Spain Approves First National Regulation on Cognitive Accessibility

Spain's Council of Ministers approved a royal decree on 1 September 2026 establishing the country's first regulation on the basic conditions of cognitive accessibility. The measure, promoted by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030, was published in the official state gazette (BOE) on 3 September as Real Decreto 707/2026 and will enter into force on 2 January 2027.

Under the new rules, information and communication in essential areas of life must be easy to understand and offered in accessible formats, including clear language, easy-to-read documents, augmentative and alternative communication systems, pictograms, accessible signage and technological aids, without additional cost or delay for users.

The obligations apply to health centres, telecommunications and information-society services, public spaces and buildings, transport, goods and services available to the public, relations with public administrations, the justice system, electoral processes, cultural heritage and employment, with specific requirements in each area. The ministry said the decree fulfils a provision of Spain's 2022 disability rights law (Ley 6/2022) and is designed to benefit people with intellectual disabilities, acquired brain injury, autism, mental health conditions or cerebral palsy, as well as older adults with cognitive decline, people with low literacy and migrants who do not yet master the state's languages.

The Spanish Centre for Cognitive Accessibility (CEACOG) is already preparing guides to help public bodies and private entities apply the regulation, and is working to simplify administrative procedures such as tax declarations, identity document renewal and minimum-income applications. Ministry officials compared the requirements to the ramps and lifts provided for people with reduced mobility, arguing that cognitive functions deserve the same treatment. The decree's obligations become binding on 2 January 2027.