Does Your eCommerce Site Comply with the EU’s Accessibility Rules?

Does Your eCommerce Site Comply with the EU's Accessibility Rules?

Accessibility is critical for eCommerce businesses – not just legally, but also ethically. In European Union member states, it’s regulated by the European Accessibility Act. This legislation was adopted in 2019 and will come into force in 2025 – hence why it’s often referred to as the European Accessibility Act 2025.

In this article, we’ll break down the various accessibility requirements, how to meet them, and why accessibility compliance is so important.

What exactly is the European Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act aims to complement existing EU legislation on accessibility rather than replace it. It has a specific focus on digital accessibility, given how technology has become a more integral part of the economy.

The act covers a variety of products and services, ranging from computers, smartphones, TV equipment, and ATMs to phone services, e-readers, ticketing machines, banking services, and e-books.

For eCommerce businesses, it also covers eCommerce services and websites. In short, eCommerce brands need to make sure their websites, mobile applications, and digital content are usable by everyone.

This includes:

  • People with visual disabilities like blindness, poor eyesight, or colour blindness.
  • Those with auditory impairments like deafness and age-related hearing loss.
  • Users with motor disabilities like missing limbs or partial paralysis.
  • Visitors with cognitive disabilities like dyslexia.
  • Customers with social disabilities like Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Making your site and content accessible

The first step towards web accessibility is auditing your products and services. For eCommerce sites, this typically includes your website, app, and all digital content displayed on them. Here are some areas to consider:

Website navigation

Navigation is vital for website accessibility. That starts with a clear structure, which will make the website easier to use for practically everyone. Menus should be predictable without complex animations and should not disappear when the mouse is moved.

That brings us to another important aspect of web accessibility – keyboard navigation. Your site should be navigable using nothing more than a keyboard. So, no need for a mouse. This makes it accessible for screen readers, which are often used by people with visual impairments and learning difficulties.

Visual elements

Visual elements can also make or break an accessible website for companies in EU member states. Remember, not everyone can see text and images in the same way as your designers or developers.

It’s important to optimise visual elements in the following ways:

  • Colour contrast – High contrast is generally better for people with visual impairments and colour vision deficiencies. However, remember that high contrast (between black and white) may make things more difficult for people with dyslexia.
  • Secondary descriptions – Try to avoid indicating things solely by colour. For example, “press the green button”. Instead, try “press the green button below”, so there are two ways of distinguishing what is meant.
  • Resizable text – Users should be able to resize text on your site and app by as much as 200% without loss of other functionality.
  • Alt text – Alt text is another useful feature to ensure compliance, providing a clear description of visual elements on your site for screen readers.
Text alternatives

As we’ve mentioned above, text alternatives help people with screen readers understand what is being displayed on your site and overcome accessibility issues. This typically takes the form of captions for images (assisting with visual impairments) and transcripts for videos (to overcome hearing issues).

Another good idea is to use descriptive links on your sites and mobile apps. This avoids ambiguity about where links are heading. So, instead of linking “click here” to find out more about product features, you can link the entire phrase “find out more about product features”.

Assistive technologies

A final point on our success criteria is compatibility with assistive technologies. As well as screen readers, which we’ve mentioned, websites should be compatible with:

  • Screen magnifiers for low vision.
  • Voice recognition software for people who can’t use a mouse or keyboard.
  • Selection switches for those unable to use a keyboard or mouse.
Web content accessibility guidelines

There are lots of very specific requirements when it comes to accessibility standards. The WCAG guidelines provide an international standard for accessibility online, which is cited as a minimum requirement in the European Accessibility Act (EAA).

It’s recommended to take a look at the guidelines in more detail when reviewing and adjusting your site and apps.

Ongoing maintenance

Making your products and services accessible isn’t just a one-time task. It requires continued efforts to maintain a more inclusive digital environment. You should raise awareness of accessibility requirements and the web accessibility directive for designers, developers, and anyone updating the website. Training should also be provided on an ongoing basis.

Why web accessibility matters

Here’s why you should meet the requirements of the web accessibility directive:

  • You have an ethical responsibility to make your products and services accessible to everyone.
  • In doing so, you will reach a broad scope of potential customers you might have yet to engage with..
  • Many of the changes recommended by the European Accessibility Act provide an enhanced user experience for everyone on your site and apps, not just those with disabilities.
  • There are also search engine optimisation (SEO) benefits with an accessible website, which increases engagement and reduces bounce rates – which are both factors considered by Google when ranking websites.
  • Last but not least is EAA compliance. The European Accessibility Act (2025 onwards) carried the risk of financial penalties for non-compliance.
European Accessibility Act: 2025 enforcement date

While the EAA was voted on and approved in 2019, the enforcement date isn’t until 28th June 2025. This gives businesses time to implement changes before penalties will be issued. However, the clock is ticking!

eCommerce Fulfillment in the EU

While it might take time to meet compliance requirements, adjusting your site and app will help countless persons with disabilities. If you’re struggling to keep up with all of the requirements of your growing eCommerce business and looking for ways to make life easier, Autofulfil can take eCommerce fulfillment off your plate.

Based in Ireland, we pick, pack, and ship orders to EU countries for countless growing businesses. We also provide services for returns management, kitting and assembly, and FBA prep.

To find out more, request a quote, and our team will get back to you.