Articles ·
The European Accessibility Act is in force. Here is what an online shop actually needs to do
Since 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act has applied to most online shops that sell to consumers in the EU. Many shop owners still are not sure what it means in practice. Here is a short, honest version.
Does it apply to you?
If you sell products or services to consumers online in the EU, probably yes. The main exception is for microenterprises: fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet of no more than €2 million. If you are above that, the Act applies to your website and your checkout.
What standard do you need to meet?
In practice, WCAG 2.1 level AA, the guideline behind the European standard EN 301 549. It covers whether people who use a screen reader, a keyboard instead of a mouse, or zoomed-in text can find a product, read its description and pay.
The five problems we see most often
When we review online shops, the same issues come up again and again:
- Icon links without a name. A logo or an Instagram icon that is just an image. A screen reader announces a web address, or simply "link".
- Images without text alternatives. Product photos and banners that carry information but have no description.
- Zoom blocked on phones. One line in the page code stops people from enlarging text. People with low vision cannot read the page.
- Form fields without labels. Placeholder text disappears as soon as you type, and a screen reader may not say what the field is for.
- No visible focus. Using the keyboard, you cannot see where you are on the page.
None of these is expensive to fix. Most take a developer minutes once they know exactly where the problem is.
Why a widget will not solve it
Accessibility widgets or "overlays" promise compliance with one line of code. They change how a page looks on top, but the problems in the code stay where they are. A screen reader still meets the unlabelled link. Install one if you like, but do not treat it as compliance.
The accessibility statement
The Act expects you to explain how your service meets accessibility requirements. In practice, that is a short public page: how accessible your site is, what is not fixed yet, and how a customer can report a problem. Write it honestly, based on a real check of your site.
A sensible order of work
- Check your key page types: home, category, product, cart, contact.
- Fix what blocks people first: checkout, forms, navigation.
- Publish an honest accessibility statement.
- Re-check after the fixes, and again after major site changes.
Accessibility is not a one-time certificate. It is closer to keeping your shop clean: regular, unglamorous and good for every customer, not only those with disabilities.
If you would like a second pair of eyes, send us your shop’s address in the form below: we will check it for free and email you a short report. Full audits and prices are on our audits page.