The European Accessibility Act 2025 is poised to revolutionise how businesses and website owners approach accessibility. This landmark legislation prioritises inclusivity, ensuring that products and services are accessible to individuals with disabilities. This act was implemented on June 28, which means your website must comply with EAA standards as of now.
The EAA is a directive introduced by the European Union aimed at addressing the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities when using products and services. It focuses on removing accessibility barriers across industries, making inclusivity a fundamental priority. The legislation aligns with the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and underscores the EU’s commitment to fostering equality.
The act targets “marketplaces” of all kinds (both physical and digital) and establishes baseline accessibility standards for businesses providing goods or services to EU consumers. For digital platforms, particularly websites and mobile applications, the EAA aims to ensure they are operable, understandable, perceivable, and robust for everyone, regardless of impairments or disabilities.
This directive applies to various services, including e-commerce platforms, financial institutions, transport systems, and telecommunications companies, to name a few. Organisations must comply with these requirements by 28 June 2025. Non-compliance could result in legal penalties, reputational damage, and lost revenue due to limited accessibility to a critical audience segment.
Under the EAA, website owners must adhere to comprehensive guidelines that guarantee accessibility for users with disabilities. These guidelines align with standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA. Below are the critical compliance requirements website owners must meet:
Websites must incorporate features that accommodate users with varying types of impairments, such as visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities. This includes enabling compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers and voice recognition tools.
All web content and functionality should be navigable without a mouse. People with mobility impairments often rely on keyboards or other assistive input devices to interact with websites, making this a vital requirement.
Images and non-text content must include descriptive alternative text (alt text). This ensures that users relying on screen readers can effectively interpret visual information.
Websites need to use simple and clear language, with logical structures and consistent layouts to make content more digestible. Avoiding overly technical terminology is essential to accommodate individuals with learning disabilities.
Sufficient contrast between text and background colours is necessary to enable users with low vision or colour blindness to read content comfortably.
For websites with timed activities, such as order completion or session timeouts, users should have the ability to extend or remove time constraints to prevent exclusion.
The relationship between the UK and EU legislation has become more complex since Brexit. However, the EAA’s reach extends beyond EU member states, touching businesses that offer goods or services to EU consumers regardless of where they are based.
For UK businesses with a digital presence in the EU, compliance with the EAA is mandatory. Non-compliance risks not only legal ramifications in the EU but also potential barriers to accessing the vast EU market. Even organisations that do not operate in the EU directly might consider aligning with these standards as best practice. Accessibly designed websites ensure inclusivity, which can enhance customer trust and brand reputation globally.
On a national level, the UK has its own robust accessibility regulations, such as those under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018. While these laws broadly align with EAA guidelines, businesses serving EU customers may need to go an extra step to meet EAA-specific requirements.
Bringing your website into compliance with the EAA might seem daunting, but breaking it down into actionable steps can help you stay on track. Here’s what you need to do to prepare for 2025 compliance deadlines effectively:
Start by assessing your website’s current level of accessibility. Use tools like WAVE or Lighthouse to identify issues such as missing alt text, insufficient contrast, or broken keyboard navigation. Engaging expert accessibility consultants can provide a more thorough evaluation and insight into specific compliance gaps.
The WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards form the backbone of the EAA’s digital accessibility requirements. Use these guidelines as a roadmap for your remediation efforts, ensuring your website covers essential criteria like navigability, compatibility with assistive technologies, and comprehensible interfaces.
Mobile applications are also subject to the EAA’s requirements. Responsive designs and mobile-friendly features should be implemented to support an inclusive user experience on all devices.
During development, continuously test your website with screen readers, keyboard-only navigation simulations, or voice command features to ensure proper functionality.
The new EAA legislation can be quite confusing, and it’s important to understand it fully to avoid any potential consequences. At Supersonic Playground, we specialise in creating accessible digital experiences, ensuring that the web is easy for everyone to navigate. We can help you modify your website to comply with EAA legislation and make it accessible to all users.
For more information on how we can enhance your website’s accessibility, please get in touch with us here.
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