European Accessibility Act (EAA): what changes in 2025?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) becomes enforceable from June 28, 2025. For many organizations, this means digital accessibility moves from "good practice" to a legal requirement.
What is the EAA?
The EAA is an EU directive that harmonizes accessibility requirements for products and services, including websites, e-commerce, banking services, e-books, telecom services, and more. In most cases, organizations demonstrate compliance through EN 301 549, which references WCAG 2.1 AA for web content.
Who is in scope?
- Commercial providers of digital services covered by the directive
- E-commerce platforms and online customer portals
- Financial service providers and payment flows
- Transport, telecom, and digital media service providers
Micro-enterprises may have limited exemptions depending on local implementation, but accessibility is still strongly advised from both legal and business perspectives.
What does this mean for your website?
- Keyboard access for all critical flows
- Sufficient contrast and clear focus indicators
- Correct labels, alt text, and semantic structure
- Accessible forms, errors, and authentication flows
Practical compliance roadmap
- Run a baseline scan with AI + automated checks
- Perform manual expert testing for uncovered criteria
- Prioritize critical barriers in top user journeys
- Retest and document evidence in a compliance dossier
- Publish and maintain an accessibility statement
Why act now?
Accessibility improvements reduce legal risk, improve conversion, and make your digital services usable for more people. Start with a Toegankelijk360 AI scan, then move to a full expert audit for high-confidence EAA readiness.