EU Accessibility Act (EAA) - Are your digital services compliant?

Ensure your websites and digital services are accessible ahead of the June deadline

The EU Accessibility Act (EAA) will become law on 28th June 2025. While accessibility has always been a requirement of web and app development, this change will become a legal requirement for all online entities from this date.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a European Directive that contains accessibility requirements for a range of products and services. Formally known as "Directive (EU) 2019/882 on the Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services," the law enshrines the four main pillars of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These content guideline pillars are:

• Perceivable - content should be presented in different ways, not reliant on one context
• Operable - content should be presented in such a way as it can be accessed by all technologies
• Understandable - content should be readable and easy to understand
• Robust - content should maximise compatibility with modern and future tools

Find out more about our web accessibility compliance services, and gain further insight from our friends at The National Disability Authority.

Sectors in scope

The in-scope sectors are commerce, banking, telecoms, transport and technology.

The Regulation applies to the following products provided to consumers in the above sectors:

• computer hardware & related operating systems
• payment terminals used for business sales
• self-service terminals, including ATMs, ticketing & check-in terminals
• devices used to access telecoms & media content, e.g. mobile phones.

The Regulation also applies to the following services provided to consumers:

• electronic communications services
• services providing access to audiovisual media services
• websites, mobile device-based services including mobile applications, electronic tickets and electronic ticketing services, delivery of transport service information, and interactive self-service terminals for air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport services
• interactive self-service terminals for transport services
• consumer banking services
• e-books and dedicated software
• e-commerce services.

For more on our application of our accessible processes, read our client, Matheson's article.

So, what does this mean for you and your website? And how can you ensure you have all your ducks in a row? We explain how we can help in our web accessibility compliance services. However, there are a few tips we can give, to get you started:

Build a great foundation

1. Audit Your Website - The first step is understanding where your website currently stands regarding accessibility. Use tools like Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 or automated checkers like WAVE, Axe, or Google Lighthouse. Still unsure if your site or app will be compliant? Arekibo can perform this audit for you and provide a report of our findings with proposals for improving your compliance.
2. Ensure Keyboard & Assistive Technology Compatibility - At this stage, we all know that not all users navigate websites and apps using a mouse. Your site or app must be fully functional using only a keyboard and compatible with screen readers (not to mention accessibility tools for mobile devices). Again, if you need help understanding your site or application's support for users like this, we can help you.
3. Optimise for Readability & Clarity - Simple, clear language benefits everyone, especially users with cognitive disabilities. Avoid jargon, use concise headings, and provide alternative text for images. Not only does this improve accessibility, but it can also help usability (simpler to understand is simpler to use). If you struggle with this, we can provide content assistance to help clarify your message.
4. Provide Accessible Media Content - Ensure captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions are available if your website includes video or audio content. Many users rely on subtitles for comprehension, and transcripts help those with hearing impairments. This is one of the harder accessibility traits to accommodate, especially if your site also supports Irish or other European languages (i.e. having to provide translations). However, sometimes users are in a hurry and don’t have time to watch a video so that a transcript can help all users. We can advise on how best to approach this concern.
5. Regularly Test & Update Your Site - Accessibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. Regularly testing your site using real users, automated tools, and expert audits will keep you on top of this. Ensuring compliance now will prevent legal issues and improve user experience for all visitors. The fines for not having a site compliant with the EAA law will be hefty! We provide 24/7 monitoring and can ensure that your content is always accessible. If we find it’s not, we can either advise on how to improve it or make the updates required for you.

The EU Accessibility Act is not just about compliance; it’s about creating an inclusive digital experience for all users. By taking these proactive steps, you can ensure your website meets the new legal requirements and provides a better experience for every visitor. If any of this seems daunting, Arekibo are here to help.

With over 20 years’ experience providing and creating accessible websites for our clients, we have long been at the forefront of accessible digital experiences. We’re happy to share that experience with you. 

For further reading the European Commission website has all the details. 

Learn more about our accessibility services and see what Arekibo can do for you today.