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The European Accessibility Act: What Businesses Must Do Post-Deadline

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is reshaping digital accessibility standards across the EU. Whether you’re building websites, apps, or digital products, learn what the EAA requires, who it impacts, and how to create more accessible, compliant digital experiences.

Author: Missy Jensen, Senior SEO Copywriter

Published: 08/05/2025

European accessibility symbol in front of a map of Europe and stylized web browser.

European accessibility symbol in front of a map of Europe and stylized web browser.

For nearly a decade, the European Web Accessibility Directive has increased digital accessibility within the public sector. The legislation requires that all publicly funded websites within the EU must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR), similar to the accessibility standards included in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Until now, the Directive has focused on increasing digital accessibility within public sector bodies, with the EU private sector being relatively exempt from digital accessibility laws. The gap between public and private accessibility emphasized the need for more comprehensive accessibility measures that apply to both sectors. 

That’s where the European Accessibility Act (EAA) comes in. The act is designed to bridge the accessibility gaps in the private sector and ensure users with disabilities have equal access to critical services and information. 

With the recent compliance deadline now past, we’ll review how to ensure ongoing compliance with the EAA and what steps your organization can take to enhance accessibility, minimize legal risk, and provide a good user experience.

What is the EAA? 

The EAA was enacted in June 2019 to increase the rights of people with disabilities by providing them with easier access to digital content. The law requires that common everyday digital products and services be accessible for persons with disabilities, including:

  • Smartphones

  • Mobile applications

  • Televisions

  • ATMs

  • Audio-visual media services

  • Self-service terminals

  • Check-in machines

  • Ticketing machines

  • Banking services

  • eBooks

  • eReading devices and software

  • eCommerce experiences or applications

Like the Web Accessibility Directive, the EAA requires all EU countries to ensure their website and digital content follow the POUR principles (similar to WCAG principles). 

The EAA applies to any product or service sold or used within Member States, regardless of origin. For example, if your business is based in the US and sells to the EU, you must comply with the EAA. 

The EAA Timeline

As mentioned above, the EAA was first introduced in 2019 and adopted by all EU Member States in 2022. By June 2022, each EU Member State had passed national laws aligning with the principles in the EAA, setting the stage for organizations to start preparing for compliance.

As of June 28, 2025, all covered products and services, including those mentioned above, are required to meet EAA requirements as enforcement begins across the EU. The EAA does have a grace period, allowing some products and services already on the market to continue to be sold until June 30, 2030, even if they don’t fully meet accessibility requirements. However, any new products placed on the market must comply with the EAA. 

By June 28, 2030, all products and services in scope must meet EAA accessibility standards. Government entities will enforce compliance, and organizations that fail to meet accessibility standards could face fines, fees, penalties, and potential legal action. 

Stylized web browser on a mobile phone with various design icons surrounding it. The accessibility symbol is to the left of the phone.

Stylized web browser on a mobile phone with various design icons surrounding it. The accessibility symbol is to the left of the phone.

Step-by-Step EAA Compliance Checklist

A proactive approach to accessibility helps you keep your risk of legal action low and improves your customers’ user experience. However, meeting EAA compliance requirements can feel overwhelming, and you may be unsure where to start.

Luckily, it is possible (and easier than you think) to achieve EAA compliance. Below, we’ll explore the six steps you can take now to get closer to conforming to POUR standards.

1. Know Where You Stand

Before completely overhauling your digital content, determine if the EAA applies to you.

If your organization is based in the European Union or has European customers, you must comply with the EAA. 

If your business is based in the U.S. and only has U.S.-based customers, you do not need to meet EAA standards. However, we recommend incorporating accessibility features into your content regardless, as there may be other laws (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)) that do apply to your business. This also helps create a more accessible, usable digital experience for all users. 

Who is Exempt from EAA Compliance?

The EAA applies to most businesses providing products or services within the EU, with one exemption: microenterprises. These are organizations that:

  • Have fewer than 10 employees and

  • Either have an annual turnover that does not exceed €2 million, or an annual balance sheet where the total does not exceed €2 million.

For example, if your organization has more than 10 employees and an annual turnover of €1.5 million, you are required to be EAA compliant. Even though you have less than €2 million in annual revenue, having more than 10 employees automatically disqualifies you for the exemption. The same would be true if you had 5 employees but an annual turnover of €3 million.

2. Complete an Accessibility Audit

Once you understand whether compliance is mandatory, it’s time to examine your existing digital content. An accessibility audit will provide you with an overview of how accessible your existing content is and where improvements are needed.

We recommend performing an accessibility audit across all your digital content, including web pages, mobile apps, downloadable documents, etc. This will help you determine where, if any, accessibility issues exist and what improvements need to be made. 

3. Make a Plan

Based on the results of your accessibility audit, create a plan to fix issues. We recommend starting with smaller, less intensive fixes that can be identified with an automated accessibility checker — like this one from AudioEye. This allows you to plan and allocate resources for larger, more intensive fixes. This approach helps you keep moving forward on accessibility initiatives while strategically planning for future fixes. 

4. Regularly Review Accessibility Laws

As you take steps to comply with the requirements of the EAA, be sure to regularly review WCAG guidelines, POUR standards, and additional accessibility laws. Doing so ensures you’re following the latest accessibility standards, which helps you provide a better, more accessible experience for your users. 

5. Frequently Conduct Accessibility Audits

Your digital content is constantly changing, whether it’s being updated or you’re adding new content. Regularly auditing your digital content helps you find accessibility issues that may have been inadvertently created as you’ve made content changes. This enables you to fix problems before they impact your users or face enforcement action. 

6. Engage with Accessibility Experts

Despite the detailed specifications included in POUR, WCAG, and the myriad of free accessibility tools on the market, creating an EAA-compliant website is not a simple task. You may want to consider engaging with an accessibility partner to help you stay on top of changing accessibility guidelines and to provide support where needed.

For example, in addition to providing many accessibility tools, AudioEye also provides Accessibility Training, Legal Support, Document Remediation, and more. Ongoing support from our accessibility experts helps you stay on top of accessibility legislation and guidelines. It also enables you to detect and fix website accessibility issues that negatively impact your users or put you at risk of non-compliance.

Illustration of a person thinking beside a web interface with WCAG, UX labels, and accessibility icons on a red background.

Illustration of a person thinking beside a web interface with WCAG, UX labels, and accessibility icons on a red background.

How Will the EAA Impact Businesses? 

Failing to comply with EAA guidelines can have serious consequences for your business. Non-compliance can lead to:

  • Legal proceedings: This includes lawsuits and demand letters that can be expensive, resource-intensive, and time-consuming.

  • Reputation damage: Inaccessible content can damage your reputation among customers, who may see you as cold, uncaring, and indifferent to social responsibility.

  • Loss of customers: Damaging your reputation will quickly cost you customers. Additionally, with over 87 million adults in the EU living with disabilities, inaccessible digital content is keeping millions from accessing your services or offerings.

  • Fines and prison sentences: At the most drastic level, you or your organization can face expensive fines or prison sentences for lack of digital accessibility. 

Benefits of EAA Compliance

While failing to comply with the EAA can increase your risk of fines, penalties, market restrictions, etc., compliance yields many benefits. This includes:

  • Lower legal risk: Compliance reduces the likelihood of legal action, including demand letters and lawsuits. This also decreases the chance of business disruption, reputation damage, and customer loss.

  • Commitment to social responsibility: Providing accessible content shows your commitment to social responsibility — especially if your site includes an accessibility statement or certification. This can enhance your brand image and overall attractiveness to customers who value inclusivity in the brands they support.

  • Increases audience reach: An EAA-compliant site opens the door to a broader audience, both in and out of the EU market. Ensuring everyone, regardless of their abilities, can access and use your digital content expands your audience reach. 

  • Improves SEO rankings: Accessibility can also increase your SEO rankings as search engines can more easily crawl and index your site, getting your products or services in front of more users. 

  • Creates a better user experience for everyone: Finally, an accessible website creates a better user experience for everyone. Users can more easily access and use your site, increasing their satisfaction and loyalty to your brand. 

EAA Compliance Made Simple with AudioEye

The EAA sets a clear standard for creating digital experiences that work for everyone. But EAA compliance is more than a legal obligation — it’s an opportunity to improve usability, expand your customer base, and strengthen your brand’s reputation. By designing with accessibility in mind, you make engaging with your content, product, and services easier for all users — creating a more inclusive experience that benefits your audience and your business. 

At AudioEye, meeting EAA requirements and other accessibility guidelines is easy. From our Automated Accessibility Platform and Automated Fixes that fix common accessibility issues to our Expert Audits that fix more complex issues, AudioEye helps you get closer to EAA compliance in half the time and half the cost. 

Ready to get started? Use our free Web Accessibility Checker to see how accessible your existing content is. Or schedule a demo to see how AudioEye makes you EAA compliant.

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