What is the EAA?
Imagine a world where everyone, including people with disabilities, can easily use your website, shop on your eCommerce platform, or learn through your eLearning system. That’s the goal of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), a new EU law that requires businesses to make their digital products and services accessible to everyone by June 28, 2025.
The EAA ensures that people with disabilities—over 100 million in the EU alone—can access things like websites, apps, and online stores without barriers. Whether it’s adding captions to videos, making websites work with screen readers, or ensuring easy navigation, the EAA sets clear rules to make your business inclusive.
⏰ Why you can’t ignore it
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) requires your website, app, or eLearning platform to work for everyone – including users with disabilities.
- Deadline: June 28, 2025
- Risk: Fines, legal action, and lost customers
- Standard: WCAG 2.1 Level AA (the global accessibility benchmark).
Affects you if you have:
- eCommerce stores
- Business websites (with forms/logins)
- eLearning Courses
- Mobile apps
Not applicable if you are:
A micro-enterprise (<10 employees and under €2 million in yearly turnover)
🛠️ DIY Accessibility Starter Kit
1. Keyboard Navigation Test (5 mins)
What to do: Unplug your mouse. Try navigating your site using only the TAB key.
Red flags:
- Are any buttons/links unreachable?
- Is focus trapped in menus?
- After a few tabs, do you see a “Skip to content” link? If not, that’s a red flag.
Why it matters: Essential for motor-impaired users.
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2. Alt-Text Audit (10 mins)
What to do: Right-click images > “Inspect.” Look for empty alt="" attributes (see example image on the right).
Fix: Describe the image’s purpose (e.g., alt="A group of people attending a corporate training")
Pro tip: Leave alt text empty (alt="") for decorative images; screen readers will skip them.
3. Color Contrast Check (3 mins)
Tool: WebAIM Contrast Checker (free)
What to do: Paste your foreground (text) and background colours and review the contrast ratio.
Goal: For normal text aim for 4.5:1 or higher. For large text, 3:1 or higher.
4. Check your Headings Hierarchy (2 mins)
Tool: WAVE Extension (free)
What to do: Install on your browser and check for:
- Missing <h1>
- Skipped heading levels (e.g.,
<h1>→<h3>)
Why: Screen readers rely on headings to navigate.
Reality Check
These methods catch ~30% of issues. Full compliance requires expert audits.
♿ When DIY Isn’t Enough
You’ll need pros if:
- Your site uses complex JavaScript/AJAX (e.g., dynamic filters).
- You offer eCommerce checkouts or eLearning quizzes.
- You need an official Accessibility Statement (legally required!).
👋 We’re here to help!
We help businesses like yours:
- ✅ Pass WCAG 2.1 AA Audits with actionable reports.
- ✅ Fix Critical Barriers: Checkouts, logins, forms, media players.
- ✅ Draft Accessibility Statements (EAA mandatory!).
- ✅ Train Your Team to maintain compliance.
No fluff. No miracles. Just phased, achievable compliance.
📣 Your Next Step (Free!) – No Commitment Needed
👉 Free EAA Quick Scan
In 15 mins, we’ll:
- Run a high-level WCAG check on your site.
- Identify 1-3 urgent risks (e.g., “Your checkout breaks screen readers”).
- Give you a priority roadmap.
Build it Right
We specialize in WCAG audits, accessible eCommerce, and eLearning compliance for EU businesses. Partner with us to meet the EAA deadline – efficiently and ethically.