EAA Compliance Checker

What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a landmark EU directive that harmonizes accessibility requirements across all member states. Enforced from June 28, 2025, it requires websites, mobile apps, e-commerce platforms, banking services, and transport booking systems to meet EN 301 549 standards (based on WCAG 2.1 Level AA). Non-compliance can result in fines, legal action, and being blocked from serving EU customers.

EAA vs ADA: Key Differences

While the ADA focuses on Title III public accommodations (U.S.), the EAA applies to any business offering digital products or services to EU consumers — regardless of where the company is located. Both share the same WCAG 2.1 AA technical standard, but the EAA has stricter deadlines (active now) and broader scope, including e-books, ticketing machines, and banking interfaces.

Who Must Comply with EAA?

• E-commerce websites selling to EU customers
• Banks and financial institutions operating in the EU
• Transport services (airlines, trains, buses) with EU routes
• Telecom providers and e-book platforms
• Self-service terminals (ATMs, ticketing machines)

How Our EAA Compliance Checker Works

Our free EAA compliance tool scans your website against EN 301 549 technical requirements. It checks for keyboard accessibility, screen reader compatibility, alt text, focus indicators, and semantic structure needed for WCAG 2.1 AA — the backbone of EAA legislation.

1. Keyboard & Focus Checks

EAA requires full keyboard operability. Our tool tests if users can navigate via 'Tab', 'Enter', and arrow keys, and verifies visible focus indicators are present. Failure here means automatic violation of mandatory EN 301 549 criterion 9.2.1.1.

2. Screen Reader & ARIA Labels

Our checker validates that dynamic content (e.g., shopping carts, alerts) uses proper ARIA roles (role="status", aria-live) and that interactive elements have descriptive labels. For blind users, missing ARIA labels make checkout impossible, directly violating EAA.

3. Legal Protection for EU Market

EAA enforcement began June 2025, and member states have already published penalties (up to €100,000 per violation). Use our free EAA auditor below to identify gaps before receiving a legal notice.

European Accessibility Act Timeline — Key Dates

The european accessibility act timeline shows a phased approach:

• 2019: European accessibility act 2019 adopted by the European Parliament
• 2022: European accessibility act 2022 — Member states began transposing
• June 28, 2025: European accessibility act 2025 — Full enforcement began
• June 28, 2027: E-commerce websites transition period ends
• 2030: Existing e-books and products transition period ends
• 2045: Self-service terminals (ATMs, kiosks) transition period ends

EN 301 549 — The Technical Standard for EAA

EN 301 549 is the European standard for digital accessibility. It incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criteria (78 total) along with additional requirements for non-web documents, software, and hardware.

EU accessibility standards (EN 301 549 v3.2.1) include:

• All WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA success criteria
• Additional requirements for non-web documents (PDFs, office files)
• Software and app accessibility criteria
• Hardware and self-service terminal requirements

European Accessibility Act Enforcement — Penalties by Country

EAA enforcement began June 28, 2025. EAA penalties vary by EU member state:

• Germany: Fines up to €50,000; market bans
• France: Daily fines up to €1,500/day; up to €75,000
• Spain: Fines up to €100,000 for severe violations
• Italy: Fines up to €80,000; public shaming
• Netherlands: Fines up to €150,000; public shaming
• Sweden: Fines up to SEK 500,000 (≈€45,000)
• Poland: Fines up to PLN 200,000 (≈€45,000)
• Ireland: Fines up to €60,000
• Austria: Fines up to €50,000
• Denmark: Fines up to DKK 400,000 (≈€55,000)

European Accessibility Act Exemptions

EAA exemptions apply to:

• Microenterprises: Businesses with fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover under €2 million (for services only)
• Undue burden: If compliance requires significant financial or operational burden
• Fundamental alteration: If compliance would fundamentally change the product or service

EAA Transition Periods — When Must You Comply?

• New websites and apps (post-June 2025): Must comply immediately
• Existing e-commerce websites: Must comply by June 28, 2027
• Existing e-books: Until 2030
• Self-service terminals (ATMs, kiosks): Until 2045

EAA Compliance Checklist for Websites

• ✅ All images have descriptive alt text
• ✅ Color contrast meets 4.5:1 (normal text) or 3:1 (large text)
• ✅ Full keyboard navigation with visible focus indicators
• ✅ All form fields have proper labels
• ✅ HTML lang attribute specified
• ✅ Skip navigation link present
• ✅ Page titles are descriptive
• ✅ Videos have captions and transcripts
• ✅ PDF documents are accessible (tagged, alt text, reading order)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) — EAA Compliance

Q1: What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an EU directive harmonizing accessibility requirements across all 27 member states. Enforced from June 28, 2025.

Q2: Who must comply with EAA?

Any business offering covered products or services to EU consumers — regardless of location. Includes e-commerce, banks, transport, telecom, e-books.

Q3: What is the difference between EAA and ADA?

EAA vs ADA: ADA applies to US businesses; EAA applies to any business serving EU customers. Both reference WCAG 2.1 AA, but EAA has fixed deadlines.

Q4: What are the fines for EAA non-compliance?

EAA penalties reach €100,000+ per violation in some countries. Daily fines also possible (up to €1,500/day in France).

Q5: What is EN 301 549?

EN 301 549 is the European standard for digital accessibility, based on WCAG 2.1 Level AA with additional requirements for non-web content.

Q6: Does EAA apply to US companies?

Yes. If you sell products or services to EU customers, the eu accessibility act applies, even if your business is registered in the US.

Q7: What is the deadline for EAA compliance?

June 28, 2025 was the enforcement date. Existing e-commerce sites have until June 28, 2027 for full compliance.

Q8: How do I check if my website is EAA compliant?

Use our free EAA compliance checker. Enter your URL for an instant scan against EN 301 549 standards.

Q9: What is the European Accessibility Act directive number?

Directive (EU) 2019/882 is the official european accessibility directive number.

Q10: Does EAA apply to mobile apps?

Yes. Mobile apps for e-commerce, banking, transport, and telecom services must comply with EAA and work with VoiceOver (iOS) and TalkBack (Android).

Q11: What is the European Accessibility Act summary?

Requires digital products and services in the EU to be accessible to people with disabilities. Enforced June 2025. Based on EN 301 549 (WCAG 2.1 AA).

Q12: Who enforces the EAA?

EAA enforcement is handled by each EU member state's designated national authority (Germany: BFSG, France: RGAA, Spain: Real Decreto, etc.).