The European Union is pushing new regulations to improve digital inclusion. On June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will come into effect, offering further improvements for people with disabilities. This new set of guidelines is a milestone to improve accessibility of digital projects for individuals with disabilities. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) play a crucial role in this regulation.
Who is affected by the European Accessibility Act?
The new rules apply to all digital web presences, products, or services. Although companies with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover of less than 2 million euros may currently benefit from an exemption, this distinction is not always clear-cut, so the clear recommendation is to make all websites accessible—not only for legal reasons but also from a user perspective.
What specific changes does the new regulation introduce?
The European Accessibility Act translates accessibility into actionable design and technical requirements. At its core are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which define how websites and digital services must be structured to be accessible to as many people as possible.
The updated guidelines introduce a range of improvements, especially for people with visual, motor, and cognitive impairments. These include:
- Clear, logical navigation that works equally well with a keyboard or assistive technologies like screen readers
- Visible focus indicators that help users understand where they are on the page
- Sufficient color contrast and readable fonts for better visual clarity
- Descriptive labels and alternative texts for buttons, images, and links
- Reduced need for repeated inputs – for example, remembering previously entered information in forms
- Alternatives for actions that require dragging or complex gestures
These changes make digital content more usable, more inclusive, and more future-proof. For website and shop operators, they often require only moderate adjustments – but with a significant positive impact on user experience and legal compliance. For website and shop operators, they often require only moderate adjustments – but with a significant positive impact on user experience and legal compliance.
In summary, the new regulations ensure that digital offerings become simpler, more understandable, and fairer. For website and online shop operators, often only minor measures are needed to comply with WCAG requirements.
Need help with the transition? Feel free to contact us at support@iservice.at for more information.
