What you are probably not seeing is a clear and comprehensive explanation of the EAA background, how it applies to companies, and why there has been so much about these topics lately. But don’t you worry. You are in the right place.
Let’s start with an important statistic from the World Health Organization (WHO): over 1.3 billion people globally live with some form of disability. In Europe alone, this equates to approximately 87 million individuals. But, despite this significant statistic, digital pages remain inaccessible. The 2025 WebAIM Million report found that 96.3% of home pages still have detectable WCAG 2.1 failures.
As you can see, there is a strong reason behind the development of the EAA. It was created by the European Union with the intention of improving accessibility for digital products and services and reducing barriers faced by many people with disabilities globally.
From the European Accessibility Act Directive (EU) 2019/882 own words: "The demand for accessible products and services is high and the number of persons with disabilities is projected to increase significantly. An environment where products and services are more accessible allows for a more inclusive society and facilitates independent living for persons with disabilities."
It officially came into effect on 28 June 2025, for all countries operating within the European Union. This doesn’t mean that it applies only to nations based in the EU, and we will explore that further down in this article.
The first step to understand if the European Accessibility Act applies to you in the UK is to check if your company provides any of the following products/services in Europe:
Before we move to exploring how the EAA works for UK-based businesses, an important fact is that non-compliance with its guidelines can result in legal actions or penalties. The specifics vary by country, so analysing which nationalities are able to buy or use your digital product is important when deciding how to prepare for the EAA.
In Germany, for example, there is a well-structured and formal approach to compliance, with clear expectations and dedicated bodies overseeing digital accessibility across sectors.
Italy, in the other hand, is in the process of strengthening its approach, and are incentivising companies to adjust to the Act gradually.
With the intention to embed accessibility into product development in a early stage, Sweden emphasises that focusing on inclusive design is something that need to be started now.
If you’re looking for a full overview of the EAA's scope, timelines and obligations, see our EAA Compliance Guide.
After Brexit, many questions were raised regarding companies that continued providing products or services to countries within the EU. Now that the European Accessibility Act has come into effect, this isn’t different, and we will clarify these points.
An EAA UK doesn’t exists. So, EU directives do not apply as national legislation in the United Kingdom. That means that businesses that operate solely within the UK do not have any obligation to comply. It only applies to UK businesses if the company sells products or services to EU-based consumers (e.g. through an e-commerce site).
In short: if your business trades or operates in the EU in any way, EAA compliance is not optional.
It’s also important to mention that, in the UK or not, microenterprises with fewer than 10 employees or with turnover below €2 million are exempt from the EAA but are still encouraged to adopt accessible practices.
The Directive is extensive, but to understand the EAA requirements, having the POUR concept in mind is a very good start. Basically, this means that your digital product needs to be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust. Here is a better way to understand it:
Businesses must provide information in ways that can be perceived and understood through more than one sense. That means offering content in multiple formats, such as text, audio, or visual elements, to support users with different needs. Instructions, product details, and customer support should all be available in accessible formats.
Websites, apps, and digital tools must be easy to navigate and operate, including for users who rely on keyboards, screen readers, or voice commands. Interfaces should follow consistent patterns and avoid time limits that can’t be extended or turned off.
Digital products and services also need to be compatible with commonly used assistive technologies. This includes screen readers, magnifiers, and speech recognition software. If your service doesn’t work well with these tools, it likely doesn’t meet EAA requirements.
If your business offers services like e-commerce, banking, ticket booking, or video streaming to EU-based users, the digital journey must be fully accessible. That includes everything from logging in and browsing to making payments and accessing support.
If this is the first time you come across the term POUR, we highly recommend reading our article What is POUR and Why is it Critical to WCAG Standards?.
So now that you understand whether your company needs or not to be compliant, taking action is the next step.
In our downloadable EAA Compliance Checklist for UK Businesses, we have included the main steps and the order in which execute them so you can take significant steps towards compliance.
It is also important to note that the United Kingdom itself has accessibility laws in place and that, even if you’re exempt from the EAA, being compliant with these regulations is not optional.
Key existing laws:
Equality Act 2010: This regulation requires reasonable adjustments to avoid discriminating against people with disabilities. It applies to all businesses within the UK.
Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018: As the name suggests, it applies exclusively to the public sector. It mandates that their websites and mobile apps meet accessibility standards aligned with WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
Knowing that EU, UK and other nations worldwide have regulations around digital accessibility is a hopeful fact, especially considering that the number of people with disability is increasing due in part to population ageing and an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases, according to the WHO.
In our blog, you can explore more about Digital Accessibility in the UK and other topics around digital inclusion.
Although businesses can focus on the legislative compliance as the main benefit for investing in digital accessibility, it is actually just one of the many reasons why companies should work towards inclusion for their digital products and services.
You have seen before that 1.3 billion people globally have some form of disability. This data alone represents a strong reason why digital accessibility matters, and why it is important to support initiatives that reduce the digital divide and support the presence of people with disabilities online in an independent way. This should be seen as the main reason.
We recognise, however, that strategic advantages also play an important role when businesses decide to take action on digital inclusion. Here are some of the key benefits.
Being compliant with digital accessibility reduces the risk of legal challenges and costly settlements. The EAA is a new regulation, but if we look at the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), which has digital accessibility included since 1998, a recent survey has shown that over 2400 lawsuits were filed in the first half of 2025 alone in the US. (2025 Midyear Report)
There’s a mistake in thinking that digital accessibility supports only people with disabilities. But the reality is that most of the practices related to web accessibility also improve user experience for all audiences.
Well-structured content, labelled buttons, alt text, and other initiatives for accessibility, consequently, result in positive impact for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). This combo is one of the reasons for our next topic.
“I love working with organisations who prioritise web accessibility because the technical building blocks for SEO growth are typically already in place.” - Darren McManus, SEO Consultant.
As in a math equation, if search engines show your content and when users access it, they can easily understand and interact with it, the result is that more customers can buy from it.
A company that invests in digital inclusion also demonstrates a commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. It shows social responsibility and sends a positive message about its values.
According to Certus Insights, 70% of consumers want to know how brands address social and environmental issues, and 46% actively consider a brand’s social responsibility when making purchasing decisions.
You already know that the EAA does not apply to the UK, unless the company is doing business within the EU. But, as mentioned before, the UK has its own laws and initiatives when the subject is digital inclusion, so it cannot be ignored.
The government has some initiatives to maintain a focus on digital inclusion. They are not laws, they are more like frameworks for continual improvement, intended to push the topic beyond compliance and into full digital inclusion.
The UK’s Digital Inclusion Strategy: was created to promote digital inclusion even before mentioning websites. It focuses on promoting skills, connectivity and accessible services.
The National Disability Strategy (2021): this strategy outlines commitments to improving accessibility across many sectors.
The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation: an initiative to emphasise the role of responsible tech in reducing exclusion.
As we mentioned before, being compliant is extremely necessary and an important first step, but there’s still a long journey to achieve digital inclusion, and these initiatives represent an important ally and path for advocating for digital inclusion.
Using António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, words:
"Accessibility is not a privilege, it is a right. In our digital age, ensuring everyone can access online content is a moral imperative."
We developed our tool to focus on detection, analysis and guidance with the goal of redefining digital accessibility and inclusion with AI. Our tool helps you apply WCAG guidelines to gain and maintain compliance with accessibility laws (e.g., EAA, Equality Act 2010, ADA).
Some of the key features of our comprehensive platform are:
Our suite of tools will enable organisations to quickly, simply and effectively make themselves inclusive and accessible to everyone.
At Nexus Inclusion, digital inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is to move beyond digital accessibility and ensure that inclusion is considered at every step of the product development process from idea, design, development, testing, content management, product management and maintaining inclusion post go live.
It is important for us that the barriers of making something accessible and inclusive are broken down and that it is simply part of the overall steps that every company takes in releasing digital products to their customers. We focus on finding the best solution and not the problem.
And this is just the beginning. Founded by accessibility advocate Kyran O’Mahoney, our team brings together experts to solve real-world challenges.
Now that you are prepared to start your journey towards compliance with the European Accessibility Act in the UK, sign up to join our waiting list and be the first to know about our tool, training, and resources for teams building inclusive digital futures.
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Early access lets users try new products or features before release, offering exclusive previews and feedback opportunities while helping companies refine their offerings.
