Online Risks: Disabled Individuals More Susceptible to Cyber Threats
In France, the term "disability" refers to a severe limitation in a physical, sensory, or cognitive function, or a significant restriction for more than six months for health reasons in usual activities. With an estimated 2.6 million to 7.6 million people over the age of 15 living with disabilities, ensuring digital accessibility and safety becomes a critical concern.
The digital vulnerability of people with disabilities arises primarily from barriers in digital accessibility that hinder their ability to use online services effectively. This vulnerability poses significant challenges and risks, including social exclusion, limited access to public services, and increased exposure to digital risks.
One of the key challenges is the lack of accessibility in digital services. Many digital platforms and services remain insufficiently accessible, creating obstacles for people with physical, sensory, cognitive, or neurological disabilities. This affects everything from accessing government services to everyday commerce.
Digital inaccessibility exacerbates inequalities by limiting opportunities for education, employment, social interaction, and civic engagement for people with disabilities. For example, inaccessible websites discourage users who feel marginalized, further deepening their digital divide and vulnerability.
Poorly designed digital content can trigger harmful physical effects, such as seizures in those with epilepsy due to flashing visuals or confusing interfaces that worsen cognitive load, increasing health risks for vulnerable users.
Since June 28, 2025, under the European Accessibility Act transposed into French law, companies must comply with strict accessibility criteria for their digital products and services. Non-compliance not only perpetuates exclusion but also exposes organizations to legal challenges and reputational damage.
People with disabilities may be disproportionately affected by digital security risks. With an increase in cyberattacks in France, protecting sensitive data, especially children's data as emphasized by CNIL (French data protection authority), is crucial to safeguarding vulnerable digital users.
Efforts to mitigate digital vulnerability include the French government and organizations like AFNOR actively promoting digital inclusion by providing guides and resources to help companies and public institutions adapt their digital services to accessibility standards. User testing and accessibility measurement indicators help ensure that digital services address the real needs of people with disabilities, improving ergonomic design and usability.
Advocates emphasize the importance of inclusive design that accommodates diverse disabilities, including hidden disabilities such as cognitive and neurological disorders, to close the digital divide and foster equal participation. By addressing these challenges through regulatory compliance, inclusive design practices, and proactive protection of vulnerable users' data and rights, France is working to reduce the digital vulnerability of people with disabilities and ensure equitable access to the digital world.
People with disabilities, being more susceptible to digital risks due to inaccessible digital services, face increased vulnerability in the digital world. Ensuring cybersecurity for this demographic is crucial, as they may be disproportionately impacted by cyberattacks, particularly considering the rise in such incidents in France.
