The European Accessibility Act (EAA) comes into force on 28 June 2025, introducing new legal standards for the accessibility of digital products and services across the EU. And while the UK is no longer a member of the EU, the implications for UK businesses are clear: if you sell to EU customers, your digital platforms need to comply.
This article explores what that really means and the accessibility enhancements most UK websites are still missing.
What Does the European Accessibility Act (EAA) Require?
The EAA aims to ensure that digital goods and services are accessible to people with disabilities. It applies to a wide range of industries, including:
- E-commerce
- Financial services
- Transport and ticketing platforms
- Telecommunication services
- E-books and related software
To comply, most organisations will need to meet the WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards — a globally recognised benchmark for accessibility that’s built around four key principles:
- Perceivable
- Operable
- Understandable
- Robust
For a full breakdown of the EAA requirements, see the European Commission’s summary and this Accessibility Guidelines overview.
To help clarify what’s involved, here are three lesser-known but important WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements that many websites miss:
- Form Instructions and Error Identification (3.3.2): Users must be clearly informed about required fields, input formats, and how to correct mistakes. Many sites fail to offer meaningful guidance or accessible error alerts.
- Focus Order (2.4.3): Users navigating via keyboard should encounter page elements in a logical sequence. Unexpected jumps or inconsistent focus order can make navigation confusing or impossible for those using assistive tech.
- Resize Text Without Loss of Content or Functionality (1.4.4): Users must be able to increase text size up to 200% without needing horizontal scrolling or breaking layout. Many sites overlook this in fixed-width designs.
These requirements, while technical, are critical to ensuring full accessibility and are often flagged during detailed audits.
The Basics Most UK Sites Do Cover (But It’s Not Enough)
Over the past few years, more UK businesses have taken steps to improve accessibility, especially as public sector regulations raised awareness. Basic improvements typically include:
- Adding descriptive alt text to images
- Ensuring sufficient colour contrast (e.g. black on white)
- Keyboard-navigable main menus
- Mobile-responsive designs
These improvements are often where the effort ends — but these alone won’t meet EAA or WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. For instance:
- Alt text is often used incorrectly (e.g. on decorative images or missing entirely)
- Focus indicators are removed for visual style
- Interactive elements like buttons and modals are not keyboard-accessible
- Error messages aren’t announced by screen readers
A study by WebAIM in 2023 found that 96.3% of home pages still had detectable WCAG 2.1 failures even among sites that had implemented “basic” accessibility.
How to Audit Your Website for Accessibility
Auditing a site doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s how SMEs can get started using tools like Sitebulb:
- Run a Sitebulb Crawl using the accessibility hints and Lighthouse integration
- Review WCAG 2.1 suggestions, especially under forms, images, and links
- Flag and prioritise critical blockers — e.g. missing labels, low contrast, broken tab navigation
- Use screen reader emulators like NVDA (free) to test the actual user experience
- Check PDFs for tagging and logical structure using Adobe Acrobat Pro or PAC 3
- Test dynamic elements manually — like cart updates, popups, and live chat widgets
Commonly Overlooked Accessibility Enhancements
Here’s where many UK websites fall short, and where the EAA is likely to expose gaps:
| Area | Common Issues |
|---|---|
| Checkout Flows | – Missing input labels – Poor focus order – No accessible validation/error handling – No timeout alerts |
| Customer Support Channels | – Inaccessible live chats – No focus states – No non-verbal alternatives |
| PDFs and Documents | – Scanned or untagged PDFs – No heading structure – Missing alt text for images |
| Touch Targets | – Buttons too small – Poor spacing – Difficult for users with motor impairments |
| Skip Links and Landmarks | – No \”Skip to main content\” – Missing ARIA landmarks like main, nav, footer |
| Dynamic Content Updates | – Changes not announced to screen readers – Live chat/cart updates not detectable |
| Multimedia | – No closed captions – Missing transcripts – No audio descriptions for videos |
| Language & Readability | – Missing lang attribute– Overly complex text – Poor readability for general users |
For an e-commerce business, a fully compliant site would:
- Offer fully accessible product filters and search (semantic HTML, proper labels)
- Include checkout flows that meet WCAG criteria for form inputs, error handling, and keyboard navigation
- Ensure all dynamic updates (e.g. cart changes) are announced to assistive technology
- Offer transcripts and captions for all multimedia content
- Provide downloadable documents (e.g. invoices, brochures) in accessible PDF format
Accessibility is also about user experience:
- Faster load times
- Clear, plain-language content
- Inclusive visuals and mobile-first layouts
According to Scope’s 2023 Digital Accessibility Survey, 72% of disabled people in the UK face barriers when accessing online services, and over half abandon websites that are not accessible.
Too Busy for Accessibility? Here’s How to Delegate It Effectively
We get it you’re a Marketing Manager wearing ten hats, with limited time and a growing list of digital responsibilities. New legislation like the EAA might feel like just another thing to add to the pile.
But ignoring accessibility isn’t just a legal risk it could mean lost customers, lower SEO rankings, and reputational damage. The good news? You don’t have to tackle it alone.
Organisations like The Coders Guild offer specialised training and apprenticeship support that can embed an Accessibility Champion directly into your team. Whether it’s upskilling an existing employee or bringing in fresh talent, they help you:
- Train someone internally to own accessibility and champion inclusive design
- Demystify WCAG and EAA compliance without overloading your schedule
- Create an ongoing culture of digital inclusion inside your marketing and dev teams
This is especially valuable for SMEs without dedicated UX or compliance teams because making accessibility part of your marketing DNA shouldn’t require a full department.
As Crispin Read, CEO of The Coders Guild, puts it: “Accessibility is no longer a specialist niche, it’s a fundamental skill every digital team needs. We’re here to help businesses build that capability from within, in a way that works for real-world constraints and budgets.”
Think of it like adding a future-proof mindset to your team. One that delivers better content, cleaner user journeys, and a more inclusive brand.
How Brand Ambition Can Help
At Brand Ambition, we work with SMEs to help them get ahead of the curve on accessibility:
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Conducting WCAG-based audits tailored to your budget
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Creating action plans based on priority, cost and impact
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Building inclusive design into every new project
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Supporting internal teams with checklists and training
Accessibility isn’t just a legal box to tick — it’s an opportunity to improve user experience, reach more customers, and show that your brand puts people first.
Conclusion
The EAA will bring digital accessibility into the spotlight and into law for any business selling into the EU. But the smartest businesses won’t wait to act.
If your checkout, customer support, or digital content still presents barriers, now’s the time to fix it.
