Adopted in 2019, the European Accessibility Act will be implemented across all 27 EU member states by June 28, 2025. The European Accessibility Act’s requirements aim to standardize regulations across all EU members, making digital products and services more accessible across the board. What is the European Accessibility Act, and what does it mean for your business? Find out with this Coalition Technologies guide.
Table of Contents
The Rundown
- The European Accessibility Act’s purpose is to standardize accessibility across the EU for businesses operating within its borders.
- The deadline for compliance is June 28, 2025.
- This legislation applies to physical products like smartphones as well as to digital products and services, like mobile apps or ecommerce websites.
- Compliance requirements include locale-specific captions, high-contrast modes, and more.
What Is The EAA?
Accessibility used to be a requirement just for public sector organizations in the EU. That status quo is set to change with the European Accessibility Act in 2025. This act puts a wide range of products and services (including those in the digital domain, like ecommerce) under its umbrella, mandating businesses to follow a set list of accessibility guidelines.
Note that EU member states already adopted this legislation in 2022, and the final compliance deadline for businesses is June 28, 2025.
Will this act impact my business if I’m American?
Yes. The EAA is directed towards EU member states, but it also affects American businesses operating within the European Union. We’ll share some tips on how you can prepare for these guidelines further on.
Which Products and Services Are Affected By The EAA?
According to the WHO, approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide suffer from some form of disability. The EAA seeks to make digital experiences more accessible for those users by standardizing regulations. The European Accessibility Act 2025’s requirements cover the following products and services:
- Computers and operating systems
- TV equipment (if related to digital services)
- Smartphones, ATMs, and ticketing machines
- Transport service providers (air, land, and waterborne)
- Banking
- Ebooks
- Ecommerce
- Consumer equipment related to audio-visual media services
As mentioned above, this includes businesses serving EU customers, not just European companies.
Notably, the requirements also exempt micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees and an annual balance sheet of less than €2 million. It’s also worth pointing out that the 2025 European Accessibility Act does not apply to purely B2B businesses. However, if your business services both consumers and companies, you will have to comply with the EAA.
What Are The Benefits of The EAA?
Aside from promoting inclusivity and accessibility, there are a few other benefits of the EAA worth pointing out:
- Harmonizing Standards: Before 2019, nearly every major EU member had its own set of accessibility guidelines. This made it incredibly difficult (and expensive!) for businesses to create accessible digital experiences for customers across the EU. Harmonizing those standards is going to make compliance a lot easier for businesses across the globe.
- Improving UX: The 2025 European Accessibility Act measures (like audible signals, readable fonts, and high-contrast modes) contribute to creating a better user experience for everyone. Companies that comply with the European Accessibility Act requirements will see increased engagement and potentially even conversions.
- More Opportunities: Even if you don’t know what the European Accessibility Act is, you’ve probably heard of the ADA. As a leading ADA compliance agency, we’ve seen firsthand how accessibility creates more opportunities for businesses. This happens through:
- A better brand reputation
- Improved SEO (through alt-text optimization, for example)
- Protection from future penalties and even lawsuits
What The 2025 European Accessibility Act Requires: Compliance Tips
While the EAA is a more general document that doesn’t include technical specifics about compliance, it does reference the EN 301 549 standard. The EN 301 549 standard, in turn, incorporates the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 for digital products and services.
Physical products need to:
- Be perceivable, understandable, and operable for users with disabilities.
- Screens and displays (such as on ATMs) need to feature adjustable font sizes and high contrast options for readability.
- Support alternative input devices where possible.
On the digital front for the 2025 European Accessibility Act, we can look at WCAG 2.1 for some specific compliance tips.
Digital products/services need to:
- Feature the same readable and operable interfaces mentioned above.
- Include real-time text and video relay services.
- If the content is directed towards a specific EU country, it should feature suitable accessibility options for that locale. For example, a product tutorial for French consumers should have French subtitle options.
In terms of general compliance with the European Accessibility Act requirements, we recommend:
- Providing a clear accessibility statement on your website outlining the steps you’re taking to make your products and services more accessible. Also include a designated point of contact for feedback.
- Consulting a trusted web design agency to build and enable accessibility features for your website if it doesn’t already have them. This could be anything from a reading mode to support for text-to-speech and high-contrast mode.
- If you’re selling physical products, include labeling that highlights compliance with the 2025 European Accessibility Act.
What Are The Penalties?
The EAA itself doesn’t lay out penalties for non-compliance. However, it does leave individual EU member states free to decide their own ‘effective, proportionate, and dissuasive’ penalties for offenders.
Build an EAA-Compliant Website Today
If you’re still unsure what the European Accessibility Act is, or if it even applies to your American-owned business, we strongly recommend consulting a trusted digital marketing agency to assess your compliance needs. Find out if your ecommerce store needs to adapt ahead of the deadline with a free consultation from Coalition Technologies today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 2025 European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
The EAA was officially passed in 2019 and adopted by EU member states in 2022, with the final deadline set for June 28, 2025. This legislation is designed to harmonize accessibility standards across the European Union, and it applies to most private companies operating in the EU.
What are the requirements of the European Accessibility Act?
The EAA mandates compliance with the WCAG 2.1 and EN 301 549 standards. This applies to physical products like ATMs, smartphones, and e-readers, along with digital goods and services like ecommerce websites and mobile apps.
How can I comply with the 2025 European Accessibility Act?
Consulting the official EAA documents is a good first step, but we would strongly recommend working with a top-rated marketing and compliance agency to build a specific strategy for your website.
