European context
What the EAA is
The European Accessibility Act is Directive (EU) 2019/882. It creates accessibility requirements for a defined range of products and services across the European Union.
Member States apply the Directive through national law, so procedures, authorities and penalties are not identical in every country.
Ecommerce services are included
The Directive includes ecommerce services provided to consumers. Exact application can depend on the service, business circumstances, exemptions and national implementation.
A public website is not automatically covered solely because it is online. Obtain legal advice when you need a definitive applicability assessment.
How WCAG fits
WCAG provides testable criteria for web content and interaction. We use WCAG 2.2 Level AA because W3C recommends using the latest WCAG 2 version and confirms its backwards compatibility with WCAG 2.1.
EAA readiness can also involve service information, support, documentation and processes beyond individual pages.
How to prepare
- Map the complete service.Identify product discovery, cart, checkout, payment, authentication and support.
- Audit representative journeys.Combine automated checks with keyboard, screen-reader and zoom testing.
- Prioritise barriers.Address blockers in critical processes first.
- Remediate root causes.Fix shared components rather than treating every instance separately.
- Document and monitor.Keep evidence and retest meaningful releases.
Technical service, not legal advice
We evaluate accessibility and help remediate barriers. We do not determine legal liability, exemptions or the interpretation of national enforcement rules.