EU citizens live with some form of disability
Maximum fine for non-compliance in Sweden (≈10 MSEK)
Europeans over 16 has a disability — a largely untapped market
What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
The European Accessibility Act — implemented in Sweden as Act (2023:254) on the Accessibility of Certain Products and Services — is the EU’s biggest regulatory shift for web accessibility in the private sector ever. Previously, similar requirements only applied to public organisations, schools, and healthcare. Now, they extend to commercial businesses.
In practice, this means that e-commerce, digital services, banking applications, communication services, and much more must now comply with WCAG 2.1 AA — the international standard for web accessibility. Websites, apps, and digital documents must be usable by people with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive impairments.
The directive applies regardless of where your business is registered — it is sufficient that you sell to customers within the EU. Just like GDPR.
Timeline: Where Are We Now?
EAA (Directive EU 2019/882) was enacted by the European Parliament.
Act (2023:254) passed by the Swedish parliament (Riksdag).
All new products and services must meet requirements. The Swedish PTS authority can now investigate and issue fines.
Older content published before 2025 must be made accessible by this date.
As Important as GDPR? Yes — Perhaps More So.
Many wonder whether the EAA is truly as serious as GDPR. The short answer: yes, and the comparison is apt. Both are EU directives with national implementation, both are extraterritorial (they apply to you regardless of location if you serve EU customers), and both can result in substantial fines.
- Protects personal data
- In force since May 2018
- Fines up to 4% of global revenue
- Well known across the industry
- Requires technical & organisational measures
- Protects the right to digital access
- In force since June 2025
- Fines up to €900K in Sweden
- Unknown to many — for now
- Requires content & code changes
A study in Germany found that 75% of the most visited online shops were not accessible. In Ireland, 72% of household-name brands had inaccessible websites.
One key difference: the EAA isn’t just about avoiding fines. It’s about design and content — alt text on images, correct HTML structure, keyboard navigation, and understandable forms. These things need to be built into your WordPress site from the ground up.
What If You Run a Small Business?
The EAA includes an exemption for micro-enterprises — companies with fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million in annual revenue are exempt. But note:
- If you run an agency and build sites for clients who are not micro-enterprises, those clients are legally obligated — and you as the supplier may be held liable.
- The exemption applies to your own company, not the sites you deliver.
- An agency that delivers an inaccessible web solution may face legal claims from its client.
Accessibility is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s a delivery requirement. Clients can seek compensation if you’ve delivered a site that violates the EAA.
What Happens If You Don’t Comply?
Fines in Sweden — issued by the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS). Can also result in the product being forced off the EU market. Beyond fines: damage claims from clients, reputational harm, and potential market bans across the EU.
These are not empty threats. Regulatory bodies and disability advocacy organisations have already initiated legal proceedings against major retailers in France and Belgium since the law came into force in June 2025.
What Does Your WordPress Site Need to Do?
WCAG 2.1 AA — the most important requirements:
- Alt text on all images — descriptive text for screen readers
- Keyboard navigation — the entire site must be navigable without a mouse
- Colour contrast — text against background must meet a contrast ratio of 4.5:1
- Semantic HTML — correct heading structure and ARIA attributes
- Form accessibility — labels, error messages, and focus indicators
- Accessibility statement — a public document describing your level of compliance
- Long descriptions — for complex images, charts, and infographics
That sounds like a lot — and it is. For a WordPress site with hundreds of posts, product pages, and images, manual remediation can take weeks. This is exactly where AI can make a real difference.
Meet AccessiMind AI — Accessibility Automated for WordPress
AccessiMind AI is a WordPress plugin built specifically to help SMB owners and web agencies achieve EAA compliance quickly — without manually writing a single alt text.
Analyses your images with vision AI and writes descriptive, context-aware alt text automatically.
Generates in-depth screen reader descriptions for complex images, charts, and graphics.
Creates accessible summaries for users with cognitive impairments to better understand page content.
Automates category and archive descriptions that help screen reader users navigate your site.
For agencies — the Agency plan:
- Locks AccessiMind AI to your primary domain
- Enables activation across your entire WordPress Multisite network
- Perfect for agencies delivering accessible sites at scale
- Unlimited AI generations across all installations
Conclusion: Act Now, Not in 2030
The EAA is not a future problem — the law is already in effect. The PTS has authority to act, disability organisations across Europe are already taking major retailers to court, and your clients will soon start asking about accessibility statements in their procurement processes.
Just like GDPR: those who act early avoid the crisis later.
With the right tools, you can systematically address the most common gaps and build a robust compliance process that protects you, your agency, and your clients.
Get Started with AccessiMind AI
Install the plugin, run your first batch of alt texts in five minutes, and take a major step towards EAA compliance today.
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