Accessibility has become the new minimum. On June 28, 2025, the European Union’s Accessibility Act (EAA) went into effect across the EU, requiring self-service technologies — from library kiosks to ATMs and ticket machines — to meet strict design standards that remove barriers for people with disabilities.

In the United States, the picture is less settled. The Access Board opened a rulemaking on self-service machines in 2022 and sent a draft for review in 2024, but the proposal was withdrawn in early 2025 and shifted to long-term status.  

For now, federal guidance comes through a patchwork: ADA rules that cover ATMs and fare machines, Section 508 procurement standards for federal agencies, and mandates from departments such as Transportation, overseeing airport kiosks, and Health and Human Services, regulating patient check-in devices.

States are stepping forward. Colorado has emerged as a model with HB21-1110 and later amendments, making digital accessibility mandatory for state and local government systems, including library kiosks. The law took full effect on July 1, 2025, mandating WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for software and Section 508 specifications for hardware in closed-function devices. Compliance is now a statutory duty for Colorado libraries.  

In fact, the sector was among the first to embrace self-service. From magnetic strips in the 1970s to the first kiosks in the 1990s, including early 3M and Bibliotheca machines, the goal was clear: give patrons more independence and let staff focus on people instead of process. At the time, that was enough. 

But expectations have shifted. What once felt like the future now seems dated. Accessibility standards demand tactile controls, private audio, and screens that can be navigated without sight. Patrons, accustomed to apps and digital payments, look for the same ease in their libraries. That convergence — legal mandates and rising expectations — is what is now driving the next generation of kiosks.