Summary

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into force on June 28, 2025, setting new legal requirements for websites, mobile apps, and digital services to be accessible to people with disabilities across the EU. This article explains what the EAA covers, who must comply, and how accessibility overlaps with SEO best practices. It includes a practical SEO Accessibility Checklist to help businesses prepare for compliance while also improving search visibility, user experience, and long-term digital performance.

Introduction

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) officially came into effect on June 28, 2025, marking a pivotal moment in digital compliance across the European Union. This legislation mandates that websites, digital platforms, and a wide range of digital services must be accessible to all users, especially those with disabilities.

While countries like Canada, the United States, and the UK have long-standing accessibility laws, many businesses in the EU are now facing this requirement for the first time. If you’re operating an online business or digital service that reaches users in the EU, it’s essential to understand what the EAA entails and how to align your digital assets accordingly.

To help businesses get ready, I’ve put together a comprehensive [SEO Accessibility Checklist], which bridges compliance and discoverability. But first, let’s break down what the EAA actually means.

What Is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?

The European Accessibility Act is a directive designed to ensure that digital products and services are usable by people with disabilities. This includes websites, mobile applications, e-commerce platforms, banking interfaces, streaming platforms, e-books, and more.

The legislation is based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and requires that digital content meet the POUR principles:

• Perceivable
• Operable
• Understandable
• Robust

These principles aim to ensure that all users—regardless of physical or cognitive ability—can navigate, interact with, and understand digital content effectively.

Who Must Comply With the EAA?

The EAA applies broadly to companies that operate within the EU or offer digital services to EU consumers—even if they are based outside the EU. In this way, it’s similar to GDPR in its extraterritorial reach.

There are, however, some limited exceptions:

• Microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million in annual revenue) may be exempt.
• A business can also apply for exemption if it can prove that compliance would impose a disproportionate financial or technical burden, but this requires a solid justification supported by a cost-benefit analysis.

In short: if you’re a business offering digital services in the EU, you’re likely affected.

What Products and Services Are Covered?

The EAA applies to a wide range of digital services and interfaces, including:

• E-commerce platforms: Online stores and marketplaces must offer an accessible experience across desktop and mobile.
• Electronic communication services: This includes internet service providers, telecom operators, and messaging apps.
• Media and entertainment platforms: TV stations, video-on-demand services, and streaming platforms must comply with accessibility standards.
• Banking and financial services: Web and mobile banking apps, ATMs, and payment terminals must be designed to accommodate users with disabilities.
• E-books and reading software: Digital publications and the software used to access them must be accessible.
• Accessibility Statements: All websites and apps within scope must include a public accessibility statement outlining their compliance level, known limitations, and contact methods for user feedback or alternative access.

Why Accessibility Also Helps Your SEO

Beyond legal compliance, accessibility improves user experience, boosts site speed, and supports better indexing by search engines—all key factors in search performance.

Accessible websites:

• Have clear structures that benefit both users and crawlers
• Use alt text that enhances image indexing
• Offer transcripts and captions, which improve video SEO
• Avoid broken links that frustrate both users and search engines

Accessibility and SEO are closely aligned, optimizing for one often means improving the other.

SEO Accessibility Checklist

Here’s a high-level version of the SEO-focused accessibility checklist I’ve developed:

1. Navigation & Site Structure

• Use a logical menu structure: Clear hierarchies with categories and subcategories help users and crawlers.
• Add breadcrumbs to aid orientation and internal linking.
• Ensure keyboard navigation works using Tab, Shift+Tab, and Enter.

2. Visual Elements

• Provide alt text for all meaningful images.
• Include captions and transcripts for video content.
• Use accessible color contrasts and avoid text embedded in images.

3. On-Page Elements

• Craft clear meta titles and descriptions that describe page intent.
• Structure content using headings (H1, H2, etc.) for easier parsing.
• Avoid broken links—they harm UX and crawlability.

4. WCAG Compliance

The EAA is grounded in WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Key requirements include:

• Sufficient contrast between text and background
• Text alternatives for non-text content
• Input assistance for forms
• Predictable navigation patterns

Free tools like Accessibility Checker, axe DevTools, or WAVE can help identify and fix common issues.

Conclusion: Building a More Inclusive Web

As citizens, we’ve advocated for physical accessibility ramps, reserved parking spaces, and more. Now, as SEO professionals and website owners, we must do the same in the digital space.

By making your website accessible, you’re not just complying with the law, you’re building a better internet. You’re also improving SEO, user engagement, and future-proofing your digital presence.

Start with the [SEO Accessibility Checklist] and take the first step toward compliance, and inclusion.

Photo source: freepik.com