The EAA will come into force on June 28th, 2025, meaning that websites featuring any form of e-commerce must be accessible following this date. As of yet, the exact extent of this definition is unclear, but it is likely that the majority of commercial websites will need to become compliant with the act.
With the exceptions of micro-enterprises, the EAA will apply to all European firms, and any companies failing to comply will be at risk of legal prosecution and financial penalties.
Why does accessibility matter?
Ensuring compliance with the EAA is essential for legal reasons, but the value of accessibility extends far beyond legal obligations. An accessible website enables the broadest possible audience to engage with your content and business, allowing you to connect more effectively with every user. Moreover, fostering an inclusive experience for disabled users is inherently valuable, regardless of legal mandates.
Accessibility is also considered best practice in product and website development. Services designed to accommodate disabled users tend to be more user-friendly for everyone. Universal design elements—such as high-contrast color schemes, well-structured information layouts, logical coding, and captions for images and videos not only enhance accessibility but also improve the overall user experience and technical functionality of the platform.
How do I ensure my website is accessible?
Ensuring your website is compliant with the EAA means reaching a grade of AA according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. This is a standard guide for gauging the accessibility of digital content and platforms, and encompasses a wide range of variables. Normally, the route towards compliance begins with an audit, which may be automated or manual. This is used to identify the various areas of inaccessibility on your existing website. At this point, a design and development team will begin remediating these issues, prioritising those with the greatest effect on your end users.
Each organisation’s pathway to an accessible and compliant website is unique. AccessPoint provides a jumping-off point for this journey, and can guide you through the complete process from start to finish. If you have any questions about your own particular accessibility requirements, just get in touch with our team!