As of June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is officially being enforced across all EU member states. If your business operates online and serves European customers, this legislation directly affects you.

Yet many businesses are still unaware of what the EAA requires — or assume it only applies to government websites. It doesn't. The EAA targets private sector businesses, and non-compliance can result in fines up to €500,000.

In this guide, we break down everything you need to know.

What is the European Accessibility Act?

The EAA (Directive 2019/882) is an EU directive that requires products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. For digital businesses, this means your website, web applications, and e-commerce platforms must meet the WCAG 2.1 Level AA standard.

Unlike previous accessibility legislation that focused on public sector websites, the EAA applies to a broad range of private businesses — from online shops to SaaS platforms.

Who must comply?

The EAA applies to businesses that provide any of the following services within the EU:

E-commerce — online shops and marketplaces
Banking and financial services — online banking, payment platforms
Telecommunications — VoIP, messaging services
Transport services — booking platforms, ticketing
E-books and digital publishing
Audio-visual media services — streaming platforms

There is a limited exemption for micro-enterprises (fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million annual turnover), but only if compliance would cause a disproportionate burden. Most businesses cannot rely on this exemption.

What does WCAG 2.1 AA require?

WCAG 2.1 Level AA is built around four principles, often remembered by the acronym POUR:

1. Perceivable

Users must be able to perceive all content. This includes providing alt text for images, captions for videos, and ensuring sufficient colour contrast (at least 4.5:1 for normal text).

2. Operable

All functionality must be accessible via keyboard navigation. Users must have enough time to interact with content, and nothing should cause seizures or physical discomfort.

3. Understandable

Content must be readable and predictable. Forms need clear labels and error messages. Navigation should be consistent across pages.

4. Robust

Content must be compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers. This means using semantic HTML, proper ARIA attributes, and valid markup.

What are the penalties?

Each EU member state sets its own enforcement mechanism, but penalties are designed to be "effective, proportionate and dissuasive." In practice, this means:

Fines up to €500,000 in several member states
Injunctions — your website can be ordered to be taken down
Public naming — non-compliant businesses may be publicly listed
Legal action — individuals can file complaints and lawsuits

Beyond penalties, inaccessible websites also lose customers. Over 100 million people in the EU live with some form of disability. An inaccessible website simply turns them away.

The SEO bonus you didn't expect

Here's something many businesses overlook: accessibility and SEO are deeply connected. Search engines reward many of the same practices that WCAG requires:

Semantic HTML helps Google understand your page structure
Alt text improves image search rankings
Fast, keyboard-navigable pages align with Core Web Vitals
Clear heading hierarchy boosts content relevance signals

Studies show that accessible websites see an average of 37% more organic traffic compared to their inaccessible counterparts.

How to get started

Getting your website compliant doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here's a practical roadmap:

Audit your current state — Run an automated accessibility scan to identify the most critical issues. This gives you a baseline score and a prioritised list of fixes.
Fix critical issues first — Focus on problems that completely block access: missing alt text, broken keyboard navigation, forms without labels, and insufficient contrast.
Test with real assistive technology — Use a screen reader (like VoiceOver or NVDA) to experience your site as a disabled user would.
Make it part of your process — Accessibility isn't a one-time fix. Include it in your design reviews, QA testing, and deployment checklists.
Document your efforts — The EAA values demonstrated effort. Keep records of your audits, fixes, and accessibility statement.

Start with a free assessment

Not sure where your website stands? Inclusivy scans your entire website against WCAG 2.1 AA criteria and delivers a detailed report with actionable recommendations — page by page, issue by issue.

Run your accessibility assessment now and find out exactly what needs fixing before enforcement catches up with you.