If your company offers digital services, physical products, or e-commerce, you need to be aware of the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Failing to comply could result in penalties or lost business opportunities for you.
This article will guide you through what the European Accessibility Act means for your business, and what you need to do to comply.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a landmark regulation set to take effect in June 2025. It aims at making essential products and services accessible to people with disabilities across the European Union.
This directive is part of the EU’s broader commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ensuring equal access and participation in society for everyone, regardless of their abilities
The Act focuses on removing digital and physical barriers that prevent individuals with disabilities from fully engaging with services like banking, transportation, online shopping, and communication tools.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) will directly impact your business if you operate within the EU or target EU customers.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) requires businesses like yours to ensure that your products and services are accessible to people with disabilities by June 2025.
This means complying with specific standards set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
These guidelines ensure that all users, including those with visual, auditory, or motor impairments, can fully interact with your digital content.
Beyond digital services, the EAA applies to physical products as well. If your business sells devices like smartphones, ATMs, or payment terminals, you will need to incorporate features such as audio guidance or accessible design options.
The Act doesn’t just stop at product design. If you provide services such as online banking, transport apps, or even e-commerce platforms, you’ll need to ensure your services are accessible across the board.
This compliance isn't optional for most businesses. If your company has more than 10 employees or exceeds €2 million in annual turnover, you must comply with these regulations.
Non-compliance can result in fines, and the enforcement of these rules will vary across EU member states.
To comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA), your business needs to take several specific steps to ensure your products and services are accessible to people with disabilities by June 2025 :
The first thing you should do is conduct an accessibility audit. This audit will help you identify gaps in your current products or services that do not meet the accessibility standards, particularly those set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
For example, check if your website has captions for video content, if all interactive elements are keyboard-accessible, and if it’s compatible with screen readers.
After identifying areas that need improvement, you’ll need to create an accessibility roadmap. This plan should outline the steps you will take to make the necessary changes, set a timeline for implementation, and assign responsibilities. The roadmap ensures that you address all gaps systematically and meet the compliance deadline.
Next, you’ll need to train your staff on accessibility best practices. Your development team must understand how to code for accessibility, while your content creators should learn how to design content that is accessible to all users. This includes using text descriptions for images and making sure your digital assets are optimized for accessibility tools.
Once your team is trained, and the changes are made, it’s crucial to monitor and maintain accessibility. Compliance doesn’t end with a one-time fix. Regular audits and updates should be part of your business operations to ensure you continue to meet the latest standards. Tools like automated accessibility checkers or third-party audits can help you stay on track.
Checksub can help you comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) by providing automated tools for video accessibility. One of the key requirements of the EAA is making audiovisual content accessible to people with disabilities, especially those with hearing impairments. To meet this requirement, your videos need to include accurate subtitles and, in some cases, dubbing.
With Checksub, you can automate the process of adding subtitles to your videos :
You want to make your videos easily accessible? Try Checksub for free.
