The European Accessibility Act, or EAA for short, is a European law that provides guidelines to make digital products accessible to anyone who wants to buy, do or view something online.
In other words: new apps and websites should be easy to use for people with disabilities, too. Think of people with low vision, motor impairments, learning disabilities or epilepsy.
Until now, the guidelines only applied to government websites. But from 28 June 2025, they’ll be extended to private companies.
Perceivable
The UI presents content in a clear way. Everything should be visible, audible and easy to understand. This means that images have descriptive alt-texts, videos come with subtitles or transcripts, and there’s enough colour contrast to ensure legibility.
Operable
Users can control buttons, navigation and forms not only by clicking or typing, but also through voice commands. The flow is logical and consistent.
Understandable
Functionalities and content are accessible, using clear and simple language. The user understands what’s happening, what’s expected of them and why.
For example, the language settings are correct, and error messages are easy to understand and helpful.