Arguably, the number one accessibility legislation in the European Union is the European Accessibility Act (EAA). This legislation works to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities across the EU by establishing accessibility frameworks across a wide range of services, including banking and communication. The goal is for individuals with disabilities to enjoy equal participation.
Keep reading to learn more about the European Accessibility Act, including its historical context/objectives, breakdown of its main elements, and important milestones.
Background of the EAA
As mentioned, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a trademark legislation that ensures accessibility standards across European Union member states so that its products and services comply with accessibility standards, promoting equality and inclusivity among individuals with disabilities.
Key Components of the EAA
The key components of European accessibility extend to the scope of products and services, from consumer electronics to public transport services. Each sector has defined accessibility requirements regarding how information is shared and services delivered.
Failing to comply with the EAA can have many negative consequences, including lawsuits by advocacy groups and a diminished brand reputation. Companies may also lose out on lucrative government contracts throughout the public and private sectors.
EAA Timeline
Here’s a detailed timeline of the EAA, complete with significant milestones and deadlines for ensuring that organizations’ products and services meet accessibility requirements.
Initial Proposal (2015-2016)
It all started with the European Commission’s proposal for an act to concentrate on accessible products and services, focusing on eliminating barriers for individuals with disabilities. Throughout 2016, the European connection held extensive talks with critical stakeholders, including advocacy groups and participating member states, to collect feedback about establishing a legal framework and creating a single set of accessibility standards across the European Union.
Legalization
From 2017 to 2019, the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection worked extensively on drafting the act, holding plenty of three-way negotiations alongside other key legislative groups like The European Parliament. On March 18th, 2019, the European Parliament and the Council reached a first draft, eventually leading to the final draft.
During the legalization process, two essential committees were involved: the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). Both of these committees were responsible for investigating the social and market impacts of the early drafts of the European Accessibility Act, producing draft reports that provided an overall view of the business.
From then on, all these councils were involved in negotiations and amendments. After council meetings, many amendments were proposed, and long meetings were tried so all committees could agree on the final draft.
Adoption and Enforcement into National Law: June 7, 2019, and June 28, 2019
The EAA was formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on June 7, 2019 (after being published in the Official Journal of the European Union) and became legally binding three weeks later. Member states must convert the EAA’s guidelines and laws into national policy. This means every member state had to have an active working plan to eventually meet the requirements outlined in the act, such as setting up a task force to ensure that any legislative portion is handled.
Implementation Deadline: (up to June 28, 2025)
Under the EAA, all products and services covered under its policy must adhere to accessibility requirements. For example, consumer electronics must have built-in screen readers by the state (similar to how the iPhone’s VoiceOver screen reader works).
Other public tools, such as self-service terminals, banking ATMs, and online shopping platforms, must also be fully accessible, adhering to specific design principles that allow individuals with disabilities to navigate the site or product more effectively.
A small sampling of website accessibility improvements designed to increase compliance includes but is not limited to keyboard accessibility, properly formatted semantic HTML, larger cursors, larger text, and higher contrast between text and background colors for the visually impaired to better interpret website content.
Regarding digital content, the EAA calls explicitly for all websites and mobile applications to meet WCAG 2.1 standards, establishing a baseline for accessibility through four critical criteria: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. One of the best examples of websites complying with the standard is the BBC website, which is long known for its clear navigational structure and audio captioning options for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Final Compliance Deadline
At this stage, all products and services under the European Accessibility Act must meet compliance standards. These standards should be achievable after years of establishing a legal framework and gathering EU member states.
Remember, virtually every business is impacted, from tech companies to clothing retailers, whether it’s a digital or physical space.
Impact on European Union Businesses
As a result of the European Accessibility Act, businesses and organizations throughout the European Union ultimately have to reinvent their approach to web accessibility standards and invest heavily in physical and digital infrastructure to increase ADA and WCAG compliance.
Here are three ways the European Accessibility Act impacts European Union businesses:
Design Reimagined
The European Union’s strict requirements to ensure accessibility standards across products and services require companies and web developers to improve the user experience in adherence to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and European Standard EN 301 549. As a result, this creates a more inclusive society, which translates to improved revenue and business traffic.
New Product Differentiation
Another benefit of the European Accessibility Act is that it could bring certain European Union businesses to the forefront. Those driving the newest technological enhancements across products and services could advance the competition.
For example, although it’s an American business, Apple stands out for its voice-over screen reader app, which allows visually impaired users to interact better with their mobile phones. It offers descriptive feedback on everything happening and uses just base controls for a smooth user experience. Plus, it works excellently with Apple’s built-in services like Apple Music and Siri. This only creates brand equity that keeps customers returning for more and more.
Expanded Reach
Another impact on European Union businesses is expanded reach. With roughly 15% of the world’s population suffering from a partial or full disability, adhering to accessibility best practices will only help increase your revenue drive website traffic, and other key performance indicators that keep your business running.
A Word on Fines
If you fail to comply with the European Accessibility Act, expect to face potential fines. The acceptable amount depends on every EU member state, which enforces its provisions with its penalty structure. The main reason for imposing fines is to ensure that organizations and businesses remain in EAA compliance.
On top of that, you can also expect legal costs and damages incurred due to not meeting accessibility requirements. It’s not uncommon for plaintiffs looking to sue for not having a compliant website and adherence to European Accessibility Act rules to be taken to court.
As a result of these stiff legal costs, you could expect operation disruption, which can affect your business revenue and foot traffic. On top of that, you can expect the brand to hit a potential decline until the issues are fixed.
The EAA enforces accessibility requirements across digital and physical spaces. Regarding digital, it refers to websites and mobile applications that must meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. Physical spaces must adapt to individuals with disabilities, complete with wide entryways, wheelchair ramps, elevators, adjustable seating, and other accessibility standards.
Role of Accessibly with Web Compliance
After reviewing any checklist for EAA compliance, take the next step with the Accessibly widget.
It improves the UI for individuals with disabilities by introducing several features meeting global accessibility standards, including, but not limited to, text and cursor adjustments, reading aids, additional reading lines, text enhancements, and even image control, where users can hide images to reduce clutter.
Plus, it’s accessible and straightforward to use. A small snippet of code can be hard-coded into any website or integrated as part of native integrations with popular mainstream e-commerce builders like Shopify and WordPress.
If you are an individual, business, or organization that wants to increase WCAG 2.1, ADA, Section 508, and EN 301549 compliance, look towards Accessibly.
Enjoy a free 7-day trial of Accessibly with full access to all features before committing to a paid monthly subscription starting at $20 (Shopify) and $25 for all other platforms.
What are you waiting for? Get started today with the Accessibly widget for increased EAA compliance.
Closing Thoughts on Accessibility Regulations in the EU
In short, ongoing enforcement of accessibility regulations in the European Union will allow it to strengthen its resolve across all of its member states. By introducing accessibility standards across general continent services and enforcement and penalties, the European Union can better enforce accessibility across all member states.
Remember that the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0 guides us and all the exciting technological advancements that should come through artificial intelligence and other means of improving physical and digital accessibility.
