The European Accessibility Act (EAA) requires businesses to meet accessibility standards by June 28, 2025. Companies that fail to meet the EAA requirements by this date risk facing significant fines and penalties.
So, what kinds of penalties can you expect for non-compliance? And how can your business avoid them? In this guide, we’ll break down the fine and provide practical steps to help you stay on the right side of the law.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) leaves fines and penalties to the discretion of member states. In other words, they differ by country. They also depend on the severity of the breach and the type or size of the organisation.
Although the specifics differ, fines for violating the EAA generally fall into two categories:
Non-compliance fines are administrative penalties for failing to meet EAA requirements. These fines typically range from €5,000 to €20,000 per issue, with each violation assessed separately based on its severity and context.
For example, an e-commerce website could be fined €8,000 for not providing text alternatives for images. This issue ranks lower on the severity scale but still makes the website inaccessible to visually impaired users relying on screen readers.
On the other hand, an educational platform might face a €18,000 penalty for not supporting keyboard navigation. This higher severity violation prevents individuals with mobility impairments from accessing critical learning resources.
If non-compliance is ongoing, that is, the issues are not resolved promptly, daily penalties may be imposed. These fines add up each day a violation continues and can reach up to €1,000 per day, putting financial pressure on businesses to act quickly.
For example, a tech startup might face a daily penalty of €1,000 for unresolved navigation issues on their platform. Over 30 days, this could result in a total fine of €30,000 unless the issues are addressed swiftly.
While it is unclear, the regulatory authorities likely provide a grace period or compliance deadline before imposing daily fines. This allows businesses a reasonable amount of time to address the identified accessibility issues.
As mentioned earlier, EAA fines and penalties are not uniform across the EU; each member state decides how to enforce non-compliance. Here’s a breakdown of the penalties businesses could face in different countries:
The fines are clearly massive. On top of that, businesses can also face reputational damage, increased scrutiny, and even the risk of being excluded from key markets. Nobody wants that, so let’s look at how you can avoid these issues.
By now, you’re aware of the risks of EAA non-compliance. To avoid these risks, all you have to do is comply with the EAA, right? But that’s easier said than done – making your products and services accessible can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to it.
But worry not. We’re here to guide you through the process and recommend tools to make EAA compliance easier. While it might seem complicated, achieving compliance can be broken down into four essential steps. Let’s dive into them in this section.
Start by evaluating your products and services against the EAA standards. This involves reviewing physical products, digital platforms (your website/app), and customer service processes to ensure they are accessible.
Use a combination of automated tools, manual reviews, and feedback from users with disabilities to identify areas of non-compliance. You can use tools such as WebYes to run an accessibility audit on your website to identify barriers.
Looking for guidance on EAA compliance for your website? Explore our step-by-step guide on how to make your website EAA-compliant
Once you’ve identified the gaps, create an action plan to address them. Update your product designs, digital interfaces, and service workflows to meet EAA requirements. Prioritise changes that have the biggest impact on accessibility and usability for all customers.
Compliance isn’t a one-time effort. Set up systems to regularly review your products and services for accessibility. This includes testing updates, new features, or changes to ensure they align with the latest standards and regulations.
Unsure how frequently to review your website for accessibility? Check out our detailed guide on how often you should audit your website.
Educate your team on accessibility principles and EAA requirements. Consider hosting workshops on WCAG guidelines, inclusive design principles, and the importance of accessibility. By fostering a culture of accessibility, you reduce the risk of future non-compliance.
As we’ve discussed, EAA non-compliance can lead to fines and penalties. But addressing accessibility shouldn’t just be about avoiding these consequences – it should be about ensuring everyone, including people with disabilities, can use your products or services.
Ready to get started? Use WebYes to audit your website for accessibility, identify areas of improvement, and take the first step toward EAA compliance today. Together, we can make the digital world a more inclusive place.
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