European Accessibility Act compliance, explained
A plain-language guide to what the EAA asks of digital services, who it covers, the timeline, and how an accessibility statement helps you show your work — without the scare tactics.
What the EAA requires
The European Accessibility Act sets common accessibility requirements across the EU for a range of digital products and services. For websites and apps, those requirements are met by following EN 301 549, which references WCAG 2.1 level AA. In practice that means perceivable content, operable interfaces, understandable copy, and robust markup that works with assistive technology.
Who's in scope
The Act covers many businesses offering covered products and services to consumers in the EU — including e-commerce, banking, ticketing, and communications. Some microenterprises providing services may fall outside its scope. Because the details depend on your sector and size, confirm your specific obligations with a qualified advisor.
Timeline
The EAA's requirements apply from 28 June 2025 for covered products and services placed on the market after that date, with transitional arrangements for some existing services. There's room to plan: start by understanding where your site stands, then work through fixes and documentation in priority order.
How a statement helps
An accessibility statement is a published page that describes how accessible your service is today, the standard you work to, any known limitations, and how people can contact you for help. It documents your efforts and your plan — it is not a certificate or a guarantee, and it shouldn't claim to be one.
EAA for e-commerce & Shopify
Online stores are squarely in scope. Common barriers on storefronts include images without text alternatives, low-contrast text, unlabelled form fields at checkout, and keyboard traps in menus and modals. A free scan of a key page — your homepage, a product page, or checkout — is a practical first look at what automated testing can catch.
What automation can do
An automated scanner checks for issues like missing alt text and contrast failures across your whole site quickly. It's the first step in catching clear errors before manual testing.
See what automated checks find on one of your pages.