Unlocking Access: What’s The Impact of The European Accessibility Act?
October 23, 2024 / Alice Tatang Widjaja
In June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will come into effect. Companies will have to adapt their IT structures in order to ensure compliance.
But what is the European Accessibility Act, anyways?
The EAA is a legislative measure adopted by the European Union aimed at improving the accessibility of products and services for people with disabilities. The Act was adopted way back in 2019, and it sets out requirements to ensure that a wide range of products and services are accessible to people with disabilities across the EU. While the EEA compliments already existing legislation on accessibility of the public institutions, the EU is now set to standardize regulations for the private sector as well.
And the clock is ticking: from June 28th 2025 on, digital services and everyday products, like websites, online stores, product packaging, ATM’s, smartphones and so on, must be made more accessible for everyone.
Any products or services entering the market after the cut-off date will have to comply with these changes, however, depending on the country, there will be different authorities that will have jurisdiction over EAA compliance.
Who is affected by the EAA?
Consumers, business and manufacturers, service providers, institutions – in short, virtually everyone operating in the EU. For businesses, the EAA sets accessibility standards for every company that deals with certain product and or service ranges, e.g. online commerce players, telecommunications companies or banking service providers. The EAA requires EU member states to ensure regular compliance checks, reviews, and follow-ups on complaints.
In Germany, the EAA is covered by the “Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz” (The Accessibility Strengthening Act/BFSG). Every federal state will monitor compliance independently. Tests and audits will be included in regular work safety checks (Arbeitsschutz).
Smaller enterprises with fewer than 10 employees or those with less than 2 million € annual income are exempt, but encouraged to follow suit nevertheless.
How are businesses impacted by the EAA?
Companies operating in Europe will have to update their products and services with accessibility features before the EAA comes into effect. From June 28th, 2025, onwards, consumers will be able to file complaints with national authorities if services or products do not follow the new rules. Not adhering to the EAA can result in penalties, including official warnings, public disclosure, fines, product withdrawals, or bans.
Penalties are designed to be proportionate to the nature and severity of the non-compliance. This means that minor infractions may result in lighter penalties, while more serious or repeated violations may attract harsher penalties.
What are the effects of the EAA on the e-commerce industry?
E-commerce platforms operating in the EU fall under the new regulations, which means they have to provide accessible interfaces for browsing products, completing purchases, and managing accounts.
To make sure that accessibility can be provided for every consumer, an online platform needs to be able to provide several options for accessible navigation, such as the inclusion of assistive technologies like screen readers, providing sufficient color contrast, and implementing keyboard navigation options.
The entire transaction process, from product selection to payment and order confirmation, must be accessible. This involves ensuring that forms, buttons, and other interactive elements are usable by people with disabilities. This may be significantly more challenging for e-commerce businesses offering mobile applications, which must also comply with accessibility requirements. Apps will need to be designed to be accessible to users with disabilities, including those who rely on assistive technologies.
The incorporation of accessible forms along with alternatives for complex interactions like CAPTCHA queries will undoubtedly have positive effects on product usability. Improving the user experience is sure to yield related benefits as well, kind of like the way structuring websites for accessible use also made them more comprehensible for search engine crawlers.
Accessibility as a chance for growth
The infrastructure of a lot of companies will change with the implementation of the EAA. Thankfully, many are already on the right path to improving usability with accessibility features, and will be ready by the time the EAA comes into full effect.
But the need to comply with the EAA is also a chance for many to open up new opportunities. Thinking about easier access should be second nature for all of us. It will not only help improve one’s reputation, but also put the spotlight on a large group of consumers so far often invisible in the market.
After all, roughly 1 in 6 people worldwide experiences significant disability. That means: investing in inclusivity and accessibility can have a real business impact.