The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is the European Union’s foremost legislation on equal access to goods and services for all citizens. It establishes vital accessibility requirements for brick-and-mortar locations, digital assets, banking, transportation, and dozens of other entities in the public and private sectors.
Keep reading to learn more about the EAA, including its essential requirements, the benefits of achieving EAA compliance, and how Accessibly can help your business meet web accessibility standards. We’ve also included some of our favorite accessibility resources to get you up to speed quickly.
Requirements of The European Accessibility Act (EAA)
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) applies to physical and digital accessibility for all protected classes. Its scope extends to several industries, including communications, transportation, and other sectors within the public and private realm, governing accessibility for brick-and-mortar locations and digital properties like websites and mobile apps from all entities within the EU member states.
One key aspect of the EAA is the accessibility of ICT products and services in EU countries. Specific modifications must be made to computers and operating systems to allow people with disabilities to access content more easily, such as closed captioning, color contrast selections, and larger cursors for easier screen navigation.
Another way EU businesses and organizations comply with the EAA is to provide assistive devices (e.g., screen readers) as a public accommodation or in the workplace, to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their tasks effectively.
Another area the EAA applies to is the banking industry. All banking portals and self-service terminals must be fully adapted to individuals with disabilities, achieving compliance with upgrades like adjustable height and reach chairs and desks and simplified navigation menus. Even online banking websites and mobile applications must adhere to web accessibility requirements with clear and concise navigation, preferably using semantic HTML.
Lastly, the EAA covers many public spaces as well. Accommodations must be made in places like bus depots, parking lots, and tramway stations to cater to the needs of the mobility impaired, such as low floor boarding and louder audio announcements for the hearing-impaired. Airlines are also required to provide wheelchair assistance to passengers who need it.
The European Compliance Act allows businesses and organizations to ensure compliance across all protected classes and benefit individuals with disabilities.
The Benefits of EAA Compliance
With roughly 15% of the world’s population having a disability, the benefits of European accessibility act compliance are very welcome to many.
Here are five of our favorite benefits of European Accessibility Act compliance for products and services:
Gain Market Share
With European accessibility to accommodate individuals with disabilities, expect a positive impact on your bottom line.
For example, a 2018 initiative by Lloyds Banking Group in the United Kingdom made them modify their banking statements to make it easier for customers with disabilities to read them. It provided instructions at a lower grade level and opened the door for cognitively impaired customers to access brick-and-mortar and digital services. This opened the door for other public sector bodies, private organizations, small businesses, micro-enterprises within European borders to follow suit.
Stay on the Right Side of the Law
Expect to evade punishment if you comply with the European Accessibility Act. Even one single violation could force you into legal compliance. For example, any visually-impaired person could sue a transportation provider for not accommodating their needs, such as lack of access to the restroom or poor ticketing selections.
Improved Brand Recognition
By recognizing the needs of individuals with disabilities, your brand will gain a positive perception. One of the best examples is Microsoft’s 2020 AI for Accessibility program, which provided grants and other resources to emerging companies, creating accessibility tools and following accessibility requirements. By funding these projects, Microsoft directly impacts the lives of individuals with disabilities.
Funding From Government
Another reason for EU member states to meet EAA compliance is to get governmental contracts. Suppose you’re a transportation provider, owner of public sector websites, or a regulatory agency looking to do business with the European Union. In that case, it only makes sense to accommodate individuals with disabilities by ensuring a set number of accessible parking spaces and wheelchair ramp access.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Corporate social responsibility is one of the main aspects of operating a company in the European Union. One of the best ways you can gain favor for your company is by launching accessibility campaigns to promote accessibility principles and recognize contributions made by persons with disabilities. One of the best examples is European telecom giant Telefonica and its involvement with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, known for their work on accessible products and services.
Consequences of Not Meeting EAA Compliance
Failing to meet EAA compliance with accessible products and services may cause an ongoing threat of lawsuits, loss of market opportunities, and plenty of brand damage that could quickly reverse traffic and revenue trends.
Here are three consequences of not meeting the EU web accessibility directive:
Legal Consequences
Arguably, the number one thing that motivates businesses, public authorities, customer service providers, and any other service provider to adopt accessibility regulations is the possibility of lawsuits and penalties by regulatory authorities and individuals with disabilities. For example, an employer could be sued for not providing adequate assistive digital products and services (e.g. e-commerce services and mobile applications) to the visually impaired.
Negative Brand Perception
Not meeting accessibility requirements may cause negative publicity for a business’s products and services, resulting in high annual losses with fewer new and returning customers every year. A missing wheelchair ramp, an inaccessible website, or other acts of non-compliance can force individuals with disabilities to post negative social media reviews, bad Reddit comments, and other unflattering feedback about your business.
Loss of Business
One of the driving factors of EAA compliance within EU member countries is that businesses are looking to offer infrastructure and other public procurement opportunities to various local and regional agencies and top European Union regulatory bodies.
For example, suppose a transportation company does not upgrade its depots with wheelchair ramps and other accessible features. In that case, they can expect to lose the opportunity to bid for these contracts, let alone win them or provide services. Imagine what the requirements are for any EA business trying to facilitate easier cross-border trading!
In short, whether you are selling services and related equipment, TV equipment, or anything deemed essential within the private sector, it only makes sense to comply with the EAA and promote inclusivity for people with disabilities. Do not let poor accessibility standards hold you back.
What About Accessibly?
Accessibly offers one of the easiest ways to increase WCAG 2.1, ADA, Section 508, and EN 301549 web accessibility compliance. It retrofits your website with a series of best-practice web accessibility features such as additional reading lines, inverted colors, and much more. Simply put – web accessibility is essential!
As of this writing, Accessibly supports more than ten website platforms and mobile apps, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Joomla, and Squarespace. It also works on mobile phones and tablets.
Installing the #1 web accessibility widget only takes a few seconds. Feel free to start a free 7-day trial and watch how a more inclusive website can help you serve the needs of individuals with disabilities.
A Word On Comprehensive Website Audits
One of the best ways to ensure web accessibility is to conduct a thorough website audit. This audit is a manual or automated scan of your products and services and reveals any needed improvements.
Here is what a typical comprehensive website audit looks like:
Thorough Planning
The first step is to plan your website audit. Refer to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to understand all necessary website modifications. Realize that these guidelines are recognized by the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which cover a large swath of the planet.
Check Accessibility
One of the best ways to assess accessibility is to employ manual or automated tools to scan your website. These tools automatically identify all missing features, such as alternative text for images, complicated navigations, improperly structured semantic HTML, poorly coded CSS style sheets, and compatibility with users of assistive technologies, providing better integration with your website. Remember, WCAG accessibility standards measure on a scale of Level A, AA, or AAA.
Using the Accessibly Widget to Remove Barriers
One of the best ways to improve web accessibility compliance is to download a widget like Accessibly. Accessibly will instantly identify all the opportunities your website has for additional compliance. Equipped with an overlay, it enables individuals with disabilities to choose from larger or smaller cursors, closed captioning, and various other visual aids that give them a better sense of the website.
More visual aids in a world where 22.1% of all images on website home pages have missing alt text is pretty important!
Plus, with a 7-day free trial, you have nothing to lose. Take charge of your web accessibility today with Accessibly, one of the internet’s leading widgets for all operating systems.
Providing Accessibility Resources to Educate and Empower Businesses
We are huge advocates for providing accessibility resources to educate and empower businesses. By helping users to achieve compliance with digital accessibility, businesses and organizations operating in the European Union can better champion the skills and competencies needed to uphold accessibility rights.
In short, providing accessibility resources to the greater public can only help promote social change, inclusivity, and fair and equal participation for all individuals with disabilities.Try Accessibly on your website with our free trial today!
