Accessibility
European Accessibility Act
As of June 2025, e-commerce, banking, transport, and digital services in the EU must meet WCAG 2.1 AA — or pay fines that escalate per member state.
What it is
EU directive that took full effect on 28 June 2025. Requires accessibility for products and services placed on the EU market — websites, mobile apps, e-readers, banking, e-commerce, ATMs, ticketing. Effectively mandates WCAG 2.1 AA for digital surfaces.
Why it matters
Member states enforce individually with fines ranging from a few thousand euros to revenue-percentage penalties. Selling into the EU without EAA conformance is now a regulatory risk, not just a UX one.
Who it applies to
Applies to e-commerce, banking, ICT, transport-ticketing, and digital services in the EU as of June 2025.
- Site types: E-commerce, SaaS / Product, Corporate / B2B, News / Publisher, Media / Streaming
- Jurisdictions: European Union
How WQI scores it
Web Quality Index considers this standard satisfied when all of the 6 supporting factors pass.
| # | Factor | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Accessibility statement page | planned |
| 54 | Image alt text coverage | planned |
| 55 | Heading hierarchy validity | planned |
| 56 | Color contrast (WCAG AA) | planned |
| 57 | ARIA labels presence and validity | planned |
| 58 | Skip-to-content link | planned |
0 of 6 supporting factors are currently collected. Sites where the remaining 6 haven't been measured will show as partial or unknown on this standard until the data lands.
Related standards
- Implements
- WCAG AA
Standards that share factors with this one
Auto-computed from overlapping factor tickets in satisfiedBy, excluding standards already listed under "See also" above. Strong overlap suggests these standards rise and fall together when sites are scored.