Is Your Business Ready for the Upcoming EU Accessibility Legislation?
Attention Entrepreneurs, CEOs, CMOs, Heads of Marketing, Digital Marketing Managers and Marketing Specialists!
In June 2025, the EU will be implementing new accessibility legislation that will require all businesses to make their digital products and services accessible to people with disabilities. This is a significant change that will impact all businesses, regardless of size or industry.
Table of Contents
- What is the new legislation?
- Who is affected by the new legislation?
- What are the benefits of compliance?
- What are the risks of non-compliance?
- How can you ensure compliance?
- FAQ
- Key takeaways
- Additional resources
What is the new legislation?
The new legislation is called the European Accessibility Act (EAA). It is a directive that requires all EU member states to implement national laws that make digital products and services accessible to people with disabilities. The EAA covers a wide range of digital products and services, including websites, mobile apps, online documents, and online support services.
Who is affected by the new legislation?
The EAA affects all businesses that operate in the EU, regardless of size or industry. This includes businesses that are based in the EU and businesses that are based outside of the EU but that sell products or services to EU customers.
What are the benefits of compliance?
There are many benefits to complying with the EAA. First, it is the right thing to do. People with disabilities should have the same access to digital products and services as everyone else. Second, compliance can help you to avoid legal penalties. Third, compliance can improve your brand reputation. Fourth, compliance can make your products and services more usable for everyone.
What are the risks of non-compliance?
The risks of non-compliance are significant. Businesses that fail to comply with the EAA may face legal penalties, including fines. In addition, non-compliance can damage your brand reputation and make it difficult to attract and retain customers.
Several high-profile cases have highlighted the importance of digital accessibility.
The most well-known is likely the lawsuit against Target, which resulted in a multi-million dollar settlement and spurred the retailer to become a vocal advocate for web accessibility.
Another prominent example is the Sydney 2000 Olympics website, which was inaccessible to a visually impaired lawyer, leading to legal action and a financial penalty for the Olympic Committee and/or IBM.
These cases, along with others like the NAD v. Netflix, demonstrate the legal and reputational risks associated with neglecting accessibility, and have significantly raised awareness of the need for inclusive digital experiences.
How can you ensure compliance?
There are a number of steps that you can take to ensure compliance with the EAA:
- Website & App Accessibility Audit: Conduct a thorough audit of all digital products and services (websites, mobile apps, online documents, etc.) against WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines. This should be done by accessibility specialists, ideally including users with disabilities.
- Remediation Plan: Develop a detailed plan to address all identified accessibility issues. Prioritize critical issues first.
- Clear and Concise Content: Well-structured, easy-to-understand content benefits all users, including those using assistive technologies and search engines. Use clear language, avoid jargon, and organize content with headings and subheadings.
- Alternative Text for Images: Provide descriptive alt text for all meaningful images.
- Captions and Transcripts for Multimedia: Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content.
- Keyboard Navigation: Ensure all website functionality is accessible using only a keyboard. Test thoroughly.
- Form Accessibility: Make sure all forms are accessible to screen readers and keyboard users. Use proper labels and ARIA attributes where needed.
- Content Structure: Use semantic HTML to structure content logically, making it easier for screen readers to interpret. Provide clear headings and subheadings.
- Color Contrast: Ensure sufficient color contrast between text and background. Use a color contrast checker to verify compliance.
- Descriptive Link Text: Use descriptive anchor text for links. Avoid generic phrases like “click here.” This helps both users and search engines understand the destination of the link.
- Font Size and Scalability: Allow users to adjust text size without loss of content or functionality.
- Error Prevention and Handling: Implement clear error messages and provide helpful suggestions for correcting errors in forms.
- Assistive Technology Compatibility: Test websites and apps with common assistive technologies like screen readers (NVDA, JAWS), screen magnifiers, and voice recognition software.
- Accessibility Statement: Create and publish an accessibility statement on your website, outlining your commitment to accessibility and providing contact information for reporting accessibility issues.
- Training: Provide accessibility training to all relevant staff, including content creators, developers, and designers.
- Ongoing Monitoring: Implement a process for regularly monitoring and maintaining website accessibility.
Other Considerations:
- WCAG 2.1 Level AA: Focus on meeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines, as these are the most widely recognized and legally referenced.
- User Testing: Involve users with disabilities in the testing process. Their feedback is invaluable for identifying and addressing accessibility issues.
- Documentation: Keep detailed records of your accessibility efforts, including audits, remediation plans, and testing results. This documentation can be crucial in demonstrating compliance.
By taking these concrete actions, companies can significantly reduce their risk of fines or penalties and, more importantly, create a more inclusive and usable experience for everyone. Remember that accessibility is not a one-time fix but an ongoing process.
FAQ
- Q: When does the new legislation take effect? A: The EAA takes effect on June 28, 2025.
- Q: What products and services are covered by the EAA? A: The EAA covers a wide range of digital products and services, including websites, mobile apps, online documents, and online support services.
- Q: What are the penalties for non-compliance? A: Businesses that fail to comply with the EAA may face legal penalties, including fines.
- Q: How can I ensure compliance? A: There are a number of steps that you can take to ensure compliance with the EAA. Your first step should be an accessibility audit of your digital products and services. Secondly, you should develop a plan to remediate any accessibility issues that you identify. Third, you should implement your plan and test your products and services to ensure that they are accessible.
Key Takeaways
The EAA is based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) – a set of international standards for making web content accessible to people with disabilities.
The EAA requires businesses to make their digital products and services accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities.
The EAA also requires businesses to provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is a change to a policy, practice, or procedure that would allow a person with a disability to participate in a program or service.
The EAA is a significant piece of legislation that will impact all businesses that operate in the EU. It is important to take steps now to ensure that your digital products and services are accessible to people with disabilities.
By doing so, you can avoid legal penalties, improve your brand reputation, and make your products and services more usable for everyone.
I hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.