Cognitive Accessibility 2026: What Companies and Public Services Must Change

Key data

If your company serves customers, users or citizens—in offices, websites, apps or any channel—the Royal Decree 707/2026 is already mandatory. It is not a future regulation: it came into force on the same day it was published, September 3, 2026.

The regulation develops Law 6/2022 in regulatory terms and establishes the basic conditions for cognitive accessibility required throughout the national territory. Its objective is to ensure that people with cognitive difficulties can understand and use the services, documents and facilities of any public or private entity operating for the public.

What does this regulation establish?

RD 707/2026 regulates three distinct blocks of obligations, which affect different dimensions of any organization's operations:

Additionally, the regulation introduces two barrier-multiplying factors that must be considered when designing adaptations:

• Rural environment: people in rural areas may face additional barriers to accessing understandable services.
• Gender perspective: women with cognitive difficulties may accumulate specific barriers that must be considered in resource design.

Finally, the RD updates the regulations for certifying the degree of disability, which may have implications for recognition procedures and for companies managing benefits linked to that recognition.

Economic and operational impact

The regulation does not set penalty amounts in the published summary, but it does generate real operational costs for affected organizations. The main investment or adaptation focus areas are:

• Review and rewriting of documentation: contracts, general terms, forms, customer communications and legal notices must be adapted to clear language and easy reading criteria.
• Physical signage: facilities open to the public may require new signage with understandable pictograms.
• Digital audit and redesign: websites, apps and AI systems must be evaluated and, if necessary, redesigned to meet cognitive accessibility requirements.
• Additional regulatory risk by autonomous community: autonomous communities and local corporations may establish more stringent requirements, which may generate different obligations depending on the territory where the company operates.

The repeal of RD 1414/2006 means that the previous framework is no longer in effect: organizations that had adapted their processes to that regulation must review whether their measures remain sufficient or if the new regulation requires additional changes.

Who does it affect?

The obligation is broad: it affects any entity—public or private—that provides services to the public in Spain. In practice, this includes:

• Public administrations (state, regional and local) and their dependent bodies
• Financial services, insurance and banking companies
• Retail trade and large retail stores
• Telecommunications and utilities companies
• Healthcare and social healthcare sector (clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, care homes)
• Public transport and mobility operators
• Hospitality, tourism and leisure
• Education (private and charter schools with public service)
• Digital platforms and technology companies with users in Spain
• Any company with in-person, telephone or digital customer service

Practical example

A private clinic with multiple locations that serves patients in in-person consultations and through its mobile app must address all three blocks of RD 707/2026:

• Information: informed consents, budgets and written patient communications must be written in clear language, avoiding unexplained technical terms. Easy-reading documents must be available for patients who need them.
• Spatial orientation: facility signage (waiting rooms, consultation rooms, emergency) must incorporate understandable pictograms that allow autonomous orientation for people with cognitive difficulties.
• Technology: the appointment booking app and patient service chatbot must be reviewed to ensure that their interface and language are cognitively accessible, including any integrated AI systems.

If the clinic operates in an autonomous community that establishes additional, more stringent requirements, it must also comply with those local standards.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify internal scope: map all points of contact with the public (documents, facilities, digital channels) that may be affected by the three blocks of the regulation.
2. Audit existing documentation: review contracts, forms, communications and legal notices to detect which texts do not meet clear language or easy reading criteria.
3. Evaluate physical signage: check whether facilities open to the public have pictograms and signage that is understandable according to the new requirements.
4. Review digital systems and AI: include in the technology audit websites, apps, chatbots and any artificial intelligence system that interacts with users or customers.
5. Consult applicable regional regulations: verify whether the autonomous community or local corporation where the company operates has established or plans to establish additional, more stringent requirements.
6. Update disability certification processes: if the company manages benefits linked to the degree of disability of employees or users, review the changes in certification regulations introduced by RD 707/2026.
7. Document adaptations made: maintain a record of the measures adopted to demonstrate compliance in case of inspections or requests.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at official source

Notice: This article is purely informational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-18509