The European Accessibility Act: A practical guide for compliance & SEO
- Flora Bazie
- May 14
- 8 min read
Updated: May 28
Author: Flora Bazie
Digital accessibility is not on the horizon—it’s here and legislation mandating it has become a movement worldwide:
In Canada (where I’m based), the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act’s final compliance deadline was January 1, 2025.
In the US, the ADA Title II Web Accessibility Rule was finalized last year, setting a schedule for compliance for all state and local government websites (the Title III regulations for private businesses were finalized back in 1991).
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) becomes a legal requirement on June 28, 2025.
These regulations require that websites, digital platforms, and services are accessible to all individuals, particularly those with disabilities. There’s also another important element that they all have in common: they’re built around compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.
In this guide, I’ll help you understand how to meet EAA requirements as well as the WCAG 2.1 guidance, so that your business is that much closer to meeting global accessibility requirements, and show you how that benefits your users and your SEO efforts.
Table of contents:
The European Accessibility Act: What businesses and agencies need to know
The EAA aims to enhance the accessibility of digital services and products across the European Union. Its primary objective is to promote equal access to the digital economy by eliminating barriers that individuals with disabilities face online.
Here are the need-to-know aspects of the European Accessibility Act:
Scope and coverage
Legal requirements and standards
Penalties and benefits
Scope and coverage
The EAA applies to a wide range of digital services and products, including:
Platform/service | EAA mandates |
Websites and mobile applications | All public sector websites and mobile applications within the EU must comply with the EAA's accessibility standards. |
eCommerce platforms | Online shopping platforms must ensure that their websites are navigable and usable by individuals with various disabilities. |
Banking services | Online banking services must be accessible, allowing users with disabilities to manage their finances independently. |
Transportation services | Digital platforms providing transportation services must be usable by all individuals, including those with disabilities. |
Television services | Online television services must provide accessible content, including features like subtitles and audio descriptions. |
It’s important to note that the EAA provides exemptions for microenterprises. Microenterprises are businesses with:
Fewer than 10 employees AND
An annual turnover not exceeding €2 million OR an annual balance sheet not exceeding €2 million
Service businesses that fit the ‘microenterprise’ criteria above are generally exempt from EAA requirements for the services they offer. Microbusinesses that sell products face partial exemptions.
Legal requirements and standards
One of the key standards referenced in the EAA is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, particularly the Level AA criteria. These guidelines offer a comprehensive framework that caters to a broader spectrum of individuals with disabilities. (Note: WCAG has three conformance standards: A, AA, and AAA, with AAA being the highest level of accessibility for the widest range of users.)
The EAA requires that digital services and products meet the following WCAG 2.1 principles:
Perceivable: Ensure interface elements and information are presented in ways users can perceive (e.g., text re-sizing and captions for video).
Operable: Design user interface components and navigation to be operable (e.g., keyboard accessibility and avoiding flashing screens to minimize seizure risks).
Understandable: Make information and user interface operations understandable (e.g., consistent navigation and error suggestions).
Robust: Content must be robust enough to work with current and future user tools.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your digital services and products are accessible to all users.
Penalties and benefits
If you fail to comply with the EAA, your brand may face significant legal and financial consequences. These penalties can vary by country, as each EU member state determines its own consequences for EAA non-compliance.
Penalties vary across EU member states, but they can include:
Fines: Depending on the country, fines can range from €5,000 to €500,000.
Daily penalties: Ongoing non-compliance may incur daily fines until you correct the issue(s).
Legal actions: Individuals may file lawsuits against organizations that fail to comply with accessibility requirements.
For instance, companies already under the Stanca Act in Italy receive a 90-day notice to meet accessibility requirements, with fines up to 5% of their annual turnover for non-compliance.
Accessibility optimization is not just a matter of avoiding penalties, though. Complying with the EAA also offers substantial benefits:
Broad audience reach | Making digital services and products accessible increases your potential user base, including individuals with disabilities. |
Enhanced user experience | Accessible designs improve user experience across the board, not just for those with disabilities. |
Superior branding | Demonstrating a commitment to accessibility can enhance your organization’s reputation and branding. |
Improved SEO | Accessible websites are often better structured, leading to improved search engine rankings. |
Let’s take a closer look at the ways in which accessibility can promote your organic search visibility.
Why better accessibility also means better SEO
Understanding the full range of benefits that come with accessibility compliance can help you deliver a better proposal to your stakeholders, ultimately increasing the odds that your recommendations get approved and resourced.
To that end, keep the following accessibility and SEO benefits in mind:
Improved crawlability — Search engines like Google prioritize sites that are well-structured and easy to crawl. By implementing accessibility best practices, such as using proper heading structures, you make it easier for search engine crawlers to understand and index your content. This leads to better visibility in search engine results pages.
Enhanced user experience — I briefly touched on this above. Features like keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility improve user experience, leading to longer site visits and reduced bounce rates. A positive user experience signals to search engines that your site is valuable, which can improve your rankings.
Expanded reach — By making your site accessible, you’re extending an invitation to individuals with disabilities, thereby increasing potential users. This expanded reach can result in more backlinks and social shares, which are positive SEO signals.
Improved mobile optimization — Accessible websites are typically optimized for mobile devices, which play a crucial role in SEO (due to mobile-first indexing). Responsive design and mobile-friendly features improve UX on smartphones and tablets, leading to better search engine rankings.
Increased dwell time and reduced bounce rates — When users can easily navigate and use your website, they stay longer and check out more pages. Search engines may use dwell time and bounce rates as an indicator of whether your content is relevant and engaging.
Achieving accessibility compliance: A step-by-step approach
Now that you understand why accessibility is a competitive advantage (not just a legal requirement), let’s run through a basic workflow that you can use to enhance and maintain your brand’s accessibility as your website grows.
01. Run an automated accessibility audit
Utilize tools, like Wix’s built-in Accessibility Wizard, WAVE, or Accessibility Insights, to scan your website for issues. These tools provide reports that highlight opportunities for better accessibility.
Pros of automated accessibility audits | Cons of automated accessibility audits |
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02. Test manually
Navigate your website using only a keyboard and screen reader to identify issues that automated tools might miss. Pay particular attention to:
Keyboard accessibility — Make sure users can access all interactive elements via keyboard.
Screen reader compatibility — Verify that content reads in a logical order and that all elements are announced correctly. Pay special attention to special characters, such as emojis.
And while you’re at it, remember to test magnification, color contrast, and speech commands as well.
Pros of manual accessibility audits | Cons of manual accessibility audits |
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Manual and automated accessibility audits each have pros and cons—use both methods regularly to cover your bases.
03. Fix the accessibility issues you identified
Address the issues you identified in the automated audit and manual testing phases. This may involve:
Adding alt text to images
Ensuring proper heading structure
Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles when required
Etc.
04. Validate Fixes
Once the fixes are implemented, run automated audits again and perform manual testing to confirm that you’ve resolved all accessibility issues.
05. Add an accessibility statement to your website
An accessibility statement explains your business’s commitment to accessibility. It provides users with information about the accessibility of your website and how to report any issues.
What to include in an accessibility statement:
Commitment to accessibility — A statement affirming your dedication to providing an accessible website.
Accessibility standards applied — Information on the standards your website adheres to, such as WCAG 2.1.
Known limitations — Disclose any known accessibility issues and plans for remediation.
Contact information — Provide a way for users to report accessibility issues or seek assistance.
06. Prioritize ongoing accessibility optimizations
Resources, such as the W3C’s WCAG 2.1 guide and WebAIM’s tutorials can be invaluable for furthering your knowledge of accessibility standards and best practices.
You can also attend training sessions on platforms like Coursera and edX, which are often held in partnership with universities.
If you have the budget, consider getting hands-on coaching by attending workshops that can give you practical experience, personalized guidance and feedback, and expert insights.
Case studies: Digital accessibility failure & success
Let’s take a look at some brand accessibility blunders and the ensuing fallout so you have an idea of the worst-case scenario when this crucial aspect of UX and marketing goes overlooked.
On the other side of the coin, I’ll also show you some examples of brands that succeeded with accessibility as well as the impact on their businesses.
Businesses sued for web accessibility failures
Target Corporation (USA)
Issue: In 2006, Target was sued by the National Federation of the Blind for not providing accessible online shopping experiences for blind users.
Outcome: In 2008, Target reached a settlement, agreeing to pay $6 million in damages and make its website accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment (USA)
Issue: In 2019, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Beyoncé’s company, alleging that Beyoncé.com violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying equal access to visually impaired users.
Outcome: High-profile brands (in this case, a celebrity) can alienate groups of customers when the word gets out (see the image below). This PR disaster can easily cost more in settlements and fan abandonment than it would have to implement proper accessibility features in the first place.
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. (USA)
Issue: In 2017, a lawsuit was filed against the grocery store chain, claiming that its website was not accessible to blind users.
Outcome: The court ruled that Winn-Dixie’s website qualified as a public accommodation under the ADA and must be made accessible.
Businesses that benefited from embracing accessibility
Tesco (UK)
Action: Invested £35,000 in making its website accessible.
Outcome: Online sales jumped to £13 million annually, demonstrating a significant return on investment.
Mobility Mojo (Ireland)
Action: Focused on enhancing accessibility in buildings for people with disabilities.
Outcome: Secured €4.25 million in Series A funding to expand its software and impact over a billion people by improving accessibility standards.
Wix (Global)
Action: Introduced the free, built-in Accessibility Wizard in 2020, enabling users to identify and fix accessibility issues on their websites.
Outcome: Empowered millions of users to create more inclusive websites, aligning with global accessibility standards and enhancing user experience.
Validate your accessibility compliance with real users
One way to ensure you’re bridging the gap between your accessibility optimizations and real business outcomes is to get feedback from users with real disabilities. In addition to validating your efforts, their insights and experiences can reveal new opportunities to enhance your website’s UX for all users.
Flora Bazie - CEO, Digital Accessibility Expert at LinoraTech Inc.
Flora Bazie is a bilingual (EN/FR) digital accessibility expert and speaker. She helps organizations meet legal compliance, boost SEO, and design for all abilities. Founder of LinoraTech Inc., She empowers and inspires teams and professionals. Linkedin
