European Accessibility Act audit for websites and apps
Since 28 June 2025, many digital products sold in the EU must be accessible. I review your website or app against the standard behind the EAA and tell you exactly what to fix, in order of impact, in 5 business days.
Does the EAA apply to you?
The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) covers products and services that people use every day. For digital teams, the most relevant are:
- E-commerce websites and apps selling to consumers
- Consumer banking services
- Passenger transport services: websites, apps, ticketing and travel information
- E-books and e-reading software
- Electronic communications and access to audiovisual media services
Microenterprises providing services (fewer than 10 people and annual turnover or balance sheet total not above €2 million) are exempt from the service requirements. If you supply a company that is in scope, you may still be asked to comply.
What "accessible" means in practice
The technical reference is the harmonised standard EN 301 549, which for web content points to WCAG 2.1 level AA. In plain terms, people must be able to use your product with a keyboard, a screen reader, zoom or high contrast. The problems I find most often:
Keyboard traps and invisible focus
Checkout or onboarding that can't be completed without a mouse.
Forms without real labels
Placeholder-only fields and errors shown only in red.
Low-contrast text
Light grey on white that fails the 4.5:1 minimum.
Custom components
Menus, tabs and sliders that screen readers can't understand.
You also need a public accessibility statement describing your level of compliance and how users can report problems.
What happens if you don't comply
Each EU member state sets its own enforcement and penalties, and market authorities can require changes or restrict a non-compliant service. Beyond legal risk, inaccessible flows simply lose customers: every blocked user is an abandoned purchase or a support ticket.
How the EAA audit works
- Free 15-minute call: we pick the flow that matters most (sign-up, checkout, booking…).
- Audit: manual review against WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA with keyboard, screen reader, zoom and contrast checks, plus a UX review of the same flow.
- Delivery in 5 business days: a prioritised list of fixes, a PDF report, a walkthrough video and mockups of the key fixes, ready for your developers.
- 30-minute debrief with your team. If we continue with the fixes or a redesign, the audit fee is deducted.
Fixed price, agreed upfront. Remote, in English or Italian. I'm a senior UX/UI designer with 6+ years on complex products for the public sector, energy and enterprise, and I volunteer for Be My Eyes, which supports blind and low-vision people.
Frequently asked questions
When did the EAA start to apply?
From 28 June 2025, for products and services placed on the EU market after that date. Some services already running before then benefit from transition periods, so check your specific case.
WCAG 2.1 or WCAG 2.2?
EN 301 549 currently refers to WCAG 2.1 AA. I audit against WCAG 2.2 AA as well, so you fix things once and stay ahead of the next update of the standard.
Is an automated scanner enough?
No. Automated tools catch roughly a third of real issues. Keyboard flows, screen reader behaviour and clear error messages need a human review.
Do you also fix the issues?
I design the fixes and hand them over to your developers with clear specs, and I can review the implementation. I don't write production code.
This page is general information, not legal advice. For your legal obligations in a specific country, check with a lawyer or the national market surveillance authority.