Think the EAA is toothless? Think again...

Think the EAA is toothless? Think again. The European Accessibility Act: What It Means and Why It Matters (Now) If you work in tech, digital product development, or compliance, you've probably started hearing more about the European Accessibility Act (EAA). And if you haven’t yet, it’s time to tune in — because this is one of those laws that doesn’t just apply to “someone else.” It affects nearly every company doing business in the EU, whether you're based in Berlin or Bangalore.


The European Accessibility Act: What It Means and Why It Matters (Now)

If you work in tech, digital product development, or compliance, you've probably started hearing more about the European Accessibility Act (EAA). And if you haven’t yet, it’s time to tune in — because this is one of those laws that doesn’t just apply to “someone else.” It affects nearly every company doing business in the EU, whether you're based in Berlin or Bangalore.

What is the EAA?

The European Accessibility Act is a major EU directive that requires a wide range of digital products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. That includes things like websites, banking apps, transport booking systems, smart devices, and even eBooks.

By June 28, 2025, any organization offering services in the EU must comply. And “compliance” doesn’t just mean checking a few boxes — it means your digital experiences need to work for people with vision, hearing, motor, or cognitive impairments.

What's Covered?

If your business offers or builds:

  • E-commerce websites and mobile apps

  • Banking or financial services

  • Electronic communications (telcos)

  • Transport services (including ticketing machines and travel apps)

  • eBooks and e-readers

  • Smart TVs and related user interfaces

  • Customer support (chatbots, contact forms, IVR systems)

…then you're probably within scope.

Does It Really Have Teeth?

Yes — but with some nuance. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Why the EAA is not toothless:

  • It’s already law. It passed in 2019 and became enforceable at the national level across all 27 EU member states by June 2022. The clock is ticking — enforcement begins June 28, 2025.

  • It covers private companies, not just government websites like older EU directives. That’s a big change.

  • There are real financial penalties. In some countries, fines could reach up to €500,000 per violation — and because enforcement is national, you could be fined separately in each country you operate in.

  • Consumer complaints can trigger investigations, and disability advocacy groups now have legal leverage to push for change.

  • Cross-border enforcement is possible. An inaccessible experience in Spain could lead to legal trouble if a user in France files a complaint.

But it’s not perfect:

  • Enforcement will vary. Some countries will take it more seriously than others, especially at first.

  • There’s a grace period on older content. Anything published before June 2025 may have until 2030 to comply in some cases.

  • It’ll likely take a few lawsuits or fines to wake up the late adopters — just like GDPR did.

So yes, it’s real. Yes, it matters. And waiting to “see what happens” could turn out to be an expensive mistake.


What Should You Do?

There’s no silver bullet, but here’s a smart place to start:

  1. Audit where you are today.
    Look at your core user flows, templates, and most-used pages. Spot the easy fixes and log the bigger issues.

  2. Train your teams.
    Accessibility isn’t just for devs. Designers, content folks, product owners — everyone needs to know their role.

  3. Plan for the long game.
    This isn’t a one-time fix. You’ll need policies, documentation, regular testing, and a sustainable roadmap.

  4. Avoid shortcut tools.
    Accessibility overlays (those widgets that promise to make your site compliant in 24 hours) sound tempting. But they’re ineffective and have already been rejected by the EU Commission.

  5. Bake accessibility into your process.
    Include it in design systems, development workflows, QA cycles — from the beginning, not after the fact. This “shift-left” mindset saves time, money, and frustration later.


Final Thoughts

Laws like the EAA can feel overwhelming, but this isn’t just about ticking boxes to avoid fines. It’s about doing the right thing — building products that work for everyone. Accessibility is good UX. It’s good engineering. It’s good business.

The deadline is real. The risk is real. But so is the opportunity — to reach more people, improve usability, and build better digital experiences.

Start now, and by the time June 2025 rolls around, you won’t just be compliant — you’ll be ahead of the curve.

 

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