Lies about the European Accessibility Act

You might be scared of some recent articles and posts stating that on June 28, 2025 the European Accessibility Act aka EAA shall be applicable to all websites and software.

This is simply not true.

Read the article in matter for yourself Article 2 Scope

The true scope of the EAA
The EAA has very broad scope. From approaches to buildings, use of toilets and sanitary facilities to manufacturing and the EU declaration of conformity.

The EAA is a directive. This means there are no direct effects on EU citizens and businesses. EU member states adopt and publish the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive.

How EAA affects IT
The EAA applies to the following products placed on the market after 28 June 2025:

• a) consumer general purpose computer hardware systems and operating systems for those hardware systems;
• b) the following self-service terminals:
  • i) payment terminals;
  • ii) the following self-service terminals dedicated to the provision of services covered by this Directive:
    • automated teller machines;
    • ticketing machines;
    • check-in machines;
    • interactive self-service terminals providing information, excluding terminals installed as integrated parts of vehicles, aircrafts, ships or rolling stock;
• c) consumer terminal equipment with interactive computing capability, used for electronic communications services;
• d) consumer terminal equipment with interactive computing capability, used for accessing audiovisual media services; and
• e) e-readers.

Without prejudice to Article 32, the EAA applies to the following services provided to consumers after 28 June 2025:

• a) electronic communications services with the exception of transmission services used for the provision of machine-to-machine services;
• b) services providing access to audiovisual media services;
• c) the following elements of air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport services, except for urban, suburban and regional transport services for which only the elements under point v) apply:
  • i) websites;
  • ii) mobile device-based services including mobile applications;
  • iii) electronic tickets and electronic ticketing services;
  • iv) delivery of transport service information, including real-time travel information; this shall, with regard to information screens, be limited to interactive screens located within the territory of the Union; and
  • v) interactive self-service terminals located within the territory of the Union, except those installed as integrated parts of vehicles, aircrafts, ships and rolling stock used in the provision of any part of such passenger transport services;
• d) consumer banking services;
• e) e-books and dedicated software; and
• f) e-commerce services.

The EAA applies to answering emergency communications to the single European emergency number "112".

Conclusion
Are you air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport services provider?

Are you selling e-books and e-books dedicated software?

Are you a provider of e-commerce services? Do you maintain any paid subscription website or e-shop?

If so, this one piece of software, and only this one, is subject to the EAA. Note that the e-commerce services apply to the online sale.

In all other cases EAA does not apply to IT.