The European Accessibility Act: Making Web Content Accessible

Content accessibility is the simple notion of making digital content usable as well as understandable for everyone, including people with disabilities. This refers to users who are blind or visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, have motor or cognitive impairments or make use of assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard navigation.

Essentially, accessibility aims at removing barriers. It strives to ensure that everyone can access and interact with content - be it product descriptions, videos, forms, websites, PDFs, mobile apps and other online tools.

Accessibility is about more than just a technical or legal obligation. It’s an effort towards inclusion and a guarantee of equal digital rights. When you make your content accessible, you improve user experience for all, and this includes ageing populations or people with temporary issues like browsing with poor internet, reading on a small screen, etc.

Today, accessibility is a must-have, and organizations and law makers are coming to this realization at the same time. It is now beyond a simple tool to improve brand perception, as it can broaden your potential audience, boost SEO and minimize legal risks.

Let’s dive into where content accessibility standards come from and what you can do to be compliant with them.

A brief history of accessibility guidelines

Content accessibility as we understand it today started with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which was created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in 1999. These are guidelines that were developed to help make the internet more inclusive for people with disabilities.

Since then, the WCAG has evolved through several versions:

• WCAG 2.0 (2008) first introduced the four core principles of accessibility: content must be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR).
• WCAG 2.1 (2018) then added new success criteria for mobile accessibility and users with low vision or cognitive challenges.
• WCAG 2.2 (2023) went on to refine and expand the framework.

As each version is built on the last, it offers practical recommendations for structuring content, designing interfaces, and ensuring that all users—regardless of ability—can navigate and engage with digital content effectively.

Today, WCAG has become the global reference for web content accessibility standards, and it is used by governments and organizations worldwide.

Accessibility laws around the world: a quick overview

As digital accessibility is gaining more traction, many countries are beginning to turn the WCAG guidelines into actionable, enforceable law - each with its own scope and approach.

In the United States, accessibility is covered under two key frameworks, the Rehabilitation Act, which mandates accessible technology for federal agencies, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is currently interpreted to apply to websites, particularly for those businesses that serve the public.

In Europe, the landmark legislation is the European Accessibility Act, also known as EAA. Its aim is to harmonize web content accessibility rules across the European Union, and it’s about to become enforceable starting June 2025. It is applicable to digital services such as e-commerce, banking, media platforms and more.

The approaches in Asia are varied. Japan, for instance, references WCAG in its national standard (JIS X 8341-3), while India has accessibility regulations under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. China also has web accessibility standards, although their enforcement is inconsistent.

Despite the difference in legal systems, the global trend is clear, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines provides the common foundation. Accessibility is quickly becoming a legal as well as ethical obligation. While companies operating internationally should be mindful of the differences, they should also recognize that building accessible content will help meet all requirements across the board with a single, unified approach.

The European Accessibility Act: What’s Coming June 2025

The European Accessibility Act has become a major step toward digital inclusion across the European Union. Initially adopted in 2019, it will become fully enforceable starting June 28, 2025, and both the private and public sectors will feel its impact.

The focus of the EAA is to remove barriers for people with disabilities by demanding services to meet clear accessibility standards. This includes e-commerce websites, banking apps, eBooks, media players and digital communication tools. In order to be compliant, businesses must follow the recognized benchmark for accessible content proposed by the WCAG 2.1 Level AA. We will dive deeper into what this entails in the following section.

Failure to comply with this legislation could lead to fines, legal actions or being banned from the EU market. Beyond the legal risk there is always the threat of reputation damage: ignoring accessibility can signal exclusion.

For companies that manage large volumes of content, particularly visual, it’s crucial to get ahead of the curve and start adapting workflows now, as the deadline is approaching fast and building accessibility takes time. Let’s go over a few practical steps that can be taken today to ensure a smooth transition and render your web content accessible.

5 Things you can do today to start becoming compliant

You don’t need to do a full redesign overnight to get started with accessibility. Here are five practical actions you can take today to move towards EAA compliance, especially if you handle large amounts of digital content and visuals.

1. ALT tags: you can start by adding descriptive alt tags to all meaningful images. ALT test makes visual content accessible to screen readers. In your tag you should include a description of the image’s function and context. In the case of purely decorative images, make sure to use an empty alt (like this “alt=”) so that the screen readers know to skip it.
2. Text alternatives: make sure to always provide an alternative to video and audio content, for instance captions for videos, or transcripts for audio. This can help both users with hearing or visual impairment, and can improve comprehension for any user in noisy or muted environments.
3. Readability: check your contrast and font readability by ensuring the text is easy to read, with sufficient color contrast and legible fonts.
4. Keyboard navigation: enable full keyboard navigation on your website so that all interactive elements (menus, buttons, forms) can be accessible via keyboard. You can test your site by navigating it without a mouse.
5. Audit: use automated tools to regularly audit your content and flag any issues. You can combine this with occasional manual testing for optimal results.

These changes bring your web content closer to EAA compliance but they also improve the experience of all users. The sooner you start, the smoother your journey to compliance will be.

Accessibility is a journey, not a checkbox

Accessibility shouldn’t be looked at as a one-time project - it’s an ongoing practice that can evolve with your content, your tools and your users' needs. While the EAA gives a clear deadline, real inclusion happens when accessibility becomes a part of a team’s mindset.

Small decisions, like writing a clear ALT tag or choosing a legible font, add up, and slowly but surely accessibility is built into your workflows and starts to scale. Beyond the compliance needs, companies need to realize this: accessible content is, across the board, better content, easier to read, to use and more respectful of your audience. It’s a win-win for everyone. Over time, efforts compound, and will move you closer to creating a digital experience that truly works for all.