The European Central Bank and the ONCE Foundation have signed a collaboration agreement to ensure the digital euro app is accessible to all users, including people with disabilities.
Following this announcement, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the ONCE Foundation for Cooperation and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities have formalised a non-remunerated collaboration agreement aimed at embedding accessibility into the design and development of the digital euro app from the outset. The partnership covers technical advice, co-design input, and prototype testing, with the shared objective of ensuring the app is usable by people with disabilities, older adults, and those with limited digital skills.
Scope of the collaboration
Under the agreement, the ONCE Foundation will contribute in three areas: advising on accessibility requirements and features, participating in the design process, and testing the accessibility of digital euro app functionalities once initial prototypes become available. The foundation will also integrate experts with lived experience of disability into the project team, combining technical knowledge with direct user perspective.
The ECB has stated its commitment to going beyond the minimum standards set out in the European Accessibility Act, adopting what it describes as an 'accessibility by design' approach. This means accessibility considerations are to be incorporated at the earliest stages of development rather than retrofitted, with the aim of producing an app that is clear, understandable, and easy to navigate. The ECB has also indicated that the outcomes of this work could inform user experience requirements for payment service providers more broadly.
Inclusion as a design principle
The collaboration reflects wider priorities identified through the ECB's public engagement work. Consumer organisations participating in the Euro Retail Payments Board have previously highlighted the need for a Eurosystem-provided digital euro app accessible to all as a critical mechanism for universal access. Separately, the first digital euro innovation platform, which involved around 70 market participants, identified features such as voice-controlled transactions, large-font displays, and guided onboarding as tools that could improve inclusion.
Focus groups conducted with vulnerable consumers further underscored the importance of multiple onboarding pathways — including in-person support at local branches — as well as payment flows that reflect familiar experiences. Participants highlighted simplicity, reassurance, and a sense of control over personal finances as priorities, particularly for users less confident with digital tools.
The agreement is positioned within the broader framework of EU regulations on accessibility, fundamental rights, and digital transformation. The digital euro project remains in its preparation phase, with the ECB yet to take a formal decision on issuance. That decision rests with the ECB's Governing Council and, ultimately, requires legislative authorisation from EU co-legislators.
According to the official press release, as central banks and regulators across Europe advance work on retail central bank digital currencies, the question of accessibility and financial inclusion is becoming an increasingly prominent dimension of design — one that extends beyond regulatory compliance into questions of democratic access to public monetary infrastructure.
