The European Accessibility Act (EAA): Everything You Need to Know

What Is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an EU law designed to make products and services more accessible to people with disabilities. It's enforced across all EU member states and applies to both the public and private sector bodies.

It's built around the idea of "design for all".

Think of it like ramps for the digital world—but instead of just helping wheelchair users, it’s about making a wide range of things like websites, apps, e-books, banking services and even self-service terminals like ticket machines easier to use for everyone.

In short: if your business sells to EU customers, the EAA says, “Make sure everyone can use what you’re offering.”

Wait, Does the EAA Apply to the UK?

Ah, Brexit—the gift that keeps on complicating things.

Since the UK left the EU, it’s not bound by the EAA. However, UK businesses selling services or products in the EU are affected. It doesn't matter if your HQ's in London, New York or on Mars - if you've got EU customers, you need to comply!

What About UK Accessibility Laws?

In the UK, we’ve got our own accessibility laws, including:

• The Equality Act 2010 – Requires businesses to make “reasonable adjustments” for disabled users.

• Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 – Forces UK government websites to follow WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

Unlike the EAA, there’s no current UK law forcing private businesses to meet specific accessibility guidelines—but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them.

Who Does the EAA Affect?

If your business sells products or services in the EU, the EAA applies to you—even if you’re not physically based there.

This includes:

• Websites & E-commerce Stores (yes, your online shop counts!)

• Operating Systems (even Apple and Samsung need to comply)

• Banking & financial services (apps, ATMs, online banking)

• E-books & digital content (including streaming platforms)

• Transport ticketing & information systems (websites, kiosks, etc.)

• Telecom services (smartphones, customer portals, etc.)
  
  

Are There Any Exceptions to EAA?

Yes there are some exceptions to EAA. Micro-enterprises (businesses with fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million in revenue) are exempt.

But honestly? Accessibility of products is good for business. Even if you’re not legally required to comply, making your website and services more accessible means reaching more customers and improving SEO and user experience. And that's never a bad thing!

Does the EAA Apply to UK Websites?

Short answer: Yes, probably.

Longer answer: The EAA directly impacts websites, apps and digital services that have EU consumers. So if anyone from the EU visits your UK website, even if they don’t buy anything, you need to comply.

What is EAA accessible content on a website?

The whole premise of EAA is to make sure people with disabilities have easy access to content. And that means all types of content on your websites, including: any text, images, videos, or interactive elements on everything from your product listings to blogs pages.

Put simply, your whole site needs to have accessible content that meets accessibility standards we mentioned above.

What Are The EU Accessibility Standards for Websites?

The EAA follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standards. This means your site should be accessible to users with visual impairments and hearing, motor, cognitive and sensory impairments.

The basic accessibility requirements for websites are simple and can be broken down into two sections:

Accessibility of Website Itself

✔ Clear colour contrast for readability

✔ Predictable & easy-to-use layouts

Accessible Content of Website

✔ Alt text for images

✔ Keyboard-friendly navigation (no mouse required)

✔ Text transcripts for video/audio

If you already comply with WCAG 2.1 AA, you’re in good shape—but you should still review your site's accessibility standards to make sure you meet all accessibility regulations.

EAA Timeline: Key Dates You Need to Know

The EAA isn’t happening overnight but the deadlines are closer than you think:

28th June 2025
This is the big deadline. By this date, businesses must start applying accessibility measures.

28th June 2030
This is the “no excuses” deadline. Any inaccessible products or services that were already in use before 2025 must be updated or removed.

Bottom line: You’ve got until June 2025 to make changes and until 2030 to ditch any outdated, non-compliant stuff.

What Happens If I Don’t Comply?

Unlike some regulations that let businesses off with a warning, the EAA isn't just a friendly suggestion and enforcement will be handled at national level. This means each EU country will set its own penalties, but non-compliant businesses can expect:

• Fines (potentially significant ones)

• Legal action (yes, you can be sued)

• Forced Retrofitting (of all products and platforms)

• Reputational damage (nobody likes negative publicity)

If your site, app, or digital product isn’t accessible, you could be forced to make changes at your own expense—which is way more stressful (and expensive) than just creating everything with accessibility in mind now.

How Does the EAA Compare to Other Accessibility Laws?

Confused by EAA, WCAG, ADA, Section 508 and all those acronyms? You’re not alone.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help:

So, WCAG is the “how,” while EAA, ADA, and Section 508 are the “must-do” laws depending on where you operate.

How Can Businesses Prepare for the EAA?

You don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute to meet the new EAA compliance requirements. So here’s the four things you should do now to ensure your business is ready for June 2025.

1. Audit Your Digital Platforms

Start by reviewing your website, mobile apps and digital tools to identify any accessibility issues. Or, speak to us and let us do it for you!

2. Follow the WCAG Standards

The EAA is based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, which focus on:

• Perceivable – Content must be available in multiple formats (e.g., text alternatives for images, captions for videos).

• Operable – Websites must be navigable by keyboard and screen readers.

• Understandable – Clear layouts, easy-to-read text, and predictable navigation.

• Robust – Compatible with assistive technologies.

3. Implement Accessibility Features

Here are some quick actionable steps to improve accessibility:

• Use alt text for all images and graphics.

• Provide captions and transcripts for video and audio content.

• Ensure colour contrast is high enough for readability.

• Make all functionality available via keyboard navigation.

• Use clear, simple language and avoid jargon.

4. Update Legal & Compliance Policies

Include an accessibility statement in your terms of service, privacy policies and company guidelines to show commitment to compliance.

EAA: Get Ahead of the June 2025 Deadline

The EAA shouldn’t be looked at as just another hoop to jump through—it’s a really important law that will really make a difference to millions of people’s everyday lives.

Plus, it’s an opportunity for businesses to make their products and digital services usable by everyone. That’s good for SEO and user experience - which is good for business!

The June 28th Deadline will be here before you know it. So, if your business has EU customers, it's time to check how compliant your website is.

Need help understanding if your website's EAA-ready? Get in contact today and we will run an accessibility audit, flag the issues and help you fix them before June rolls around.