Five Accessibility Trends Reshaping Enterprise Software in 2026 — and What They Mean for You

[AlainaB]

Accessibility has always been important. But something has shifted in the last 18 months.

We're seeing it in our conversations with customers, in the questions coming into our Product Advisory Council sessions, and in the broader industry signals. Accessibility is moving from the edge of product roadmaps to the center of enterprise strategy — driven by technology, regulation, and a growing recognition that inclusive design is just good design.

Here are five trends our team is watching closely.

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1. AI Is Creating New Accessibility Opportunities — and New Risks

The explosion of AI-powered features in enterprise software is a double-edged accessibility story.

On one hand, AI is enabling accommodations that weren't previously possible at scale: real-time captions, automatic alt text generation, voice navigation, screen summarization, and intelligent content adaptation. These capabilities can dramatically lower barriers for users with disabilities.

On the other hand, AI can introduce new accessibility challenges if it isn't built with inclusion in mind. Complex AI-generated interfaces, inconsistent keyboard navigation in chatbot flows, and AI outputs that don't work well with assistive technology are all real concerns we're hearing from customers.

The organizations that get this right are the ones treating accessibility as a first-class requirement in AI feature development — not an afterthought.

2. Global Accessibility Mandates Are Arriving, and They're Not Optional

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) took effect in June 2025, requiring private-sector digital products and services to meet accessibility standards across EU member states. This is the most significant regulatory development in accessibility since the ADA — and it's catching some organizations flat-footed.

But the EAA isn't alone. Similar legislation is moving in Canada, the UK, and Australia. Public sector procurement requirements are tightening globally. And BITV compliance requirements in Germany are already producing customer conversations about audit trails, documentation, and conformance evidence.

For enterprise organizations: if your accessibility program is compliance-reactive rather than proactive, now is the time to change that posture.

3. Accessibility Is Becoming a Procurement Gate, Not a Nice-to-Have

We're seeing a clear shift in how large enterprises and government agencies evaluate software vendors. Accessibility — documented, audited, and evidenced — is increasingly a procurement requirement, not a differentiator.

VPATs, ACRs, and WCAG conformance documentation are being requested earlier in procurement cycles. Some organizations are running their own accessibility assessments before signing contracts. And we're seeing customers use their influence as buyers to push vendors toward stronger accessibility outcomes.

This is a good development. When accessibility is a market requirement, it gets funded and prioritized accordingly.

4. Employee Experience Is Driving Internal Accessibility Urgency

The workforce accessibility conversation is growing. Organizations are increasingly aware that their employee-facing technology — HR systems, project tools, internal portals — needs to meet the same accessibility bar as customer-facing products.

The driver isn't only legal: it's talent. Recruiting, retaining, and enabling employees with disabilities requires that internal tools actually work for them. We're seeing more customers come to us not because of a compliance audit, but because a specific employee — or a broader inclusion initiative — made the gap visible.

5. Co-Innovation Is Replacing One-Way Feedback

The days of submitting a feature request and waiting are giving way to something more collaborative. Customers who are deepening their accessibility programs want a seat at the table — and they're pushing vendors to co-design solutions, not just ship fixes.

That's exactly the model behind our Accessibility Product Advisory Council: 90+ global enterprise members actively contributing to ServiceNow's accessibility roadmap. We've seen this shift the quality and speed of accessibility improvements, because the people who understand the real-world impact are in the room from the beginning.

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What Are You Seeing?

These are the trends our team is tracking — but the A11y community sees things we don't. What patterns are you noticing in your organization or industry?

Join the conversation in the community forum, or reach out directly if you'd like to discuss how any of these trends are affecting your accessibility program. If you're interested in bringing your organization's voice to ServiceNow's accessibility roadmap, learn more about the A11y PAC.