Online shops of the future: How to meet the Accessibility Directive 2025 with TPL Edit

Art. no. 216463007 24 Apr 2025

Today, the web is a natural part of society. When we surf the web from the couch to the bus, it is clear that everyone should be able to participate. Accessibility is not just important for a few; it is part of the whole customer experience that affects us all. Maybe you're on the bus and the sun is shining on your phone screen, or you're the stressed-out parent trying to shop while the kids run wild around you. Or maybe you've sprained your hand? All of these situations mean that accessibility features are not just good to have - they are necessary. And when we design with accessibility in mind, we elevate the usability of the whole site, making the experience better for everyone.

EU Accessibility Directive 2025

In June 2025, the new, stricter EU Accessibility Directive will apply. This includes companies with more than 10 employees and an annual turnover of over €2 million. But this is not just a legal obligation for us. We see it as a great opportunity to welcome more customers and improve our service. We believe that accessibility should benefit everyone, not just larger companies.

Why invest in accessibility?

Adapting for accessibility is a broad and important area that involves vision, cognition and motor skills. These abilities can vary widely - some of us may have permanent barriers while others encounter temporary difficulties. Sooner or later, all of us encounter a situation where we need extra help to easily navigate and use the web. So at Abicart, we don't just see this as a cost and bureaucracy. We see it as an investment that creates a better product for all users.

TPL Edit - Our Solution for the Online Stores of the Future

At Abicart, we are already hard at work developing our new theme engine, TPL Edit. An explicit goal of our themes for TPL Edit is just really good accessibility adaptation. Accessibility is nothing new. There are many areas that overlap with accessibility, such as usability, design or SEO optimization. In the past, these areas have often driven accessibility. The difference is a shift in perspective. We want to be clear that accessibility has an intrinsic value, while contributing to usability, good design and SEO optimization.

What does TPL Edit mean for your existing theme?

Here at Abicart, we are very excited to launch TPL Edit, our next generation theme. Accessibility is one of our keywords. This means everything from links and buttons being clearly labeled for screen readers, text having good contrast against the background, and easy interaction with the site.

If you're already running an Abicart store, you might be wondering what this means for your current theme. Don't worry, we will update it with a new TPL version. It will look pretty similar visually, but with new code under the hood. Have you customized your store with your own CSS, design or script? Then you need to move this over manually. When the update becomes available, you decide when it's convenient for you to do it (not unlike previous theme updates). Then you have full control over when and how you upgrade to the new TPL version, and can take it one step at a time.

Summary and outlook

We believe in accessibility for both a better product and a better society. That's why accessibility is one of our goals as we write a new theme engine, TPL Edit. The EU's tightening accessibility directive puts the topic on the agenda, making it even more relevant to talk about.

There will be TPL updates to our current themes that will facilitate a transition to TPL Edit. Exactly what you need to do to update to TPL Edit in your store is individual.

Of course, TPL Edit is about so much more than just this topic - it's also about boosting performance, making it easier to work with your shop, and making it easier than ever to customize. Stay tuned, we'll tell you more soon!