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Web Accessibility – The countdown is on!

The countdown is on: on June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will come into force in Europe, marking a turning point for digital accessibility. The EAA aims to ensure that the 87 million Europeans with disabilities can use digital products and services without barriers.

Digital accessibility

Digital accessibility involves designing websites, applications, and technologies in an inclusive way. The WCAG standards, published by the W3C, are essential for removing barriers. They provide guidelines and recommendations for making a website accessible.

The European Union has integrated these standards into the EN 301 549 directive, which covers various digital platforms.

Who is concerned?

Since 2005, the public sector has been required to comply with strict digital accessibility standards. Since 2019, this obligation has extended to the private sector, particularly businesses with an annual turnover of 250 million euros, as well as associations working on accessibility. Starting in June 2025, all businesses, except those with fewer than 10 employees or generating less than 2 million euros in revenue, will need to comply with these requirements.

Key points to be compliant today:

Establish an accessibility statement: For all your digital platforms (websites, intranet, PDFs, digital kiosks, software, mobile applications).
Create a multi-year plan and an annual action plan.
Make all your content accessible. (For all governmental administrations within the EU.)

Starting June 28, 2025:

Extended scope: All the businesses mentioned above must publish an accessibility statement and a multi-year plan.
Accessibility of e-commerce websites: All new content must be 100% accessible.

Definition e-commerce services:

means services provided at a distance, through websites and mobile device-based services by electronic means and at the individual request of a consumer with a view to concluding a consumer contract.

Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32019L0882#anx_I

Example of Sanctions for non-compliance:

In Sweden:
Penalties can reach up to €200,000, with required accessibility audits and corrective actions.
In France:
€50,000 per inaccessible digital touchpoint.
An additional €25,000 for failing to publish the accessibility statement, the multi-year plan, and the annual action plan.

Start Now

Develop a compliance strategy: Here are some tips to get into compliance and avoid penalties starting on June 28:

Start now. Don’t wait until the final deadline to comply with the law.
Go through our checklist for the WCAG 2.0 & 2.1 success criteria
Conduct human testing, in addition to automated testing, to identify barriers.
Adhere to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards to achieve optimal accessibility.
Establish a remediation strategy to correct all identified issues.
Conduct regular audits to prevent the degradation of digital accessibility over time.

Our Checklist & Guide

Conclusion

Digital accessibility legislation is an opportunity to make your products and services more inclusive while adhering to regulations. Committing to this path offers significant benefits, such as improving search engine rankings, increasing user engagement, and strengthening brand image.

At Les Creatives, we are ready to help you prepare for compliance. Contact our experts to learn more about our digital accessibility services. We have been working with WCAG since 2015 for government agency (for example Vårdanalys, MUCF).

Ready to take the step? Contact us today to ensure optimal accessibility for all your users and eliminate digital barriers.