.

“Like cash, the digital euro will be a public good and, in the digital age, every European should be able to access it on equal terms,” said European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone, who chairs the High-Level Task Force on a digital euro.

“We support the European Commission’s legislative proposal, which would ensure that everyone has access to the digital euro app,” he stated.

“Accessibility is how we make sure that the digital euro belongs to everyone,” Cipollone added.

The proposal outlining the app’s accessibility features has now been shared with market participants and other relevant stakeholders.

The ECB said the proposal was developed in close cooperation with consumer organisations, accessibility experts and national central banks.

The digital euro app is currently under development and will undergo testing during the digital euro pilot programme, which is scheduled to begin in 2027.

Alongside the pilot, the ECB will carry out additional usability and accessibility testing with members of the ONCE Foundation for Cooperation and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities, as well as staff from the ECB and 19 national central banks.

The testing is intended to help deliver a consistent and inclusive user experience across the euro area.

The ECB also explained that, under the proposed digital euro regulation, the app would be only one of several ways for people to access basic digital euro services.

People would also be able to access the digital euro through channels offered by their payment service providers, which would remain the main point of contact for end users.

The European Commission’s legislative proposal also makes clear that users should be free to choose the access channel that best meets their individual needs.

The ECB added that, during discussions within the Euro Retail Payments Board, consumer organisations stressed that a universally accessible Eurosystem app would be essential to guarantee broad public access to the digital euro.

The central bank said the app’s design demonstrates its commitment to developing a payment solution that works for everyone, adding that embedding accessibility into the platform will enable more Europeans to participate fully in the digital economy.