Website accessibility: what the European Accessibility Act means for you

Website accessibility means that everyone can use your website, including people who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, or cannot use a mouse. Since June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) has required many consumer-facing products and services in the EU, including online shops, to meet accessibility requirements. Microenterprises that provide services are exempt, but an accessible website is worth having whatever your size.

What is the European Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act is an EU directive (Directive (EU) 2019/882) that sets common accessibility requirements for a range of products and services. EU member states have put it into their national laws, which apply from June 28, 2025. Enforcement and penalties are set by each country.

Who does the EAA apply to?

It covers specific products and services offered to consumers in the EU. For websites and apps, the most relevant services are:

• E-commerce: websites and apps where consumers buy products or services online
• Consumer banking services
• Passenger transport services by air, bus, rail and water, including their websites, apps and e-tickets
• E-books, electronic communications and access to audiovisual media services

It can also apply to businesses outside the EU that serve consumers in the EU. Whether your own website falls under the act depends on what it does and where your customers are. A site where customers buy or book online is more likely to be covered than a site that only presents your business.

Which businesses are exempt?

Microenterprises that provide services are exempt from the accessibility requirements. Under the act, a microenterprise has fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of no more than EUR 2 million. The rules for microenterprises that make or sell covered products are different.

Even if you are exempt, an accessible website serves more customers and is easier for search engines and AI assistants to read.

What is WCAG?

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the international standard for accessible websites, published by the W3C, the organization that develops web standards. The current version is WCAG 2.2, published in 2023. It has three levels: A (the minimum), AA (the usual target) and AAA (the highest). Guidance for the EAA generally points to level AA, through the European standard EN 301 549.

WCAG rests on four principles. Content must be:

• Perceivable: people can see or hear it, for example through text alternatives for images and captions for video
• Operable: people can use it with a keyboard, a screen reader or voice control, not only a mouse
• Understandable: text is clear, and forms explain what they need and what went wrong
• Robust: the code is clean enough for browsers and assistive technology to read reliably

What can you do to make your website accessible?

Start with the steps that help the most people:

• Write alt text for images. Describe what an image shows in one plain sentence. Decorative images get empty alt text.
• Check color contrast. Under WCAG level AA, normal text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background. Do not use color alone to show meaning, such as red for an error.
• Make everything work with a keyboard. Press Tab to move through your site. Every link, button, menu and form field should be reachable, with a visible focus outline.
• Use real headings in order. One main heading per page, then subheadings in a logical structure, so screen reader users can jump to what they need.
• Label your forms. Every field needs a visible label, and every error needs a text message, not only a red border.
• Caption your videos and offer transcripts for audio.
• Set the page language in the code, so screen readers pronounce the text correctly. This matters even more on multilingual websites.
• Let text resize. Pages should still work when text is enlarged to 200%.
• Publish an accessibility statement that explains how your site meets the requirements and how people can report a problem.

How do you test accessibility?

Use tools and people. Automated tools such as Google Lighthouse, WAVE and axe find common issues, like missing alt text and low contrast, but cannot judge whether alt text is meaningful. Add manual checks: use your site with only a keyboard, and try a screen reader such as VoiceOver (Mac and iPhone) or NVDA (Windows).

If you are planning a new site or a website redesign, build accessibility in from the first design. That is usually simpler than fixing it afterward.

What about outside the EU?

Other countries have their own rules. In the United States, for example, website accessibility claims are often brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The WCAG steps above are a sound basis everywhere.

This article is general information, not legal advice.

What we do

Atelier ATTENTION designs websites with accessibility in mind from the start: clear contrast, real headings, keyboard navigation and alt text. Our own builds score 100 for accessibility in Google Lighthouse on mobile, a useful check alongside manual testing. See our website design service.