Did you know there are over 135 million people with disabilities in Europe? Many face challenges navigating websites and finding what they need. That’s why the EU requires you to make your website EAA compliant – ensuring it’s accessible to everyone.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to make your website compliant, what could happen if you don’t, and why compliance is totally worth it. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to meet EAA standards and make your site accessible to everyone.
If your business serves customers in the EU, you must comply with EAA website regulations – even if you’re based outside the EU.
There are some exceptions to EAA compliance, such as microenterprises with fewer than 10 employees and annual revenues below €2 million. But even if this applies to you, we recommend making your website accessible to people with disabilities.
Are you in the UK? Check if the European Accessibility Act (EAA) applies to your business!
To make your website EAA-compliant, it must follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA. This is the required standard under the updated EN 301 549, which provides clear guidelines for making websites accessible.
If you’re new to WCAG and EN 301 549, they might sound technical or overwhelming. But the good news is, you don’t need to dive deep into them. You only need to know these six key steps to make your website EAA-compliant. Here they are:
6 Steps to Make Your Website EAA Compliant
Now, let’s go through each step in detail.
Kick off your EAA compliance journey with an automated accessibility audit of your website. This helps you spot straightforward WCAG violations right away. Fixing these issues will bring you one step closer to full EAA compliance.
To run an automated accessibility audit of your website, you can use WebYes. It’s free and designed for the average user, so you can easily handle the audit on your own. Just enter your website URL, and the tool takes care of the rest.
Automated tools alone can’t make your website fully WCAG-compliant. To achieve full compliance, you’ll need a manual audit to catch the issues that automated tools miss. This isn’t something you can do on your own – you’ll probably need an expert to handle it for you.
Thankfully, WebYes makes manual audits easier for you. The tool flags everything that needs a manual review, so you only need to share those specific items with an expert. There are plenty of agencies, like Sweans, that can handle manual testing for you.
Once you’ve identified accessibility issues through automated and manual audits, the next step is to fix them. Start by addressing the simpler issues flagged in the automated scan, like adding alt text and improving colour contrast.
For more complex issues, rely on the expertise of an accessibility professional. They can tackle things like ensuring proper keyboard navigation, accessible forms, and accurate captions for videos.
After implementing the changes, run another accessibility scan to verify that the fixes are effective. This ensures your website is fully compliant with WCAG and meets EAA standards.
The next step is to publish an accessibility statement on your website, declaring that you’re EAA-compliant. This statement highlights your commitment to accessibility and informs users about the steps you’ve taken to meet WCAG standards.
Include details like the level of compliance achieved (e.g., WCAG 2.2 Level AA), any known limitations, and contact information for users needing assistance. It’s a transparent way to build trust with your audience and show your dedication to inclusivity.
Creating an accessibility statement is easier than you might think. A quick Google search will show you plenty of free tools to help. We recommend using W3C’s accessibility statement generator as a reliable option. Acquia Optimize is another great choice.
Accessibility isn’t a one-and-done process – it requires ongoing effort to maintain compliance. Websites evolve with new content, design updates, and features, which can introduce new accessibility issues over time.
Set up continuous monitoring to keep your website in check. Tools like WebYes can run regular audits to flag potential issues as they arise, ensuring your website remains WCAG-compliant and aligned with EAA standards.
By making accessibility monitoring a regular practice, you’ll not only maintain compliance but also provide a consistently inclusive experience for all users. This proactive approach safeguards your business from penalties and enhances your brand’s reputation.
Achieving and maintaining accessibility compliance requires a team-wide effort. Educating your team about accessibility best practices ensures everyone contributes to creating an inclusive website.
Start by providing training on WCAG guidelines, common accessibility barriers, and the importance of compliance. Equip your developers, designers, and content creators with the knowledge and tools they need to make accessibility a priority in their workflows.
Creating a culture of accessibility within your team ensures that your website remains compliant, user-friendly, and inclusive for all visitors. Also, embrace shift-left accessibility to integrate accessibility from the start and prevent issues before they arise.
The EAA allows each member state to decide on penalties for non-compliance, but the commission sets clear guidelines to establish limits. According to the EAA:
“Penalties shall take into account the extent of the non-compliance, including its seriousness, and the number of units of non-complying products or services concerned, as well as the number of persons affected.”
Essentially, this means that the severity of penalties is determined by several factors, including how serious the non-compliance is, the number of people affected, the overall size of the company, and the steps the company has taken to resolve the issues.
Here are some penalties you could face for EAA non-compliance (but not limited to):
In short, non-compliance with the EAA can cost you money and hurt your brand reputation – and let’s be honest, that’s never good for business. Check out our detailed guide on EAA fines to learn more about penalties across different EU countries.
It is worth noting that the EAA includes “alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.” This basically means authorities may notify businesses and give them time to fix issues before imposing penalties. It’s a fair chance to address compliance gaps.
EAA compliance, or making your website WCAG-compliant, comes with several benefits:
Audits, whether automated or manual, might cost you a bit upfront. But trust us, it’s worth it. You’ll pull in more customers, rank higher on search engines, and boost your reputation. Plus, no worrying about penalties. It’s a win-win!
EAA compliance isn’t a one-and-done deal – it’s an ongoing process. Regular website audits are essential to ensure you stay compliant with EAA and WCAG standards. Tools like WebYes can make this easier by helping you audit and monitor your site regularly.
However, don’t think of EAA compliance as just a legal box to check. See it as a way to make your website accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. It’s about creating an inclusive experience that benefits everyone.
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is an internationally recognised standard for making web content accessible to people with disabilities.
The EAA is an EU directive requiring accessibility for digital products and services. WCAG is a set of guidelines that provides technical standards for making digital content accessible.
EN 301 549 is a European standard that provides technical guidelines for making ICT (Information & Communication Technology) products and services accessible.
The EAA sets the rules for making products and services accessible, while EN 301 549 provides the technical details on how to meet those rules.
Article by
Melwyn holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and has been writing professionally for over 4 years. He has a strong background in SEO and is certified in web accessibility from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). When he's not writing about website optimisation, you can find him enjoying a game of FIFA or exploring the open world of GTA.
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