Achieving Digital Accessibility for All
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a directive of the European Union that requires all digital products and services (websites, mobile apps, e-commerce, ATMs, parking meters, etc.) that are intended for customers in the EU to meet certain accessibility standards. These standards are defined in the EN 301 549 standard, which is essentially the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 level AA.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) for digital products and services is mandatory from June 28, 2025.
Small businesses with up to 10 employees and a turnover of less than 2 million euros are exempt.
Who will accessible digital products and services help?
Digital products and services are accessible when people with disabilities can perceive, understand, operate, and contribute to them without limitations.
Accessible digital products and services should make life easier for nearly 90 million people in the EU who have some form of disability:
- Temporary health conditions caused by injury or illness, such as a broken right arm or hearing damage.
- Health conditions associated with age - most seniors have some vision, hearing, motor, and memory problems at some point in their lives.
- Attention disorders such as dyslexia and dyscalculia.
- Long-term disabilities (such as the visually impaired and the hard of hearing).
However, accessible digital products and services will help everyone, as everyone will occasionally find themselves in a situation where their senses are limited, such as vision when driving in the dark or hearing in a noisy cafe.
What will the European Accessibility Act (EAA) benefit for businesses?
The European Union's Accessibility Directive at first glance means increased costs to ensure that your digital products and services are accessible.
For organizations whose customers also include seniors, EEA will also be a benefit, as accessible digital products and services will be easier for seniors to use, which will be reflected in business metrics, such as conversion rates in e-shops.
The population in the EU is clearly aging and seniors are an economic opportunity for business growth.
How can I ensure that my digital products and services meet EEA?
Digital products and services must comply with the EN 301 549 standard, which is actually the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 level AA.
A quick way to adapt to EEA is to do an accessibility audit and then fix all errors to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 level AA. This is an activity that you will then do regularly to prevent it from breaking.
A more reliable way to adapt to EEA is to focus on accessibility during the design or redesign of digital products and services. For example, you can focus on seniors and follow the recommendations for UX design for seniors, which in combination with WCAG rules will ensure that your e-shop is accessible and usable for seniors.
Everyone needs better design!
Good design is not just for the elderly, the sick, or the disabled. It helps everyone!
In ui42, we have many years of experience with the accessibility of digital products and services, such as: UX design for seniors, accessibility workshop, accessibility audit, usability testing, and interviews with seniors.
