The European Accessibility Act – An Opportunity to Evolve?
Over recent months, you may have heard discussions around the changes the European Accessibility Act- (or the EAA) will bring. The new directive, that aims to make products and services more accessible for those with disabilities across the European Union (EU), was rolled out across all EU member countries in June 2025, introducing brand new accessibility laws and regulations.
Now, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about the new act but ignored it, under the impression that it is not relevant, given that the UK is no longer a part of the EU.
But this is not necessarily correct.
In fact, the act is still a requirement for any UK business that trades or provides a service in a European market, and a failure to meet the EAA’s standards can result in serious consequences, including fines and the withdrawal of non-compliant products or services from the market. Given that these fines can be as high as £200,000, it’s worth considering how best to meet these new standards, whilst also reaping the benefits of introducing accessibility to your businesses offering.
So, What Is the EAA?
In short, The EAA is new legislation that has been developed to remove any barriers for people with disabilities, across various everyday services and digital products. It sets new accessibility requirements for sectors including:
- E-commerce and retail websites
- Computers and operating systems
- ATMs, ticketing and check-in machines
- Smartphones
- TV equipment (related to digital television services)
- Telephony services and related equipment
- Access to audio-visual media services such as television broadcast and related consumer equipment
- Passenger travel services related to air, bus, rail and water.
- Banking services
- E-books
- E-commerce
The purpose of the act is to enhance and develop inclusivity, both physically and digitally, allowing people with disabilities to be able to better access these products and services.
So, what does this mean for a UK business trading in the EU?
Any UK based business which sells or provides a service to customers within the EU, must meet the EAA’s accessibility standards. In a nutshell, that means that any digital platforms, customer services, and in-person experiences and communications must be accessible for people with disabilities.
The EAA will affect both public and private sector companies’ products impacting ‘services essential to participation in society’.
So, for example If you are a retail organisation, an online store, and part of your customer base is located in Ireland, then the EAA would certainly apply to you.
This would mean that you would need to ensure your services are accessible, including an accessible customer service and customer support, that your website and apps meet accessibility standards, (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards- find out more here) that you have accessible checkout processes and accessible product information.
This would apply to all businesses apart from microenterprises (or any businesses with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover less than €2 million) as these are exempt from the EAA's requirements.
New opportunities- Enhance awareness and increase your appeal
If you are a UK business with clients in the EU, then we at Bascule ask you to see this, not as a box ticking regulation, but as an opportunity to fine tune your market and open the doors to a potential customer base equal to millions of new customers -in both the UK and the EU. Why the UK? Any changes you make for the EU will likely make it easier for your UK customers with disabilities too. Even if doesn’t apply to you, could it be a roadmap for improved accessibility in the UK?
We always recommend creating inclusive mindsets before embarking on any kind of journey of accessibility, by training staff to have an enhanced sense and skillset around disability awareness. Why? Well, if you are about to meet EAA standards by creating a more inclusive website, digital platforms and services, then anyone involved in making these changes should have a good foundational knowledge of what disability really is. Your team should have a deep understanding, empathetic view and good base of knowledge around disability.
Consider also how you would begin by developing a more accessible customer service for the EAA. Improving services and communication with people with disabilities should always begin with the development of awareness and understanding.
At Bascule Disability Training, we work with companies to provide engaging, practical training that goes beyond the “dos and don’ts.” We help you to apply inclusive thinking to everyday decisions and the changes required for an accessible culture.
A new opportunity
Whilst many see the European Accessibility Act as a regulatory process, we ask businesses to look at it as a new opportunity. There are currently around 101 million people over 16 in the EU that have a disability, which is roughly equal to 1 in 4 adults.
So, if you want your staff to confidently communicate with new customers with disabilities, for your teams to have a better understanding of the requirements when creating new inclusive environments, (both digital and physical), we can be the first to step in, empowering your team with a vital foundational knowledge and understanding of disability.
Get in touch with Bascule Disability Training to explore how we can help change your workplace culture to be more accessible and embrace the benefits of inclusion.
