The Decree-Law No. 82/2022 (Decreto-Lei n.º 82/2022,) was published, which creates a set of accessibility obligations for products and services. The law applies, in general, to products and services offered for sale from 28 June 2025, although some older products may be maintained on that date, implying responsibilities for the importer/distributor, and also for the provider. of services, whenever the accessibility rules defined by the EU are not complied with. Those who fail to fulfill several of these responsibilities may have to pay an administrative fee. Despite the delay in the transposition of the European Directive into national legislation, which is an essential requirement for any person with a disability to be able to complain about the lack of accessibility in these products when it is mandatory, Portugal finally assumes the concern with this factor of exclusion that had been manifesting itself for a long time. Living in a society where buses do not audibly announce stops and destinations, or where payment terminals and ATMs only have touch-sensitive interfaces, without speech synthesis or large print characters, or where electronic books are sold completely inaccessible, among many other examples, is not living in an inclusive society. This is, therefore, an important step towards a more inclusive society, with fewer limitations on the full participation of all the persons with disabilities in every aspects of life in society.
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