EAA Guide
Does Your Online Store Need to Comply With the European Accessibility Act (EAA)? (2026 Guide)
Short answer: Yes — if you sell products or services to consumers in the EU, your online store must meet the European Accessibility Act (EAA) as of 28 June 2025, unless you are a micro-enterprise providing services (fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million annual turnover). This applies even if your business is based outside the EU.
If you run a Shopify, WooCommerce, or custom online store and you have customers in Europe, this one law now sits between you and every EU shopper who uses a screen reader, keyboard, or magnifier. Here is exactly what it is, whether it applies to you, and how to check your store in 60 seconds.
What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) is an EU law that requires digital products and services — including e-commerce websites and apps — to be accessible to people with disabilities. It has applied across all EU member states since 28 June 2025.
In plain terms: the EAA takes the technical accessibility rules that used to be optional best practice and makes them a legal requirement for anyone selling to EU consumers online.
Does the EAA apply to my online store?
| Your situation | Covered by the EAA? |
|---|---|
| You sell products/services to EU consumers online | Yes |
| Your business is based outside the EU (US, UK, etc.) but sells to EU customers | Yes — the customer's location decides, not yours |
| You are B2B only (no consumer sales) | Largely out of scope for the consumer e-commerce rules |
| You are a micro-enterprise (under 10 staff and under €2M turnover) providing services | Exempt from the service requirements |
| You only sell within one non-EU market, never to the EU | No |
The key trap: many store owners assume "we are not an EU company, so it does not apply." The EAA follows the customer, not the company. If an EU consumer can buy from you, you are expected to comply.
What does my store actually have to do?
The EAA points to the European standard EN 301 549, which in turn is built on WCAG 2.1 Level AA — the internationally recognised web accessibility guidelines. In practice, meeting WCAG 2.1 AA is how you meet the EAA for a website.
Common things that fail on a typical store:
- Images without alt text — product photos a screen reader cannot describe
- Low-contrast text — sale prices or buttons that fail contrast ratios
- Form fields without labels — checkout and search boxes a screen reader cannot announce
- Buttons that are not keyboard-reachable — an "Add to cart" that only works with a mouse
- Missing focus indicators — no visible outline when tabbing through the page
- Unclear link text— twenty links that all just say "Read more"
Most of these are fixable in your theme or template once you know where they are.
Running a Shopify store? Our Shopify accessibility checklist walks through each of these fixes with the exact Shopify setting to change.
What happens if I ignore it?
Enforcement and penalties are set by each EU member state individually, not by one central EU fine schedule. Depending on the country, consequences can include financial penalties, formal complaints from consumers or advocacy groups, and — in serious cases — being ordered to stop offering the non-compliant service in that market.
The practical risk for most stores is not a surprise regulator on day one; it is accumulating complaints and losing sales from the roughly 1-in-4 EU adults who have some form of disability and simply leave a store they cannot use.
How to check if your store is compliant right now
You do not need a paid audit to find out where you stand. Paste any page of your store into a free accessibility scanner and you will get a plain-English list of the exact issues, ranked by severity.
Scan your store for EAA issues free with AbleScan — enter any URL, get results in about 60 seconds, no signup required. AbleScan checks your page against the WCAG 2.1 AA rules the EAA relies on and shows you what to fix first.
Run it on your homepage, a product page, and your checkout — those three cover where most EU shoppers get stuck.
FAQ
Is the EAA the same as WCAG?
No. WCAG is the technical guideline; the EAA is the law that makes WCAG-level accessibility (specifically WCAG 2.1 Level AA, via EN 301 549) legally required for services sold to EU consumers.
I'm a US-based store. Do I really have to comply?
If EU consumers can buy from you, yes. The EAA applies based on where your customers are, not where your company is registered.
Does the EAA apply to Shopify or WooCommerce stores?
Yes. The platform does not change the obligation. Shopify and WooCommerce themes can be made accessible, but no platform is compliant out of the box — you are responsible for your storefront.
My store is tiny. Am I exempt?
Only if you are a micro-enterprise providing services — fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million annual turnover. Below both thresholds you are exempt from the service requirements; above either one, you are expected to comply.
When did the EAA take effect?
It has applied since 28 June 2025 across the European Union.
How do I know which issues to fix first?
Run a free accessibility scan to get a prioritised list. Fix the high-severity items first — missing alt text, low contrast, keyboard access, and form labels — because they affect the most users and are the most commonly cited.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For obligations specific to your business, consult a qualified professional in the relevant EU market.