Originally published at AccessibleWeb Guide.
If you run a website that serves customers in the European Union, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) now applies to you. The June 2025 deadline has passed, and enforcement is underway. The good news? You do not need to be a developer to make your site compliant. This checklist will walk you through the most important items you can check and fix yourself.
What Is the European Accessibility Act?
The European Accessibility Act is an EU directive that requires digital products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. Think of it as the European equivalent of the ADA for websites. It covers online shops, banking services, e-books, transport ticketing, and many other digital services. If your business sells to EU customers online, this law likely applies to you.
Who Does the EAA Apply To?
The EAA applies to businesses that offer products or services to consumers in the EU, regardless of where the business is based. If someone in Germany, France, or any other EU member state can buy from your website, you are in scope.
The Microenterprise Exemption
There is one notable exception. Microenterprises -- businesses with fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover under 2 million euros -- are exempt from most EAA requirements for services. However, this exemption is narrow. If you sell physical products covered by the act (like computers or e-readers), the product accessibility requirements still apply. And even if you qualify for the exemption today, growing past that threshold means you must comply immediately. Our advice: start now regardless of size. Accessibility is good for every business.
The EAA Compliance Checklist: 15 Items You Can Check Without Code
You do not need to open a single line of code to verify most of these items. Grab a coffee, open your website, and work through this list.
1. Check That All Images Have Descriptive Text
Every image on your site should have "alt text" -- a short description that screen readers read aloud. In most website builders like WordPress, Shopify, or Squarespace, you can add alt text in the image settings panel.
How to check: Right-click any image on your site, select "Inspect," and look for alt="..." in the highlighted code. If it says alt="" or the alt attribute is missing entirely, that image needs a description.
Quick fix: Go to your CMS media library and add descriptions to every image. Describe what the image shows, not what you want people to feel. "A woman using a laptop at a cafe" is better than "productivity" or "lifestyle."
2. Make Sure Your Text Has Enough Contrast
Light grey text on a white background is hard to read for everyone, not just people with vision impairments. The standard requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text and 3 to 1 for large text.
How to check: Use the free WebAIM Contrast Checker. Enter your text color and background color, and it will tell you if you pass or fail.
Quick fix: If you fail, darken your text color or lighten/darken your background until the tool shows a pass.
3. Verify That Your Site Works With Keyboard Only
Some people cannot use a mouse. They navigate websites entirely with the Tab key, Enter key, and arrow keys. Your site must be usable this way.
How to check: Put your mouse aside. Start at the top of any page and press Tab repeatedly. Can you reach every link, button, and form field? Can you see which element is currently selected?
Quick fix: If elements are getting skipped or you cannot see where the focus is, this usually requires theme or template changes. Note the specific problems for your developer.
4. Check Your Heading Structure
Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) are not just for visual styling. Screen readers use them to navigate your page like a table of contents. Your page should have exactly one H1, followed by H2s for main sections, H3s for subsections, and so on. Never skip levels.
How to check: Install the free HeadingsMap browser extension for Chrome.
Quick fix: In your CMS editor, select text that is styled as a heading and make sure it is actually marked as the correct heading level, not just bold text made to look big.
5. Ensure All Form Fields Have Labels
Every input field on your site needs a visible label that is properly connected to the field. Placeholder text does not count as a label.
How to check: Look at your forms. Can you tell what each field is for without clicking on it?
Quick fix: Most form builder plugins let you add visible labels in their settings. Turn them on.
6. Add Captions to Your Videos
Any video content on your site needs captions. This applies to product demos, testimonial videos, and embedded YouTube or Vimeo content.
How to check: Play each video. Are captions available? Auto-generated captions from YouTube are a starting point, but they often contain errors.
Quick fix: YouTube and Vimeo both offer free caption editing tools. Use auto-generated captions as a base, then review and correct them.
7. Check That Links Make Sense Out of Context
Screen reader users often navigate by jumping from link to link. A link that says "Click here" or "Read more" is meaningless without the surrounding text.
How to check: Scan your pages for link text. Would you understand where each link goes if you could only read the link text itself?
Quick fix: Change vague links to descriptive ones. Instead of "Click here to see our pricing," write "View our pricing plans."
8. Make Sure Pop-ups and Modals Can Be Closed
Cookie consent banners, newsletter pop-ups, and promotional overlays must be dismissable with the keyboard (usually the Escape key) and should not trap the user's focus.
How to check: Open a pop-up on your site. Can you close it by pressing Escape? Can you Tab to the close button?
Quick fix: Most pop-up plugins have accessibility settings. Check for options like "close on Escape" and "trap focus."
9. Verify Your Site Has a Logical Reading Order
When you turn off your site's CSS, the content should still appear in a logical order. This is the order screen readers follow.
How to check: Use the free WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluator. Enter your page URL and check the "Structure" tab.
Quick fix: If the order is wrong, it usually means content is positioned visually with CSS but is out of order in the HTML. This may require template adjustments.
10. Check That Error Messages Are Clear and Visible
When a user fills out a form incorrectly, the error message should clearly explain what went wrong and which field needs attention.
How to check: Submit a form with intentional errors. Are the error messages specific? Do they appear next to the problem fields?
Quick fix: Most form plugins allow you to customize error messages. "Please enter a valid email address" is better than "Invalid input."
11. Ensure Text Can Be Resized Without Breaking the Layout
Your site should still be usable at 200% zoom.
How to check: Press Ctrl+Plus (Cmd+Plus on Mac) several times until you reach 200% zoom. Is all text still readable? Does the layout still work?
Quick fix: Switching to a responsive, modern theme usually resolves zoom issues.
12. Remove or Fix Auto-Playing Content
Content that moves, blinks, scrolls, or auto-plays can be disorienting. Carousels, auto-playing videos, and animated banners all fall into this category.
How to check: Load your pages. Does anything move without you triggering it?
Quick fix: Disable auto-play. Add pause buttons to animated content. Consider replacing carousels with static content.
13. Check Your Page Titles
Every page should have a unique, descriptive title in the browser tab. This is the first thing a screen reader announces.
How to check: Open several pages and look at the browser tab. Does each show a distinct, meaningful title?
Quick fix: Update titles in your CMS settings or SEO plugin.
14. Verify That Your Site Identifies Its Language
Screen readers need to know what language your page is in to pronounce words correctly.
How to check: Right-click, "View Page Source," look for lang="en" (or your language) in the <html> tag.
Quick fix: Set your site language in your CMS language settings.
15. Run a Free Automated Accessibility Scan
Automated tools will not catch everything, but they will find many common issues quickly.
How to check: Run your site through WAVE or install the axe DevTools browser extension.
Quick fix: Work through flagged issues starting with "Errors" before "Warnings."
How to Fix Common Issues Without Writing Code
- Missing alt text: Add it in your media library or image settings.
- Poor contrast: Update your theme's color settings.
- Missing form labels: Enable labels in your form plugin settings.
- Vague link text: Edit the text directly in your page editor.
- Missing page titles: Update in your SEO or page settings.
- Auto-playing media: Disable auto-play in slider or video plugin settings.
- Missing captions: Add through YouTube, Vimeo, or a captioning tool.
What to Do If You Need More Help
- Switch to an accessible theme. Look for themes that advertise WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. WordPress themes tagged "Accessibility Ready" have passed a basic review.
- Hire an accessibility specialist for a one-time audit. Typically 500-2,000 euros for a small site.
- Use your platform's built-in tools. Shopify, WordPress, and Squarespace all have accessibility documentation.
- Do not rely on accessibility overlay widgets. Tools that promise to "make your site accessible with one line of code" are widely criticized and may not satisfy EAA requirements.
Stay Ahead of Enforcement
EAA enforcement varies by EU member state. Some nations are already conducting audits; others are still setting up enforcement bodies. Fixing accessibility issues now protects you from future risk and makes your site better for all visitors.
Final Thoughts
Accessibility is not a one-time project. It is an ongoing practice, much like keeping your content up to date or maintaining your site's security. Start with the checklist above, fix what you can today, and tackle the rest over time. Your future customers -- all of them -- will thank you.
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