The European Central Bank has signed a collaboration agreement with the ONCE Foundation to ensure the digital euro app is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities, older adults and those with limited digital skills. The move signals that inclusion is becoming a central design principle of Europe’s future central bank digital currency, not an afterthought.
Announced on 18 February 2026, the partnership will see the ECB draw directly on the ONCE Foundation’s technical expertise in accessibility as it develops the digital euro’s user interface and functionalities. The collaboration is not remunerated.
The ECB says it will rely on the foundation in three areas: technical advice on accessibility requirements, collaboration on app design, and testing of digital euro app prototypes once they are available. Accessibility experts who are themselves persons with disabilities will be involved in the project team, combining professional expertise with lived experience.
“Accessibility and inclusion are not optional features, but core digital euro design principles,” said Piero Cipollone, ECB Executive Board member and chair of the High-Level Task Force on a digital euro. He added that the goal is to ensure the digital euro empowers every citizen in the digital age.
Jesús Hernández Galán, Director of Accessibility and Innovation at the ONCE Foundation, said the organisation would help integrate accessibility features from the outset rather than adapting them later. That approach reflects what the ECB describes as “accessibility by design”.
Beyond Legal Minimums
The collaboration also supports the ECB’s ambition to exceed minimum legal accessibility standards under the European Accessibility Act and current market practice. According to the central bank, the digital euro app will be designed to be clear, understandable and easy to navigate from the earliest stages of development.
This matters politically as much as technically. A retail central bank digital currency that fails to serve vulnerable users would face immediate criticism across the euro area. By embedding accessibility early, the ECB is trying to reinforce the legitimacy of the project as EU legislators continue debating the digital euro regulation.
The central bank has repeatedly linked accessibility to broader digital financial inclusion. Within the Euro Retail Payments Board, consumer organisations have stressed that a Eurosystem-provided app accessible to all is critical to ensuring universal access.
Meanwhile, the first digital euro innovation platform, involving around 70 market participants, identified features such as voice-controlled transactions, large-font displays and guided onboarding processes as ways to improve usability.
Focus groups with vulnerable consumers further highlighted the need for multiple onboarding options, including in-person support at local branches, and payment flows that resemble familiar experiences. Participants emphasised reassurance, simplicity and control over personal finances, particularly for users less confident with digital tools.
The outcome of the ECB and ONCE Foundation collaboration could also inform user experience requirements for private payment service providers. If so, the digital euro may influence accessibility standards across the wider European payments market.
As the project moves closer to a potential issuance decision, inclusion is emerging as a strategic pillar. Ensuring that a digital euro works for everyone may ultimately be as important for its success as privacy safeguards or offline functionality.