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The European Union (EU) | The European Commission
The European Accessibility Act (EAA)
Overview
Ensuring website accessibility by 28th June 2025, in accordance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is imperative.
Penalty fines, neglecting social responsibility, and overlooking one billion potential customers are not an option.
Who We Are?
At Digital Accessibility .Solutions (DA.S), we offer professional digital accessibility audits designed to help you achieve the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) compliance, elevate user experience, and expand your reach.
Related References
One billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, experience some form of disability, and disability prevalence is higher for developing countries.
What Is The European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
The European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) is a landmark EU law which requires some everyday products and services to be accessible for persons with disabilities.
Interconnections:
Relationship Between WCAG, EAA, and EN 301 549:
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) stands as the global benchmark for digital accessibility, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure inclusive digital experiences worldwide.
The EN 301 549 serves as the European standard, incorporating WCAG requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) products and services, ensuring alignment with international best practices.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) utilises EN 301 549 as its technical foundation, thereby establishing WCAG compliance as an essential prerequisite for fulfilling EAA compliance.
Who Needs To Comply?
The European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) applies to the majority of businesses offering online services within the European Union (EU), including those based outside the EU but serving its market.
Key Compliance Date?
28 June 2025: From this date, all new products and services within the scope of the European Accessibility Act (EAA)—including newly launched offerings and significant updates or new versions of existing products and services—must adhere to the accessibility requirements established by the national legislation of the European Union (EU) member states.
Penalties?
Non-compliance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) can result in substantial penalties that vary by country. These penalties are designed to be "effective, proportionate, and dissuasive," including fines, public notices, and service suspensions.
Fines range up to €500,000 in Germany, with many countries also enforcing accessibility audits and corrective actions. Repeat violations may lead to stricter measures such as business restrictions or public disclosures.
Link for an overview of penalties and enforcement actions across all 27 EU member states.
Who Monitors?
AccessibleEU is one of the flagship initiatives proposed by the European Commission Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030.
AccessibleEU intends to monitor action and progress of member states to implement accessibility legislation and standards.
Who Governs?
The European Union (EU) Member State governments and local governments worldwide play a governance role in the implementation and enforcement of accessibility legislation at both national and local levels.
What Is Your Next Step?
Digital Accessibility.Solutions delivers the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and WCAG compliance with precision and expertise.
We would be delighted to assist your organisation in taking this essential step towards achieving digital accessibility.
How to Highlight Accessibility Barriers?
If your digital accessibility needs have been ignored by an online merchant, you may seek assistance from the following organisations:
The European Disability Forum (EDF) is an umbrella organisation of persons with disabilities, defending the interests of more than 100 million persons with disabilities in Europe.
Established in 1996 by its member organisations, the EDF ensures that decisions at the European level concerning persons with disabilities are made in collaboration with them.
Since its inception, the EDF has developed regular advocacy channels with European institutions, including the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of the EU.
The aim of this toolkit is to provide persons with disabilities and their representative organisations with an overview of the remedy mechanisms that they can use when they experience or identify a breach of their rights as contained in EU Law.
The Equinet is the European Network of National Equality Bodies, which are public institutions fighting discrimination at the national level. The national equality bodies are specialised authorities whose staff are trained and experienced to handle cases of discrimination.
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