The European Accessibility Act: What businesses should know in 2025

As someone who’s spent the last several years working on accessibility-focused web projects, I’ve seen how often teams misunderstand what accessibility actually is. Sometimes it’s treated as a legal formality, other times as a niche add-on for edge cases — and occasionally, it’s completely ignored until a lawsuit or complaint shows up. An accessibility expert at Attico says 2025 marks a turning point.

With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) coming into force this June, the stakes are higher than ever. This isn’t just another compliance requirement. It’s a shift in how we build digital experiences — one that impacts how you design, develop, and maintain your websites, apps, and services.

In this article, I’ll break down what the EAA actually means for businesses, why accessibility needs to be on your radar now, and what steps you can take to prepare — whether you’re in the EU or not. I’ll also share some of the most common pitfalls I see during accessibility audits and how you can avoid them before they become expensive problems.

What is the European Accessibility Act — and why does it matter?

The European Accessibility Act is a landmark piece of EU legislation aimed at improving accessibility across a wide range of products and services — both physical and digital. It’s built on the principle that everyone, regardless of ability, should be able to participate in society on equal terms.

The EAA sets out uniform requirements across member states and covers everything from ATMs and transport ticketing machines to mobile apps, websites, and ecommerce platforms.

And here’s the key detail: compliance isn’t optional.

By June 28, 2025, businesses in the covered sectors will be expected to meet specific accessibility criteria, particularly those defined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA).

This law isn’t just about inclusion. It’s about aligning the digital economy with modern standards of equality and usability. And if you offer products or services in the EU, it directly impacts how you build and maintain your digital platforms.

Who needs to comply with the EAA?

The EAA applies to a wide range of businesses and sectors. If you’re in any of the following, there’s a high likelihood you’re affected:

Ecommerce and online marketplaces
Banking, fintech, and financial services
Transportation, especially ticketing and travel platforms
Telecommunications and messaging services
eBooks, digital publications, and reading platforms
Public services, especially if offered via digital channels.

That said, the law does carve out some flexibility for microenterprises — typically those with fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million in annual revenue. But even for those exempt from direct compliance, accessibility still matters for user trust, searchability, and long-term scalability.

And for larger or growing companies, ignoring the EAA could mean facing real legal and financial consequences. In some cases, it might even prevent you from entering new markets or maintaining existing contracts, particularly with government agencies or corporate clients who now require compliance.

Why accessibility should matter to every business

Accessibility isn’t just a checkbox for developers. It’s a business issue.

Let’s break down what happens when you ignore it, even if you’re not (yet) facing legal pressure.

1. You lose customers — silently

Most users with accessibility needs won’t send angry emails or complain on Twitter. They’ll simply leave your site, give up on your product, and find a competitor who built with them in mind. The result? A quiet, invisible loss of users and revenue you may never trace.

2. Your brand takes a reputational hit

In a world where inclusion and social responsibility matter more than ever, building an inaccessible website sends a message — and it’s not a good one. It tells your audience: “This wasn’t built for you.” And that kind of exclusion reflects poorly on your entire brand, especially in competitive industries.

3. You increase your future technical debt

Accessibility is significantly easier to implement early in the process — during design and initial development. The later you try to retrofit accessibility into a live product, the harder and more expensive it becomes. Ignoring it now is just borrowing trouble later.

4. You miss out on a huge market

Over 1.3 billion people globally live with some form of disability. But when you count people with temporary or situational impairments, like a broken arm, poor lighting, or language barriers, the number skyrockets. Accessibility expands your reach more than any growth hack ever could.

What the law requires and what it means in practice

The EAA doesn’t just say “be accessible.” It references specific criteria, most of which are based on the WCAG 2.1 framework. These guidelines cover how content is perceived, operated, understood, and maintained across devices and assistive technologies.

Here’s what that looks like in everyday terms:

All images must have descriptive alt text
Interactive elements (like buttons and links) need clear, accessible labels
Content must be navigable by keyboard alone
Forms must be properly labeled, with clear error handling
Text must meet minimum contrast ratios for readability
Layout should follow a logical, semantic heading structure
All functions must be available without relying on color alone.

And it doesn’t stop at implementation. Businesses must also:

Publish an accessibility statement
Provide a feedback mechanism for users to report issues
Ensure ongoing maintenance of accessibility features as the product evolves.

Where most teams struggle and what to look out for

Having led multiple audits and remediation projects, I can tell you where most businesses fail — and it’s not where you think.

Here are the most common issues I see, even on high-budget, professionally built sites:

Focus traps: Modals or popups that open but never return focus to the triggering element
Missing form labels: Input fields without a corresponding label or visual hint
Unclear button text: Using “Click here” or icons without any text for screen readers
Broken heading hierarchy: Skipping from H1 to H4, or using headings purely for styling
Insufficient contrast: Light gray text on white backgrounds — visually stylish, but unreadable for many
No keyboard support: Interactive components that don’t respond to Tab or Enter.

These issues often slip through because automated testing tools can’t catch them all. That’s why I always stress the importance of manual testing, including keyboard navigation, screen reader testing, and real-world user flows.

How to prepare for the EAA: a step-by-step guide

If you’re just starting to think about accessibility, here’s a practical framework you can follow to get your team moving in the right direction without feeling overwhelmed.

Step 1: Run an initial audit

Start with a quick check using tools like Axe DevTools or WAVE. These won’t give you the full picture, but they’ll uncover low-hanging fruit — missing alt text, skipped headings, contrast issues.

Step 2: Review your key user flows

Pick 3–5 critical flows — signup, login, checkout, contact forms. Try using each one with only your keyboard. Notice where focus gets lost, which elements can’t be activated, or where you hit dead ends.

Step 3: Validate structure and semantics

Use tools like HeadingsMap to check your page structure. Make sure your headings are meaningful, properly nested, and not just used for size.

Step 4: Engage designers

Accessibility starts with design. Ensure contrast, touch target size, font choices, and layout are being considered before development begins. This makes the entire process smoother.

Step 5: Assign accountability

Make accessibility someone’s job — not everyone’s vague responsibility. Whether it’s a developer, PM, or QA lead, someone needs to own accessibility outcomes.

Already planning a redesign or feature update? Even better.

The best time to integrate accessibility is before you ship. If you’re in the middle of a redesign or rebuilding your platform, this is the perfect chance to embed accessibility thinking from the ground up.

That includes:

Setting design system standards that follow WCAG
Auditing component libraries before rollout
Adding accessibility to your QA test plans
Reviewing copy and content for clarity and structure.

Not only does this approach save time and money — it also results in a cleaner, more intuitive user experience across the board.

You don’t have to figure this out alone

Many teams worry that they don’t have the in-house expertise to do accessibility “right.” That’s completely fair and it’s why we offer consulting services that meet you where you are.

We work closely with your product team — through our Drupal consulting and accessibility services — to spot real issues, fix what matters most, and build accessibility into your process from the ground up. That means more than just running a few scans or handing you a checklist. We dive into your workflows, your design system, and your priorities and help you turn accessibility from a source of stress into a sustainable habit.

Some teams bring us in when they’re facing tight deadlines and need to avoid legal risk. Others ask for guidance during a redesign, a platform migration, or a major feature rollout. No matter where you are in your journey, the earlier you include accessibility thinking, the better your outcomes will be — not just for compliance, but for long-term user success.

Final thoughts: make accessibility your competitive edge

Accessibility isn’t just a legal issue. It’s a human one. And in 2025, it’s also a competitive one.

The European Accessibility Act is more than a deadline — it’s an opportunity to reset how we think about digital experience. One that works for everyone. One that adapts to real-world conditions and real-world users.

Start small. Scan a few pages. Fix one form. Talk to specialized designers. Assign ownership. And if you need help, bring someone in who’s done it before.

You don’t have to transform everything overnight. But the longer you wait, the harder it gets.

Author Profile

Adam Regan

Deputy Editor

Features and account management. 3 years media experience. Previously covered features for online and print editions.

Email Adam@MarkMeets.com