The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a landmark legal change that will improve the lives of disabled people by ensuring equal access to digital products and services for European Union (EU) consumers.

The EAA becomes law in all EU member states on 28 June 2025 and applies to any organisation that provides products and services to consumers in the EU, including businesses and public bodies in the UK.

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Our series of free EAA webinars will help you to prepare for the June 2025 deadline by answering: 

• What is the EAA and who does it apply to?
• What do I need to know about testing, standards and documentation?
• And much more

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Frequently Asked Questions about the EAA

These FAQs are updated and checked regularly.

Please contact us if you have any questions or spot any mistakes.

What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?

• The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a landmark legal change that will improve the lives of disabled people by ensuring equal access to digital products and services for European Union (EU) consumers.
• The EAA becomes law in all EU member states on 28 June 2025 and applies to any organisation that provides products and services to consumes in the EU, inclduing businesses and public bodies in the UK.

What are the aims of the European Accessibility Act?

• The EAA aims to improve the lives of disabled and older people in the EU by ensuring equal access to selected products and services within the EU. It also makes it easier for businesses to understand and adopt common standards for digital accessibility.

Who does the European Accessibility Act apply to?

• Unlike previous accessibility legislation, such as the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations (PSBAR), the EAA is mainly focused on private sector firms, including companies in the UK.
• It applies to any business with at least 10 staff and a turnover above €2 million;
• It applies to any business that trades in the EU
• Companies with headquarters based outside the EU must also comply with the EAA if they sell relevant goods or services within the EU.

What is covered by the European Accessibility Act?

• The EAA applies to any business that provides goods and services to consumers in the EU
• It covers a wide range of goods and services
• It is mainly focused on digital accessibility but it does crossover with physical accessibility
• It will affect any UK business that provides services to EU consumers
• It will also affect any UK business that provides services to public or private bodies that are in scope

What services does the European Accessibility Act cover?

The EAA is largely focused on technology and covers the products and services deemed most important to people with disabilities. These include:

• Computers and operating systems
• Smartphones
• TV equipment and related broadcasting services
• Services related to various forms of transport
• Banking
• E-books
• E-commerce
• ATMs (cash machines), ticketing and check-in machines

Each product or service is covered by specific standards, which identify voluntary requirements and must be met for that product or service to be legally traded inside the EU.

Does the European Accessibility Act apply to the UK?

The EAA will not become part of UK law, but it does apply to any business that provides goods and services to consumers in the EU.

Therefore UK businesses that provides goods and services in the EU must comply with it.

Is the European Accessibility Act already law?

The EAA becomes law on 28 June 2025.

How is the European Accessibility Act being implemented?

Some EU laws are implemented centrally, but for the EAA each member state is publishing their own individual laws and detailed regulations.

They must show who is responsible for its implementation and lay out the monitoring processes and penalties for non-compliance. For example these articles explain how the EAA is being implemented in Ireland and in Germany1.6.

What are the key accessibility requirements of the EAA?

• The EAA requires products and services to be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (known as POUR) which are the underpinning principles of all digital accessibility.
• Our Beginners Guide to Digital Accessibility explains the POUR principles and many other accessibility principles which will be relevant to the EAA.
• Specific requirements exist for different categories, for example self-service terminals need to provide text-to-speech options. Further details are available within the Directive.
• The European Accessibility Act (EAA) establishes common accessibility requirements across the EU for certain products and services.
• However, it does not replace existing national accessibility laws in EU member states. Instead, it complements them, meaning businesses and organisations will need to comply with both the EAA and any relevant national accessibility legislation that remains in force.
• AbilityNet's EAA Readiness Service can help address country-specific requirements on a case-by-case basis, including a referral to a legal partner if required.

What are the benefits of the EAA?

Benefits for businesses

• The EAA introduces common accessibility standards across the EU, helping businesses to be able to compete in new markets throughout the EU with reduced compliance costs.
• The EAA decreases the complexity of navigating different national regulations.
• As disabled consumers seek accessible options, companies that meet these needs can increase their customer base.

Benefits for disabled people

• The EAA ensures a wider range of accessible products and services in the market.
• This means that disabled people and older people will find it easier to use everyday items and access essential services.
• Competition amongst providers and growing use of accessibility by design is likely drive down prices.
• New job opportunities in sectors focused on inclusive design and compliance.

Are there penalties for not complying with the EAA?

Non-compliance with the EAA will result in various penalties, depending on the severity and context - and also which country you are trading in.

Fines and Prison Sentences

• Regulatory authorities in a member state may impose fines on businesses that do not comply with the accessibility standards outlined in the EAA
• The amount of the fine will vary based on the specific location, the nature of the violation and the size of the business
• Ireland's laws can result in prison sentences

Legal Proceedings

• Organisations could face legal action from individuals or advocacy groups representing disabled people
• This could result in lawsuits, court orders or settlements requiring the business to rectify accessibility issues

Reputational Damage

• Non-compliance will harm reputation and lead to negative publicity which affects the brand

Loss of Customers

• Inaccessible products or services alienate potential customers, whereas businesses and organistaions that prioritise accessibility are more likely to attract a diverse customer base

Business Disruption

• Businesses and organisations may be forced to modify products, services or websites to meet EAA standards which will be costly and disruptive

Exclusion from procurement processes

• EAA compliance will become more common in public and private sector procurement requirements
• Non-compliant businesses may be excluded from participating in public procurement processes

How should I prepare for the European Accessibility Act?

The EAA becomes law on 28 June 2025. To ensure that you are compliant you need to:

• Speak to your legal team to make sure the EAA is on their radar
• Work out how it applies to your business
• Check the accessibility of products and services
• Create a plan to address any concerns before June 2025
• Address the priority issues
• Document your plans and create an EAA-compliant version of your accessibility statement
• Adapt tour processes to ensure new products and services created after June 2025 are compliant

Our webinar recorded in July 2024, with one year to go, presents a useful introduction to the EAA and the steps organisations need to take to prepare:

You can access the webinar slides, transcript and supporting resources on our website. You may also want to watch our EAA webinar series in 2025.

How are others preparing for the European Accessibility Act?

In July 2024 we spoke with Christopher Patnoe, the Head of EMEA Accessibility and Disability Inclusion at Google, about how they are gearing up to meet the EAA’s requirements, ensuring their products remain accessible and compliant across Europe.

"What was interesting is we started off just looking at the EU declaration as the basis, and then we had to start pulling apart each member state's different implementation of it, and some of them have a fine of money [and] Ireland allegedly has a fine of jail time... This is why you want to partner with your legal team, but also you want to make sure that you focus with the people that understand the law in these different member states..."

Access the full interview with Google about how they are approaching the EAA on our website.

As a charity AbilityNet is always interested in researching and sharing a view of progress towards a digital world that is accessible to all. That's why in early 2025 we ran a survey to create a benchmark of current EAA readiness.

Findings from the survey will be reported in March 2025. We expect to be able to share an overview of EAA readiness which will also allow you to benchmark your preparation activities against other organisations.

Please sign up for our newsletter to receive our EAA readiness report, along with other accessibility news and details of our business and charitable activities.

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Are there penalties for not complying with the EAA?

Non-compliance with the EAA will result in various penalties, depending on the severity and context - and also which country you are trading in.

Fines and Prison Sentences

• Regulatory authorities in a member state may impose fines on businesses that do not comply with the accessibility standards outlined in the EAA
• The amount of the fine will vary based on the specific location, the nature of the violation and the size of the business
• Ireland's laws can result in prison sentences

Legal Proceedings

• Organisations could face legal action from individuals or advocacy groups representing disabled people
• This could result in lawsuits, court orders or settlements requiring the business to rectify accessibility issues

Reputational Damage

• Non-compliance will harm reputation and lead to negative publicity which affects the brand

Loss of Customers

• Inaccessible products or services alienate potential customers, whereas businesses and organistaions that prioritise accessibility are more likely to attract a diverse customer base

Business Disruption

• Businesses and organisations may be forced to modify products, services or websites to meet EAA standards which will be costly and disruptive

Exclusion from procurement processes

• EAA compliance will become more common in public and private sector procurement requirements
• Non-compliant businesses may be excluded from participating in public procurement processes

Learn more

To stay informed about the EAA and digital accessibility join our mailing list or take a look at our free digital accessibility resources.

Or speak to our experts to learn how our EAA Readiness Service can help you to get ready for the EAA.