If your business is concerned more than 10 employees or has annual turnover or total balance sheet of more than €2,000,000, then until June 2025 you must have complied with the requirements of European Accessibility Act (EAA).
What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?;
This is a European Union Directive that establishes minimum accessibility requirements for products and services, aiming to ensure that all citizens, regardless of disabilities, can have equal access to digital platforms and services.
The EAA allows Member States to impose stricter criteria. In Greece, the compliance obligation concerns small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) that meet the above staff and turnover limits.
What you need to do by June 2025
To comply with the EAA, here are the basic steps:
Accessibility Audit
Use tools like WAVE or Google Lighthouse to identify existing accessibility problems on your website.
Design & Development Specifications
Apply the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, level AA, ensuring:
Alternative texts (alt text) for images
Screen reader compatibility
Sufficient color contrasts
Correct HTML structure (headings, landmarks, labels)
Keyboard navigation
Content & Multimedia
Add subtitles and transcripts in video and audio files
Use simple, understandable language in all texts and instructions
Interactive Elements (Forms, Buttons, Links)
All buttons and links must have descriptive texts (e.g. not "click here")
Configure the forms so that they are readable and functional for everyone
Compatibility with Assistive Technologies
Test your website with screen readers like NVDA, JAWS or VoiceOver.
Ensure functionality with other technologies such as Braille devices and magnification software.
Accessibility Statement
Publish a accessibility statement, which should state:
The level of compliance
How users can report accessibility issues
Team Training
Train them developers, designers, and content managers so that they know the basic principles of accessibility.
Periodic Inspections & Continuous Improvement
He carried out regular checks and took care of the continuous improvement the experience of all users on your website.
Conclusion
Compliance with the European Accessibility Act is not just a legal obligation, it is also social responsibility. Accessibility in the digital age concerns us all, and affects the experience of a large part of the population. Many of our clients have already successfully completed the process of complying with the European Accessibility Act.
If you need support to review or implement the necessary actions, we are here to help. Do not hesitate to contact us. with us!
Immediately start checking and taking the necessary actions so that your business is ready by the end of June 2025.
