Non-compliance to EAA could result in fines of up to four per cent of global annual turnover
Ecommerce web design specialists DMAC Media is urging UK online businesses to take simple but effective measures that have been outlined in the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which came into force on 28 June 2025.
DMAC Media says the EAA means significant changes for UK’s online businesses selling into the EU.
The Manchester based business has welcomed the directive, saying it will help those with disabilities, and elderly people, better access online services.
The directive aims to improve the functioning of the internal market by harmonising accessibility rules across member states.
Industry recommendations include making websites easily navigable without 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.
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, have 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 mandate 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.
Dave 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 28 June 2025, there are staggered compliance deadlines such as public sector websites and mobile apps will be compliant by 2027, private service providers by 2028, and microenterprises providing services by 2029.
Dave 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.”
Non-compliance could result in fines of up to £17,363,600 (€20 million), or four per cent of global annual turnover.
Dave 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.”
