5 Steps Businesses Should Take Now to Meet Europe’s New Accessibility Rules

A major new regulation is about to change how businesses operate online in the European Union, and the deadline is just weeks away.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) goes into effect on June 28, 2025. It requires websites, apps, and digital services to be fully usable by people with disabilities. That means companies must ensure their digital experiences work for people who rely on screen readers, navigate by keyboard, or require video captions, among other common needs.

The law applies broadly to e-commerce sites, banking platforms, digital media services, self-service kiosks, and more, and it’s not just limited to European businesses. Any business that offers goods or services to customers in the EU is required to comply, regardless of where it’s headquartered. And according to AudioEye’s recent Digital Accessibility Index, which analyzed 15,000 websites and found an average of 297 accessibility issues per page, there’s still significant ground to cover ahead of the EAA deadline.

The Legal Risk Is Real

The EAA gives individual EU member states the power to audit companies, investigate complaints, and issue fines, and the penalties can be steep. For example, fines for non-compliance in France are estimated to reach up to €250,000, Germany up to €100,000, and Sweden up to the equivalent of $900,000 USD.

More importantly, enforcement is complaint-driven. That means a single user experiencing an accessibility barrier on your site could trigger an investigation. In some cases, companies may be prohibited from offering non-compliant services in the EU until the issues are resolved.

Breaking Down Accessibility

Under the law, businesses are required to ensure their web content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR), similar to the technical guidelines known as WCAG 2.1 Level AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). These rules outline how to make digital content work for people with a wide range of disabilities,  including those affecting vision, hearing, mobility, and cognition.

Common issues to address include:

• Text descriptions for images (alt text)

• High contrast between text and background

• Keyboard-friendly navigation

• Captions or transcripts for videos

• Clearly labeled buttons and form fields

Now that the EAA enforcement date is almost here, accessibility experts say businesses should focus on a few key actions that can be taken quickly and effectively.

5 Steps to Get Your Website Ready

With the deadline just weeks away, now is the time for fast, focused action. Here are five things every business should be doing right now to limit exposure and meet baseline requirements.

1. Run a Website Scan

Start with a clear picture of where things stand. Free accessibility tools can scan your site and highlight major issues like missing alt text, color contrast problems, or broken form labels. This quick scan won’t catch everything, but it will surface the most obvious violations. Digital accessibility solutions providers like AudioEye offer free scans and automated tests that flag common issues in seconds, giving teams a fast way to triage risk and prioritize fixes.

Pro tip: Don’t stop at automated scans. Utilize expert testers or assistive technology users to reveal problems that automation won’t catch.

2. Fix the Most Common Blockers

Focus on the issues most likely to result in a legal or user complaint:

• Add descriptive alt text to images

• Ensure your text contrasts clearly with background colors

• Make sure users can tab through your site using a keyboard

• Caption any video or audio content

• Label all form fields (especially on login, checkout, or contact pages)

These changes are relatively low-lift, but they address the most frequent accessibility violations under the EAA and similar laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

3. Make Accessibility Part of Your Workflow.

Many accessibility issues happen when teams aren’t trained to build or code accessible content. If your developers, content creators, or marketers upload content without considering accessibility, problems will keep creeping in.

Train teams on basic accessibility principles with free accessibility programs and add a quick accessibility check to every website update or content upload.

4. Test Updates Before They Go Live

Even if your site is compliant today, one code push or design refresh can introduce new accessibility failures. Just like you’d test for broken links or security bugs, make accessibility part of your launch checklist.

At minimum, re-scan updated pages and confirm all key features, especially navigation, forms, and checkout, still work with a keyboard or screen reader.

5. Post an Accessibility Statement

If you haven’t already, publish an accessibility statement on your website. This is a simple page that explains what your business is doing to improve accessibility, what standards you follow, and how users can report issues.

Not only does this show regulators you’re taking the EAA seriously, it also helps build trust with customers and gives you a channel to address issues before they escalate.

The Countdown to the EAA

The European Accessibility Act is no longer a distant regulation — it’s an imminent requirement. With less than a month left until enforcement begins, businesses that haven’t taken action face real risk.

The good news is that meaningful improvements can still be made quickly. Start with the high-impact fixes, align your teams, and build accessibility into your process going forward.

The challenge may feel complex, but the path forward doesn’t have to be. And for those who need support, there are tools and partners available to help simplify the process.

The opportunity isn’t just about compliance—it’s about creating better digital experiences, reducing long-term risk, and ensuring your business is well-equipped for the future.