--- title: "Summer 2025 Digital Accessibility: A Screen Reader’s Review" description: From QR codes to digital tickets and email deep links, what broke for screen readers this summer, plus quick fixes teams can ship before peak season. image: https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Poolside-min.jpg --- - [skip to menu](https://blog.usablenet.com/summer-2025-digital-accessibility-a-screen-readers-review#nav) - [skip to content](https://blog.usablenet.com/summer-2025-digital-accessibility-a-screen-readers-review#main-content) - [skip to footer](https://blog.usablenet.com/summer-2025-digital-accessibility-a-screen-readers-review#footer) Test the accessibility of your website for free! Try UsableNet AQA. 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[Take our Quiz](https://info.usablenet.com/website-accessibility-remediation-quiz) - Resources ## Resources [E-books & Guides](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=E-books%20and%20Guides) [Case Studies](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Case%20Studies) [Reports](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Reports) [Webinars](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Webinars) [Tools](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Tools) [All Resources](https://usablenet.com/resources) ## Essential Resources [ADA accessibility lawsuit tracker](https://info.usablenet.com/ada-website-compliance-lawsuit-tracker?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [Checklist: how to achieve and maintain digital accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/digital-website-accessibility-checklist?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [Which remediation approach is right for me?](https://info.usablenet.com/website-accessibility-remediation-quiz?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [A Primer on ADA and Digital Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/a-primer-on-ada-and-digital-accessibility?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) The EAA is in Effect — Is Your Website Compliant? [Get Help with EN 301 549 Compliance](https://info.usablenet.com/eaa-en-301-549-compliance?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) - Who We Serve ## Industry [E-commerce and Consumer Goods](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-e-commerce-consumer-goods) [Food Service and Hospitality](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-food-service-hospitality) [Banking and Financial Services](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-financial-services) [Healthcare](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-healthcare) [Technology and Business Services](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-technology-and-business-services) [Public Sector and Education](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-public-sector-and-education) ## Compliance [Canadian Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-canada) [European Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-europe) [Other International Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-international) [United States Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-united-states) 2026 Midyear report on digital accessibility lawsuits in the US [Download Now](https://info.usablenet.com/2026-midyear-report) - [Pricing](https://usablenet.com/pricing) - [Blog](https://blog.usablenet.com/) - [About Us](https://usablenet.com/about-us) [Get a Demo](https://info.usablenet.com/contact) # Summer 2025 Digital Accessibility: A Screen Reader’s Review **By** [Michael Taylor](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/michael-taylor) on Sep 5, 2025 **Topics:** [Web Accessibility](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/web-accessibility), [User Experience](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/user-experience), [mobile accessibility](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-accessibility), [travel](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/travel), [hospitality](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/hospitality) 0 Comments - - - ![lounge chairs at a tropical resort by the pool](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Poolside-min.jpg) Labor Day is often seen as the unofficial end of summer in the U.S. (meteorological summer runs June 1 through August 31). The days feel shorter, the mornings are crisper, and fall is in the air. As the season wraps, I want to share a few accessibility observations from my own digital use over the past few months. These opportunities arose while traveling, attending a game, enjoying live music, and shopping for seasonal sales online. Each example reflects a real barrier I encountered as a screen reader user. QR Codes QR codes are everywhere now. This summer, I saw them paying restaurant bills, requesting housekeeping services, buying tickets for outdoor events, and more. My experience was mixed at best. Many QR-linked pages caused screen reader lag or froze outright. I ran into unlabeled text fields and action buttons. A few pages did not register with my screen reader at all, which ended the task. One example:[a resort restaurant](https://blog.usablenet.com/ordering-dinner-from-a-resort-restaurant) used QR codes for table-side bill pay. I could hear the itemized check. None of the action items worked with the screen reader. I was unable to charge the meal to the room or enter my card details. That ended the experience. I suspect QR destinations often reside outside the core website template, so they miss out on the testing and fixes that the main site receives. **What helps** - Reuse the same accessible components as the main site for QR flows. - Ensure buttons, links, and inputs have clear accessible names and roles. - Keep focus visible and predictable when modals open. - Test the entire flow with VoiceOver and TalkBack on real devices. **Related resource:** If you want to see how I navigate and test real tasks, read [Accessibility Insights: A Screen Reader User’s Guide](https://info.usablenet.com/accessibility-insights-a-screen-reader-users-guide). ## Digital Tickets Most events now use digital tickets. Accessibility remains a challenge in 2025. Many tickets arrive as image-based PDFs that my screen reader cannot interpret. That makes it impossible to confirm seat numbers, rows, times, and locations. Some platforms require activating a visual element to prove a ticket is valid and not a screenshot. If the control is not programmatically labeled and focusable, I cannot trigger it. When tickets arrive by email, the “View” or “Download” button is sometimes unlabeled, making it harder to save the file than necessary. **What helps** - Prefer accessible HTML tickets over image-based PDFs. If PDFs are required, tag them properly. - Provide a clearly labeled control that programmatically triggers any dynamic validation. - Include plain-text details in the email body: event name, date, time, seat, row, and venue. - Offer an alternate check-in path staff can use when the visual effect fails. [Read the blog: Navigating Accessibility Challenges on Mobile Event Ticket Websites](https://blog.usablenet.com/navigating-accessibility-challenges-on-mobile-event-ticket-websites) ## Online Shopping I did not shop a lot, but I browsed July 4th and Memorial Day sales. I often enter a site through promotional email links. Those deep links frequently behaved worse than navigating from the homepage. Common issues included several-second delays between key presses and speech, and the screen reader's focus jumping back to the top of the page. I might be reading a product description or reviews and suddenly lose my place. When I navigate in from the homepage, I usually do not see the same problems. **What helps** - Keep deep-linked landing pages on the same components and performance budget as core PDPs and PLPs. - Avoid heavy client-side re-renders that reset focus. Preserve position when content updates. - Provide “Skip to content” and clear landmarks so returning to a section is easy. - Monitor screen reader lag during QA and treat it as a blocking defect. **For retailers:** Practical fixes and priorities for ecommerce teams. [Read *Ecommerce Website Accessibility* →](https://info.usablenet.com/ecommerce-website-accessibility) ## Key Takeaways From Summer 2025 - QR code flows are convenient but often bypass tested, accessible templates. - Image-based tickets and unlabeled controls still block entry for assistive technology. - Deep links from marketing emails can behave differently from the main site and often perform worse for screen readers. - Reusing accessible components and testing complete task flows on mobile with VoiceOver and TalkBack makes a visible difference for real customers. **Quick check:** EAA and ADA compliance starts with testing. [Check your site’s accessibility now →](https://usablenet.com/automated-accessibility-testing-tool) Looking back at summer 2025, many of the same issues persist. The hope is simple. If teams apply consistent components, test like real customers, and fix focus and labeling, next summer can feel very different. [![Illustration of people improving web accessibility and button to watch a demo ](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3280432/b09930d2-18e9-4a5e-be9c-74e854e489a1.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3280432/b09930d2-18e9-4a5e-be9c-74e854e489a1) ![Michael Taylor](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Michael%20Taylor-4.jpg) ### [Michael Taylor](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/michael-taylor) I am a regular contributor to the UsableNet blog on digital accessibility. I develop, write, and edit content for the company blog related to my experiences with digital accessibility. I explore various areas of the digital world and combine my unique perspective as a screen reader user with my fun and creative writing style to deliver an informative and engaging final product. My goal is to advance the company's marketing initiatives while also raising awareness about digital accessibility and how it affects the lives of real-world assistive technology users. My work covers everything from common accessibility challenges to robust and accessible design to tutorial-like content for specific web elements. - - - - ### Related posts ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ![Real Estate Website Accessibility: Property Listing Pages and Screen Readers](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Real%20Estate%20Website%20Accessibility%20-%20Property%20Listing%20Pages%20and%20Screen%20Readers%201200%20x%20630.png) [Real Estate Website Accessibility: Property Listing Pages and Screen Readers](https://blog.usablenet.com/real-estate-website-accessibility-property-listing-pages-and-screen-readers) Jul 7, 2026 ### Sign Up for the UsableNet Blog ### Recent Posts ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ### Posts by Topic - [Web Accessibility (311)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/web-accessibility) - [User Experience (113)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/user-experience) - [ADA Lawsuits (45)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-lawsuits) - [ADA Website Compliance (38)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-website-compliance) - [European Accessibility Act (34)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/european-accessibility-act) - [Mobile Web (30)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-web) - [Mobile Apps (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-apps) - [Retail (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/retail) ![](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Consultation%20Icon.svg) Need to improve digital usability, accessibility or performance? 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Stay up-to-date on our insights, the latest tech news and digital trends. ![International Association of Accessibility Professionals logo](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SaaS%20Theme/2023%20Header%20and%20Footer/IAAP-logo.png?width=150&height=81&name=IAAP-logo.png) © 2026 UsableNet Inc. ![International Association of Accessibility Professionals logo](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SaaS%20Theme/2023%20Header%20and%20Footer/IAAP-logo.png?width=150&height=81&name=IAAP-logo.png) © 2026 UsableNet Inc. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Michael Taylor", "url" : "https://blog.usablenet.com/author/michael-taylor" }, "dateModified" : "2025-09-05T12:45:00.922Z", "datePublished" : "2025-09-05T12:45:00.000Z", "headline" : "Summer 2025 Digital Accessibility: A Screen Reader’s Review", "image" : [ "https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Poolside-min.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.usablenet.com/summer-2025-digital-accessibility-a-screen-readers-review", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/UsableNet%20Logo_Black.png" }, "name" : "UsableNet Inc." } } ```