On a good day, a website just works.
Everything is easy to navigate. The content makes sense. You don’t have to wrestle with weird buttons or unreadable text.
For millions of people with disabilities, that’s unfortunately rarely the case.
But new legislation aims to change that – and it’s coming soon.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a sweeping piece of EU legislation set to take effect on June 28, 2025. It applies to businesses that sell digital products or services in the EU, including many SMBs and international companies.
However, with this act set to hit, businesses across Europe are left wondering whether they’re about to be in breach of the law.
So, what are you supposed to do?
In this guide, we’ll break down what the EAA is, who it applies to, and how you can get your business ready.
The European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) is an EU directive that aims to improve access to digital and physical products and services for people with disabilities.
It applies to a wide range of services and sectors, from e-commerce and banking to media, telephony, and transport, including the websites and mobile apps that power them.
This law builds on the earlier Web Accessibility Directive, which focused on public sector websites. The EAA takes things a few steps further by extending accessibility obligations to private businesses.
And these businesses have until June 28, 2025, to comply.
The EAA applies to EU-based and non-EU businesses offering products or services within the European Union.
In general, you need to comply if:
Even if you’re based outside the EU – whether in the UK, the US, or elsewhere – you’re still on the hook if your offering reaches EU consumers.
Microenterprises (under 10 employees and under €2M in turnover or balance sheet total) are exempt, but they’re still strongly encouraged to comply voluntarily.
It’s important to remember that an accessible website is a user-friendly website. So, even if your business doesn’t fall under the remit of EAA compliance, making your website compliant allows you to:
Under the EAA, covered businesses must design products and services that are accessible to people with disabilities – including websites and apps.
This means meeting criteria such as:
If your site or app helps users buy something, book something, watch something, or communicate, chances are it’s covered.
Some examples of affected services include:
And remember: it’s not just about what’s visible. The entire user journey – forms, buttons, pop-ups, error messages – needs to be accessible.
While the EAA is the EU’s biggest step toward digital accessibility, it’s part of a larger global trend. Countries across the world are introducing their own accessibility rules to try to make life easier for people with disabilities.
Here’s how the laws compare:
| Region | Law | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| EU | European Accessibility Act (EAA) and relevant national transposition legislation | Private businesses with digital offerings to EU consumers |
| EU (public sector) | Web Accessibility Directive | Public sector websites and apps |
| US | Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) | Public-facing websites and apps, mostly Title III |
| UK | Equality Act 2010 & Accessibility Regulations | Public sector, with some private obligations |
| Italy | Legge Stanca Law 4/2004 | Public sector and very large private entities |
Here’s what you need to know about the EAA compliance deadlines:
This means that if you continue to offer a service (like a website or an app) beyond the deadline, it has to meet EAA accessibility requirements, no matter when it was created.
The EAA also allows for transitional periods. For example, services that rely on older products that were already in use before the deadline can continue operating under certain conditions until June 28, 2030.
Because the EAA is a directive, enforcement varies by country. But in all EU member states, authorities will:
Penalties must be effective, proportionate, and dissuasive – but the exact measures are determined by each Member State. That could mean anything from corrective actions, sanctions, or other consequences, depending on national law.
Ignoring the EAA doesn’t just hurt your users. It could hurt your business, too.
Getting ready for EAA compliance shouldn’t just be a box-checking exercise. It’s about improving your business and giving it a more inclusive digital presence, benefiting all customers, not just those with disabilities.
Here’s how to start:
Use automated tools like WAVE, axe, or Lighthouse to identify any key issues.
Once you’ve identified your site’s accessibility issues, start by resolving the most common and high-impact problems. This can include things like:
You can support your efforts by adding a few front-end accessibility widgets. This allows users to personalize their browsing experience so that it fits their needs. For example:
Tools like iubenda’s Accessibility Solution offer an easy way to introduce these kinds of real-time adjustments with just one line of code – helping you to improve your accessibility without a full site rebuild.
However, it’s important to note that while these tools improve the accessibility and usability of websites, they’re not a complete solution on their own – full compliance still requires addressing issues at the source.
Annex V of the EAA requires you to describe your accessibility efforts. This shows transparency and supports compliance.
From new content to design updates – build accessibility into your process. That way, you can stay ahead of the game and not spend time playing catch-up.
One line of code. Real-time adjustments. No overhaul needed.
