Project implementation period
1 January 2024 – 31 December 2025
Project funding source and value
The total project value is EUR 984,208.47, of which EUR 688,946.00 is provided by the European Union under the Creative Europe programme. The project is co-funded by the Lithuanian Culture Institute.
Project promoter
Fondazione LIA (Italy), a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting accessibility in publishing.
Project partners
APACE is implemented by three publishers’ associations and three specialised organisations working in the field of accessibility: the Italian Publishers Association (AIE), the German Publishers and Booksellers Association (Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels), the Bulgarian Book Association (BBA), the Dutch accessibility solutions organisation Dedicon, the Finnish Celia Accessibility Library, and the Lithuanian Audiosensory Library.
Project objective
The APACE project aims to help stakeholders prepare for the requirements of Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the accessibility requirements for products and services, commonly known as the European Accessibility Act, which entered into application on 28 June 2025 and has been transposed into national legislation.
Project results
In 2024, APACE partners carried out a study identifying the skills gaps faced by European publishers in preparing for the application of the European Accessibility Act on 28 June 2025. The full report is available on the APACE website: Analysis of the Skills Gap.
In 2025, LAB and its partners developed a set of Accessibility Guidelines covering:
- how to approach accessibility strategically and ensure its implementation;
- the benefits of producing born-accessible e-publications;
- how to systematically implement accessible publishing workflows;
- how to effectively distribute accessible e-publications.
Project dissemination
The APACE project website provides recordings of completed training and networking events, as well as tools, guidance materials and methodological resources developed by the project partners. Visit European Accessibility Directory.