DMAC Media, ecommerce web design specialists, says the European Accessibility Act, which comes into force in June, will mean changes for UK online businesses selling into the EU
Leading ecommerce web design specialist DMAC Media has welcomed the European Accessibility Act (EAA), saying it will help those with disabilities better access online services.
The EAA takes effect on June 28, 2025.
It is an EU directive that aims to improve the functioning of the internal market by harmonising divergent accessibility rules across member states.
The EAA is wide-ranging, covering websites, mobile applications, e-commerce, banking services, as well as TVs, computers, smartphones, ATMs, and ticketing machines.
It applies to any company offering products or services to EU consumers, regardless of where they are based, so UK businesses selling into any EU member state must comply with the act.
According to a research briefing on disability statistics from October last year, prepared for the House of Commons Library, 16.1 million people in the UK, almost one quarter of the population, live with a disability of some kind.
Dave McEvoy, director at DMAC, said: “UK online businesses need to be aware that the act applies to them if they sell into the EU, so they should start now to audit their existing websites to identify what needs to be upgraded.
“There is a lot that can be done with relatively little effort or cost, but the best thing an online business can do is seek expert advice on the act and how to respond.”
Accessibility requirements in the UK are enshrined in the Equality Act 2010, which requires “reasonable adjustments” be made for disabled users.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops global standards for accessibility, amongst other things. They defined the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) international standard, which has been adopted by most EU member states for EAA compliance.
WCAG is voluntary but is internationally recognised and widely considered to be the gold standard of online accessibility.
The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 mandates compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
There is currently no equivalent legislation for the private sector.
The UK government has not said it will adopt the EAA, but it seems likely that there will be increasing convergence and harmonisation of standards. The National Disability Strategy, published in 2021, acknowledges the importance of digital accessibility, and the mandate that applies to public sector demonstrates the government’s approach.
McEvoy added; “Google has for many years flagged accessibility issues, and we anticipate that further changes could affect a website’s ranking if it does not meet a minimum accessibility standard.
“This may be because Google genuinely cares about the people who benefit from a more accessible internet, but it’s also likely that making websites more machine readable (or example via audio browsers) could benefit their own indexing and ranking systems.”
The European Commission claims benefits to businesses include cost reduction, easier cross-border trading, and more market opportunities for selling.
It goes on to say that people with disabilities and the elderly will benefit from more accessible products and services in the market, lower prices, fewer barriers when accessing education and the labour market – claiming there will be “more jobs available where accessibility expertise is needed”.
Whilst the EAA becomes legally applicable from June 28, there are staggered compliance deadlines:
- Public sector websites and mobile apps: By 2027
- Private service providers: By 2028
- Microenterprises providing services: By 2029
Non-compliance could result in fines of up to €20 million or 4% of global annual turnover.
McEvoy noted; “Implementing accessibility best practices is, simply, good for business. With improved accessibility businesses can better reach a potential 16 million UK customers, improve SEO rankings, and drive equality and inclusivity.
“It’s not often that increasing business potential is linked to doing good, but this is one case that applies perfectly.”
The WCAG’s recommendations include making websites navigable without using a mouse, using just ‘tab’ to reach any page. Removing time limits on form entries and adding descriptions to error reporting are two other, easily implemented accessibility improvements.
McEvoy concluded; “On top of ensuring they can continue to sell into the EU, UK businesses need to be aware that courts here increasingly look to the WCAG guidelines to determine whether those ‘reasonable adjustments’ have been applied.
“Websites with poor accessibility risk legal action being taken against them.
“Finally, it’s likely that the UK will formally adopt the EAA or the standards that underpin it, so adapting now will help protect UK businesses from future challenges.”
To find out more about how to build accessible websites, visit https://dmacmedia.com/uk/.
