The European Accessibility Act (EAA) deadline passed in June 2025, requiring businesses across the EU to make their digital services accessible to users with disabilities. If your website is not yet compliant, you are exposed to regulatory risk — and potentially losing a significant share of users.
What the EAA Requires
The EAA applies to a wide range of digital products and services, including e-commerce platforms, mobile apps, banking services, and public-facing websites. The core standard is WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which covers:
- Perceivable: Content must be presentable in ways users can perceive (alt text for images, captions for videos)
- Operable: Interface components must be navigable via keyboard, not just mouse
- Understandable: Content must be readable and predictable
- Robust: Content must be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies
Common Violations Found in Audits
Based on recent accessibility audits across European SME websites:
- Missing alt text on images (affects screen reader users)
- Insufficient color contrast ratios (minimum 4.5:1 for normal text)
- Forms with no proper labels
- Missing focus indicators for keyboard navigation
- Videos without subtitles or transcripts
How to Audit Your Website
The most efficient first step is an automated scan. Tools like the Web Accessibility Checker allow you to scan your pages against WCAG 2.1 criteria and get a prioritized list of issues to fix.
Automated tools catch around 30-40% of accessibility issues. For full compliance, you will also need:
- Manual testing with keyboard navigation
- Screen reader testing (NVDA, VoiceOver, JAWS)
- User testing with people who have disabilities
The Business Case for Accessibility
Beyond regulatory compliance, accessible websites perform better:
- SEO boost: Proper semantic HTML structure, alt text, and logical heading hierarchy also improve search engine rankings
- Larger audience: Over 87 million Europeans live with some form of disability
- Better UX for everyone: Captions help non-native speakers; keyboard navigation helps power users
Quick Wins to Get Started
If you are overwhelmed, start with these high-impact, low-effort fixes:
<!-- Add alt text to images -->
<img src="team-photo.jpg" alt="Our development team at the 2025 company retreat">
<!-- Use proper form labels -->
<label for="email">Email address</label>
<input type="email" id="email" name="email">
<!-- Ensure sufficient contrast -->
/* Use #595959 on white background instead of #999999 */
color: #595959;
Conclusion
EAA compliance is no longer optional. The good news is that most accessibility improvements also improve your website quality overall. Start with a free automated audit, fix the most critical issues first, and work your way toward full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. Tools like web-accessibility-checker.com make it easier to identify where to focus your efforts.
