European Accessibility Act
The European Accessibility Act, from good intentions to real results
Since 28 June 2025, accessibility is no longer just a goal across the European Union. For many products and services it is a legal obligation, and it is measured by the result, not only by the effort.
What is the European Accessibility Act?
The European Accessibility Act, or EAA, is Directive (EU) 2019/882. It sets common accessibility requirements for a range of products and services sold in the European Union, so that people with disabilities and older people can use them on an equal basis.
Instead of 27 different national rule sets, the EAA harmonises requirements across all member states. Those requirements build on the European standard EN 301 549, which itself relies on the WCAG success criteria for digital content.
What it covers
Products
Computers and operating systems, smartphones, self-service terminals such as ATMs, ticketing and check-in machines, payment terminals, e-readers and more.
Services
E-commerce, consumer banking, electronic communications, access to audiovisual media services, e-books, and elements of air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport.
Digital by nature
Websites, mobile apps, electronic documents and the digital touchpoints around these services all fall within scope.
An obligation of result, not only of effort
Before, it was often enough to show that you were trying. Since 28 June 2025, that is no longer the case. For the products and services covered by the EAA, conformance is assessed on the outcome: the experience must actually be accessible to the people who rely on it.
Good intentions, internal policies and partial fixes are not enough on their own. What counts is whether a person using assistive technology can genuinely complete the task, from start to finish.
Since 28 June 2025, the question is no longer "did you try?" but "does it actually work for everyone?"
Who must comply?
If your organisation places a covered product or service on the European Union market, the EAA most likely concerns you, wherever your company is based.
Typically concerned
- Manufacturers, importers and distributors of covered products
- Online shops and e-commerce services selling to EU consumers
- Banks and providers of consumer banking services
- Providers of electronic communications and audiovisual media services
- Transport operators, for their digital booking and information services
- Publishers of e-books and providers of e-reading software
Possible exceptions
- Microenterprises providing services (fewer than 10 people and up to 2 million euro turnover) benefit from a lighter regime
- Requirements that would impose a disproportionate burden or fundamentally alter a product or service can be limited, but this must be documented and justified
These exceptions are narrow and must be assessed case by case. When in doubt, it is safer to assume the EAA applies.
Accessibility is the whole experience, not a single audit
The EAA is about people reaching their goal: buying a ticket, opening an account, reading a book, contacting support. That journey rarely lives on a single page. It crosses a website, a mobile app, a confirmation email, a downloadable PDF and sometimes a call back to a human.
A one-off audit of a single page can tell you that page is fine today. It cannot tell you that the whole journey works, or that it still works after the next release. Real compliance is continuous and end to end.
Every touchpoint counts
Web, mobile, documents and emails are all part of the same experience and the same obligation.
It changes over time
Each new release can introduce or fix issues, so accessibility has to be tracked, not snapshotted once.
The result is what matters
A path that someone can actually complete, not a checklist filed away in a drawer.
How CheckFox helps you reach the result
CheckFox is built around the same idea as the EAA: accessibility is an ongoing, end-to-end experience, not a one-time checkbox.
Journey mapping
Map a complete user journey across websites, apps, PDFs and emails, link the relevant audits to it, and see a single coverage score for the whole experience the EAA cares about.
See how it worksAudit versioning
Accessibility is never finished. Create a new version each time the product changes or guidelines evolve, carry forward what was already done, and prove progress over time.
Explore the workflowBuilt on the right standards
Audit against RAWeb, RGAA, RAAM, RAPDF or WCAG, the same frameworks the EAA relies on through EN 301 549.
Browse the standardsFree self-assessment
Not sure if the EAA concerns you?
Answer a few short questions about your organisation and your digital services to find out whether the European Accessibility Act applies to you, and what to look at first.
Start the self-assessmentTakes about 1 minute. No sign-up required.
And in Luxembourg?
Luxembourg has transposed the European Accessibility Act into national law, with the web accessibility framework RAWeb as the reference for digital conformance and a designated body monitoring compliance. Official national information for businesses is published on accessibilite-produits-services.public.lu.
Frequently asked questions
When did the EAA come into force?
Does the EAA apply if my company is based outside the EU?
Is making an effort enough to comply?
Which standard defines the requirements?
What happens if we do not comply?
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. For your specific obligations, refer to the official texts and, where relevant, to a qualified professional.
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