EAA Compliance: Your Ultimate Guide to the European Accessibility Act

If you build or manage websites in Europe, accessibility is no longer just a best practice, it’s a legal requirement. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) mandates that digital services, including websites and mobile apps, meet accessibility standards to ensure equal access for all users, including those with disabilities.

These requirements are closely aligned with the internationally recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and failure to comply could result in penalties, legal challenges, and damage to your brand’s reputation.

In this blog, we’ll break down what the EAA means for your digital platforms, how to meet compliance standards, and why investing in accessibility benefits everyone, not just your bottom line.

What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a directive introduced by the European Union to improve the accessibility of products and services across the EU. Its primary aim is to ensure that people with disabilities can fully participate in society, particularly in our increasingly digital world.

Understanding the Purpose and Scope of the EAA

At its core, the EAA is about removing barriers. It’s designed to create a more inclusive environment by standardising accessibility requirements across EU member states. The Act covers a wide range of digital and physical products and services, including:

• Websites and mobile apps

• eCommerce platforms

• Banking services and ATMs

• eBooks and e-readers

• Ticketing and transport systems

• Telecommunication services

For web professionals, the most relevant part of the EAA is its alignment with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Specifically, digital content and services must conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, ensuring usability for people with visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments.

Who Needs to Comply?

The EAA doesn’t only apply to organizations based in the EU. If your business offers products or services to consumers within the EU, you are expected to comply, even if your headquarters are elsewhere.

This means that non-EU companies with digital platforms accessible to EU users are also held to these standards, and ignoring the EAA can result in your business being blocked from the EU market, fined, or even sued by affected users or advocacy groups.

The Fast-Approaching June 2025 Deadline

The deadline for full compliance is 28 June 2025.

Failure to meet EAA requirements could lead to:

• Fines and legal action at a national level as enforcement is handled by individual EU member states.

• Loss of market access, as inaccessible services may be banned or restricted.

• Reputational damage, particularly if consumers or advocacy groups call out your business publicly.

Preparing now is about more than just avoiding penalties — it’s about creating a better, more inclusive experience for all users and opening your digital doors to a wider audience.

The Critical Connection: EAA Compliance and Web Accessibility

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) isn’t just another regulatory checkbox. It’s a pivotal moment in the movement toward a more inclusive digital world.

Why the EAA is a Game-Changer for Digital Accessibility

While web accessibility has long been encouraged, the EAA elevates it from best practice to legal obligation across the European Union. For the first time, it creates a harmonized framework that demands accessibility across both public and private digital services.

The EAA ensures:

• Equal access to digital products and services for over 100 million people in the EU living with a disability.

• A level playing field for businesses through consistent accessibility requirements.

• More innovation and usability across the board by making accessibility part of the design process, not an afterthought.

Ultimately, the EAA reframes accessibility as a standard feature, not a bonus. This not only benefits users with disabilities but also the broader population, including older adults, non-native speakers, and those using mobile devices.

Understanding the POUR Principles: The Foundation of Accessible Design

The POUR principles — Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust — are the building blocks of accessible digital experiences. They guide the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and serve as a clear framework for creating content that works for all users.

Perceivable

Information and user interface components must be presented in ways that users can perceive. This means:

• Adding text alternatives for images (alt text)

• Creating captions and transcripts for audio and video content

• Ensuring the proper use of color and contrast for readability

Operable

User interface components and navigation must be usable for everyone, including those who rely on keyboards, screen readers, or other assistive technologies. Key practices include:

• Providing keyboard navigation support

• Avoiding content that causes seizures (e.g., flashing)

• Implementing clear and consistent navigation

Understandable

Information and operation of the interface must be easy to understand. This involves:

• Using clear instructions and language

• Providing predictable interactions

• Offering helpful error messages and suggestions

Robust

Lastly, content must be robust enough to work across different devices, browsers, and assistive technologies. That means:

• Implementing clean, semantic HTML

• Ensuring compatibility with screen readers and voice input

• Following current web standards

WCAG Explained: The “How-To” for EAA Web Compliance

To meet the digital accessibility standards under the EAA, your site must conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA. These internationally recognized guidelines offer a detailed roadmap for making digital content accessible.

WCAG is organized around the POUR principles and includes specific, testable success criteria.

Some key WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements include:

• Text contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1

• Keyboard operability of all interactive elements

• Responsive design and text resizing support

• Descriptive headings and link text

• Error identification and correction suggestions

Meeting WCAG not only helps you comply with the EAA, but also improves the overall usability, SEO performance, and customer satisfaction of your digital platforms.

The Best Accessibility Service Provider for EAA Compliance – Level Access

Beyond the Law: The Business Case for EAA Compliance

While complying with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a legal requirement, the benefits of web accessibility go far beyond avoiding fines. In fact, embracing accessibility can give your business a competitive edge in multiple areas.

Expanding Your Market Reach to Millions of Potential Customers

According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability and over 100 million of them reside in the EU. That’s a massive audience you could be missing if your website isn’t accessible.

Accessible websites open the door to:

• New customers who may have been excluded from inaccessible platforms.

• Older adults, whose needs often overlap with those of users with disabilities.

• Users with situational limitations, such as people using a phone in bright sunlight or a parent holding a baby with one hand.

By meeting accessibility standards, you’re not just ticking a compliance box, you’re welcoming a more diverse, loyal, and appreciative audience.

Enhancing User Experience for Everyone

Accessibility improvements tend to enhance usability for all users, not just those with disabilities. Features like keyboard navigation, clear calls to action, logical content structure, and well-contrasted text make websites easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

For example:

• Captions on videos help both deaf users and people watching in a noisy environment.

• Easy-to-navigate interfaces benefit people with cognitive disabilities and users with limited time.

• Responsive, mobile-friendly design improves accessibility and meets modern UX expectations.

A website that works for all users is one that reduces frustration, improves engagement, and increases conversions.

Boosting Your Brand’s Reputation and SEO

Committing to accessibility demonstrates that your brand is inclusive, ethical, and forward-thinking, values that resonate strongly with today’s consumers. It sends a message that you care about all your customers, not just the majority.

Additionally, many accessibility practices align closely with SEO best practices. For instance:

• Using semantic HTML improves search engine crawling.

• Alt text helps both screen readers and image indexing.

• Clear headings and well-structured content enhance readability and keyword relevance.

• Fast-loading, mobile-optimized sites rank better and are more accessible.

In short, what’s good for accessibility is often good for visibility, both in search results and in the eyes of your audience.

EAA Compliance in Practice: Real-World Scenarios

Understanding the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is one thing, but seeing how it applies in the real world makes it easier to take action. Here are three practical examples of industries where EAA compliance is transforming digital experiences for the better.

eCommerce: Ensuring an Accessible Shopping Experience

Online retailers must ensure that all users can browse, search, select, and purchase products without barriers. Under the EAA, inaccessible eCommerce platforms could face serious legal and reputational consequences.

Key accessibility considerations in eCommerce include:

• Keyboard-navigable menus and product filters.

• Descriptive alt text for product images.

• Clear and consistent heading structures to aid screen reader navigation.

• Accessible checkout forms with labeled fields and error suggestions.

• Voice control and screen reader compatibility.

An accessible shopping experience benefits everyone, including customers with visual impairments and busy parents using voice search on mobile, which leads to higher conversion rates and lower cart abandonment.

Banking Services: Accessible Digital Banking for All

Digital banking is a daily necessity, and the EAA mandates that banks ensure equal access to online banking tools, mobile apps, and self-service kiosks. Inaccessible banking services can prevent users with disabilities from managing their finances independently, which is a critical equity issue.

Accessibility features in banking might include:

• Screen-reader-compatible interfaces for account management.

• Captioned instructional videos and audio content.

• Speech recognition and keyboard alternatives for authentication.

• High-contrast modes and scalable fonts for users with low vision.

• Accessible PDFs for account statements and forms.

Leading banks are already rethinking their digital infrastructure to prioritize accessibility, not just for compliance, but to build trust with all customers.

Publishing: The Shift to Accessible e-books and Digital Content

EAA regulations also cover digital publications, meaning eBooks, online magazines, learning platforms, and other digital content must be made accessible. For publishers, this means integrating accessibility from the ground up.

Key compliance steps in publishing include:

• Using accessible ePub formats that support screen readers and text resizing.

• Providing structured headings, alt text, and metadata.

• Offering text-to-speech capabilities and compatibility with assistive technologies.

• Avoiding image-only documents or scanned text without OCR (optical character recognition).

For educational publishers and content creators, accessibility isn’t just about compliance, it’s about expanding access to knowledge and creating inclusive learning experiences.

EAA Compliance Can Be a friend

Is meeting the EAA digital accessibility standards really worth all the effort? In short, yes. Digital inaccessibility can actually end up costing you more than digital accessibility.

Thanks to the many automated and manual solutions that are available today, achieving digital accessibility compliance is an affordable and attainable goal for any sized business. 

If you would like to find out where your website stands, scan your URL for free here.

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