Header image from: alice.ch
The 2011 First World Report on Disability estimated that over one billion people, about 15% of the global population, live with some form of disability, including 101 million in Europe alone.
Yet, the web remains full of invisible barriers that exclude millions of users every day.
Starting of June 28, 2025, with the enforcemet of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), ensuring an accessible digital experience will no longer be an option, but a requirement.
If your digital ecosystem is not yet compliant, you may be facing new regulatory challenges, but also a significant opportunity: making your business more inclusive and reaching a market segment you may not have considered before.
Image from: aaardvarkaccessibility.com
What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
The European Accessibility Act, coming into force on June 28, 2025, is a directive aimed at “improving the internal market for accessible products and services by removing barriers created by divergent national rules across EU member states.”
The directive applies to all websites and companies offering products or services within the European Union. Certain exceptions may be made for micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees and annual revenues below two million euros.
If a website only provides information and does not sell products or offer online services, it is generally not subject to legal accessibility compliance.
Although the directive currently does not directly apply to Switzerland, Swiss companies operating within the EU market will need to comply with the EAA in the countries where they offer their products or services.
Recommended accessibility standards under the EAA
While the EAA does not define specific technical standards for digital accessibility, the European Standard EN 301 549 is widely recognized as the benchmark for compliance. This standard currently aligns with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA, and is evolving to incorporate WCAG 2.2 AA.
Organizations are therefore encouraged to ensure their products and services fully comply with WCAG 2.2 AA.
However, meeting technical requirements alone is not enough to fulfill EAA obligations. National regulations implementing the directive may also require broader organizational actions, such as staff training on accessibility topics and continuous monitoring mechanisms to ensure long-term accessibility, even as products, services, or standards evolve.
What makes a website "accessible"?
A truly accessible website is designed to be usable by everyone, regardless of disability. The goal is to ensure equal access and avoid any form of exclusion, allowing all users to navigate and interact with digital content easily, effectively, and independently.
But what exactly does web accessibility mean?
According to the World Wide Web Consortium, web accessibility means
that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. More specifically, people can:
perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web
contribute to the Web.
To ensure a website is truly accessible and compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium, it’s essential to implement a series of technical measures. Here are a few examples:
- Screen reader–compatible code: to support assistive technologies and allow blind users to access content through voice or Braille.
- Contrast settings and text resizing: to improve the experience of visually impaired users and ensure adequate color contrast between text and background.
- Keyboard navigation: to allow users to browse the site in a logical sequence without a mouse.
- Clear heading hierarchy: to facilitate reading and comprehension by organizing content through a clear and consistent hierarchy of headlines .
- Description of non-text elements: to improve the accessibility of images, videos, and sounds by providing text alternatives such as alt text, subtitles, or transcripts.
- Aria tags: to label less explicit interactive elements, such as buttons or clickable icons.
The benefits for companies: accessibility = opportunity
Implementing these solutions not only makes your website more inclusive and compliant with increasing regulatory requirements, but it also offers a competitive advantage and maximizes your ROI. By reaching a broader audience, businesses can expand their customer base and increase revenue potential.
Not only that: having an accessible website improves brand positioning, strengthening corporate reputation and demonstrating a genuine commitment to social sustainability. At the same time, making the user experience smoother and more intuitive for everyone, regardless of different needs, promotes increased conversions and customer satisfaction.
Finally, a clear structure and easily usable contents improve visibility in search engines. According to a study by Semrush, 66.1% of websites, using accessibility enhancements, experienced up to 50% increase in monthly organic traffic: proving that accessibility is not just an ethical choice but a strategic competitive advantage.
By adopting digital accessibility solutions, businesses can capitalize on immediate benefits while also preparing for upcoming regulations like the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Iubenda, one of the most trusted platforms in the field of privacy compliance and a technology partner of Ander Group, is already moving in this direction developing a simple, AI-powered solution to enhance digital accessibility.
Now more than ever, it’s crucial to take prompt action and adapt your digital platforms to accessibility guidelines, meeting legal requirements while making a strategic choice that delivers real, tangible value.
At Ander Group, we stay ahead of the curve to offer our clients up-to-date insights and effective solutions for tackling the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.
Stay tuned for the latest updates.
