Web accessibility is no longer just for large corporations. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) extends obligations to many private companies from 2025. Here's what you need to know — and what you need to do before a user or authority demands it.
Who is affected by the EAA?
Web accessibility obligations in Europe apply under two distinct frameworks:
Public sector — obligations since 2019: government bodies, local authorities, public institutions, healthcare establishments funded by public funds.
European Accessibility Act (EAA) — private sector since June 2025:
| Sector | Effective date | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce | June 2025 | Online retail sites, mobile apps |
| Banking & insurance | June 2025 | Online banking and financial services |
| Transport | June 2025 | Ticketing, passenger information online |
| Telecommunications | June 2025 | Electronic communication services |
| E-books | June 2025 | Digital books, readers, reading platforms |
SMEs with fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover below €2M benefit from a partial exemption — but this doesn't cover major violations. It's better to anticipate.
What WCAG/accessibility standards say in practice
- 4 principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust (POUR)
- Objective: your site must be usable by people with disabilities — visual (blindness, low vision, colour blindness), auditory (deafness), motor (keyboard-only navigation), cognitive (dyslexia, attention disorders)
- Required level: Level AA (intermediate) — not AAA (maximum). Level AA is realistic for the vast majority of professional websites.
An accessibility statement published on your site is mandatory — a document describing your current compliance rate, known non-conformances, and a contact method for users encountering obstacles. This statement must be honest and kept up to date.
The 5 most common accessibility problems
These five issues represent over 60% of non-conformances identified in accessibility audits:
- Images without alternative text: an image without a filled
altattribute is invisible to a screen reader user. Yet it's the most widespread non-conformance — often through habit or forgetting when adding content. - Forms without labels: a field without a properly associated
<label>tag is impossible to fill with a keyboard or screen reader. - Insufficient contrast between text and background: light grey text on white may be readable for a normal-sighted eye but unreadable for a visually impaired person. WCAG AA requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for body text.
- Impossible keyboard navigation: dropdown menus, carousels and modals built only for mouse users exclude people who navigate by keyboard.
- Videos without subtitles: any video broadcasting audio must be accompanied by synchronised subtitles. YouTube auto-generates subtitles — but their quality is insufficient for real accessibility compliance.
What's truly difficult vs what's simple
Simple and quick to fix:
- ✅
altattributes on all images — 2 to 4 hours for an average site - ✅ Labels on all form fields — 1 to 2 hours
- ✅ Consistent heading structure H1 → H2 → H3 — 2 to 3 hours
- ✅ Colour/text contrast corrections — 3 to 6 hours
- ✅ Page language declared in HTML (
lang="en") — 30 minutes
Difficult and costly:
- ❌ Full keyboard navigation on complex interactive components — 2 to 5 days
- ❌ Correct ARIA roles on dynamic interfaces (SPAs, React apps) — 3 to 8 days
- ❌ Testing with real screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) and fixes — 3 to 5 days
- ❌ Accessibility of complex data tables — 1 to 3 days
Case study: cosmetics e-commerce site
Cosmetics e-commerce site, 120,000 visits/month. Accessibility audit 2025: 45% of criteria non-compliant. Main issues: product images without alt, checkout form inaccessible by keyboard, insufficient contrast on CTA buttons, no subtitles on tutorial videos.
Progressive remediation in 3 two-week sprints: €8,400. Result: accessibility statement published, zero complaints since compliance, and an unexpected gain of +12% mobile conversions — the improved tactile navigation benefited all users, not just those with disabilities.
FAQ — Web Accessibility 2026
Is my WordPress website accessible?
Not automatically. Most popular WordPress sites have between 30 and 60% of WCAG criteria non-compliant at audit time. A check with WAVE or Axe plus manual screen reader testing is essential.
How much does an accessibility audit cost?
A full WCAG audit costs between €2,500 and €6,000. A scoping audit costs between €800 and €1,500. Subsequent remediation costs €3,000 to €15,000 depending on the non-conformance rate and technical complexity.
Is an accessibility statement enough?
No. The statement is mandatory but does not replace actual compliance. It must honestly reflect the current state of your site and be updated after each significant modification.
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
Public sector: fines up to €20,000 per breach. Private sector (EAA since June 2025): up to €50,000 per repeated breach. Beyond financial penalties, a lawsuit from a disabled user can engage civil liability — and the reputational impact is often more damaging than the fine.
Is your site accessible? Let's find out.
I audit your site against WCAG criteria and deliver a prioritised compliance plan — from most impactful to most complex. Pragmatic approach, concrete results.
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