The internet is this funny little thing that connects us all, so I think it's cool that the improved accessibility legislation coming to the EU (very very soon) promises to elevate services for people with disabilities and aging populations everywhere.

• My company is not in the EU, so this is someone else’s problem, right? (TLDR the answer is very much, No)

• There has been a wave of accessibility policies in recent years including the European Web Accessibility Directive and ADA Title II, how is this different?

• Lots of websites do lots of things, what services or industries are affected by the new legislation?

I did some more research to get an overview of the new requirements. Give it a read for yourself:

What

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) was written to cover services available via personal computers, smartphones, ebooks, public Kiosks, ATMs, and even televisions. Service areas include e-commerce, banking, and transportation. If you’re curious, a previous measure called the Web Accessibility Directive addressed public sector services similar to ADA Title II in the US.

When

Unlike Title II in the US which has until 2027, EAA is set to take effect next year on June 28, 2025. So yeah… like soon.

Who

Anyone providing the above services to customers in the EU is accountable. Let's not bury the lead, "This probably means your business too". For example, any retailer selling products or providing services available to EU citizens via the web or anyone selling hardware like smartphones is responsible. It's refreshing to be reminded that when you make something accessible for one person, everyone benefits.

So what can you do about it?

Write and publish an accessibility statement.

One EAA requirement is that websites will need to publish a statement that outlines their current state of accessibility, including any known issues. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) has an intuitive tool that helps create one pretty quickly.

Start an audit

There are lots of tools out there that will help your team get a sense of what the existing issues are on your website. Our design team likes the browser plugin from Stark that you can quickly install and get a high-level understanding of how your site is currently performing.

Get expert advice

Exygy has spent years developing our thoughtful process toward accessibility, which includes bringing in people with lived experience to provide their insights and expertise. We balance these partnerships with technical experience to help you create a strategic roadmap. Get in touch and let’s get to work making the internet more inclusive for everyone!