Accessibility is mandatory: what is the European Accessibility Act and what does it mean for your organisation?
On 28 June 2025, an important shift took place in the EU, namely the European Accessibility Act (EAA) coming into force. Digital accessibility is now mandatory for numerous products and services. But does this apply to you too? And how can you comply with the EAA? We’ve looked into it for you and are happy to take you through this new legislation.
Why does the European Accessibility Act exist?
Before we dive deeper into it, it’s useful to know why the EAA was created in the first place. Once we understand that, we can more easily work out what the possible consequences for your organisation could be.
- One uniform standard: In the EU, accessibility rules were until now fragmented per country. The EAA changes this by combining these rules, so businesses can easily serve the whole European Union.
So with your organisation, you can comfortably do business in the European Union once you comply with the new legislation. But that wasn’t the only reason for bringing the EAA into the world.
- More opportunities and less discrimination: The EAA leads to more accessible services, which can mean more sales and revenue for businesses, and guarantees better participation for people with disabilities.
This way, no one is excluded anymore, and you as a business have the opportunity to bring your product or service to the attention of more people.
What falls under the European Accessibility Act?
The law applies to a wide range of digital products and services. Think, for example, of:
Products: From computers, smartphones and tablets to televisions with interactive features and ticket machines. All digital products for which accessibility is important fall under the EAA.
Services: Websites, mobile apps, e-commerce platforms, you can’t think of anything crazy enough that it doesn’t have to comply with the new legislation. Services like online banking, purchasing tickets online and telecommunications also fall under this.
In short: if your organisation offers digital products or services within the EU, there’s a good chance you fall under the EAA. Want to be sure? Then feel free to contact our specialists, we’re happy to find out for you.
Does anything fall outside the law then? Yes! There are certainly exceptions to the EAA too. This mainly concerns:
Existing content: Everything published before 28 June 2025 (such as older PDFs) doesn’t need to be retroactively adjusted.
Small businesses: Organisations with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover under two million euros are temporarily exempt from the obligations.
The technical foundation
The EAA doesn’t refer to specific rules, but is based on EN 301 549, which in turn prescribes WCAG 2.1 AA as a minimum. In addition, WCAG 2.2 is already on the horizon as the new standard.
We won’t hold it against you if you don’t fully understand the sentences above. But we’re happy to help by explaining it a bit better. Basically, it works like this: you need to comply with the rules of WCAG 2.2 to comply with the EAA. Not that difficult, right?
To understand what WCAG actually is, let’s go through the four pillars with you. The four pillars of WCAG are:
- Perceivable: This means information needs to be presented in a certain way so everyone can perceive it. This can be through text, image, sound or another alternative channel. Here it’s important to look at alt texts for images, subtitles for videos and the colour contrast on your website.
- Operable: Every user needs to be able to find their way on your website. Think of keyboard navigation, focus indicators and taking flashing content into account. This way, all the functionalities on your website can be used by everyone.
- Understandable: With, for example, clear language, consistency in the content and correct error messages, you make sure everyone can understand your website. Even when the user has a certain disability that makes it more difficult. You need to do everything possible to make it as easy as possible.
- Robust: The content on your website needs to be technically stable, and needs to be future-proof. This makes sure assistive tools, such as screen readers, can work with it. This can be done by applying a correct HTML structure and making sure there’s compatibility with text-to-speech software.
By sticking to the pillars above, you know for sure your website is future-proof and doesn’t discriminate against anyone. But what can you concretely do as an organisation right now?
What does your organisation need to do?
Don’t worry, it doesn’t all need to be a huge job. With the following steps, you’ll already get a long way:
- Check the scope: Does the EAA apply to your products or services?
- Carry out audits: Map out where your website or app doesn’t yet comply with the WCAG guidelines.
- Work systematically on improvement: Use tools to plan everything properly, or ask for help from parties who can support you.
- Publish an accessibility statement: Indicate to what extent you comply, what still needs to be improved and how people can give feedback.
- Document exceptions: Are you a small business or aren’t the adjustments mandatory for you? Then record this properly.
You can start small, but you do need to actually start. Every step towards better accessibility counts. Before you know it, your website will comply with the new legislation.
What does the European Accessibility Act deliver?
Does the EAA actually only bring work on your end? No, fortunately not. When you carry it out well, it can also deliver a whole lot for you. For example, you gain access to a bigger market. With more than 80 million EU citizens with a disability, you tap into a completely new market. In addition, through the adjustments, you also improve the overall usability of the website. This is, among other things, beneficial for your website’s SEO.
The reputation of your organisation can also get a positive boost when you comply with the new law. By implementing the adjustments and valuing this, you show social responsibility and inclusivity. And moreover, also not entirely unimportant, you prevent risks such as fines.
The European Accessibility Act at a glance
We can well imagine this is far too much information to take in all at once. That’s why we’ve listed everything for you once more.
- What is it? The European Accessibility Act is the collective name for the European directive on digital and physical accessibility.
- For whom? The EAA is for large and medium-sized businesses in the European Union (and beyond if they sell in the EU).
- When? The legislation actually came into force on 28 June 2025. Smaller businesses are partially exempt from this.
- How? You can comply with the EAA by adhering to the WCAG guidelines.
- Why? It’s not just a legal obligation, but also good for inclusion, reach, UX and your brand’s reputation.
Are you ready for it? Then start with the audit phase, plan your improvements and make sure your accessibility statement is online. Do you need help with this? No problem at all! The specialists at Webba are ready to support you in making your website EAA-proof.