The European Accessibility Act is coming: is your communication inclusive enough? (+ Checklist)

By Sophie Vervynckt

Starting June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will come into effect. This directive aims to make digital media more accessible to people with disabilities and the elderly. For some businesses, the EAA could have a significant impact on their branding, communication, and websites. We’ve outlined the key points that apply to communication and (marketing), and included a practical checklist to help align your future communications.

What does Europe aim to achieve with the European Accessibility Act?

With the European Accessibility Act, the European Union aims to make digital media—such as websites and apps—more accessible and inclusive.

The directive sets out specific requirements that websites, apps, and digital communications will need to meet in the near future.

The EAA is designed to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities and the elderly.

It focuses on three core objectives:

  1. Accessible communication and branding
  2. Digital accessibility
  3. Inclusive design and visual identity

Which organisations must comply with the European Accessibility Act?

Mainly governments and B2C companies.

The directive will apply from 28 June 2025 and concerns not only public authorities but also businesses—especially those offering services to consumers. For example:

  • All e-commerce platforms and websites offering services, such as travel agencies
  • All providers of banking and financial services, including online banking and loan applications
  • The websites and apps of telecom providers
  • Commercial organisations supplying products or services to government bodies
  • Commercial organisations offering essential services or products or financial services to consumers

In addition, the EAA also applies to government bodies and organisations that are publicly funded or run by the government:

  • Public sector organisations
  • Organisations receiving more than 50% public funding
  • Organisations governed by public authorities

That means a wide range of businesses and organisations will need to meet the directive’s requirements.

Accessible communication

The directive aims to ensure that content is accessible to a broad audience, including people with a visual or cognitive impairment.

That starts with the language used. To comply with the directive, you should use language that is understandable to a wide audience. Avoid jargon and use a style that reflects inclusivity.

The directive also requires alternatives to traditional communication formats. Concretely, you must always provide at least one alternative for text or images. That could mean: offering speech support (a voice that reads the article aloud), braille, or in the case of images: an audio description of the image in question.

Digital Accessibility (web and mobile)

Websites and mobile applications must be accessible to people with various impairments. This includes:

  • Images and videos must be accompanied by text alternatives, such as captions, alt text, or audio descriptions
  • Site and app navigation must be accessible, with a clear structure and intuitive navigation buttons
  • Digital interfaces must be compatible with screen readers and other tools for users with visual or auditory impairments

Inclusive design and visual identity

The European Accessibility Act also imposes design requirements, especially concerning colour use, typography, icons, and iconography.

The goal is to ensure maximum legibility. Colour cannot be the sole method of conveying information. For colour use, various contrast ratios have been defined in order to maximize the readability of charts and images.

When it comes to fonts, the EAA requires easily readable typefaces with sufficient letter spacing and no complex decorative elements.

Icons must convey a clear meaning, making them understandable for people with different cognitive abilities.

Checklist: does your communication meet the European Accessibility Act?

Communication

  • Information is accessible through multiple sensory channels (e.g. visual and auditory)
  • All text and visuals are clear and understandable
  • Non-text content includes an alternative text description
  • No flashing images that may trigger photosensitive epilepsy
  • Instructions and labels are clear and not solely reliant on colour or visual cues

Design

  • Colour is not the only method used to convey information (alternatives: icons, text labels)
  • Sufficient contrast between text and background (as per Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – (WCAG)):
  • Text: minimum contrast of 4.5:1
  • Large text: minimum contrast of 3:1
  • Non-text content: minimum contrast of 3:1
  • Options to adjust contrast and brightness (up to 7:1)
  • No contrast requirements for decorative elements or text in logos/brand names
  • Icons and iconography are simple, universally recognisable, and clearly labelled
  • Fonts are easy to read (size, no decorative or complex typefaces)
  • A common baseline: 16px for body text
  • Adequate letter and line spacing for better legibility:
  • Line height: at least 1.5x the font size
  • Space between paragraphs: at least 2x the font size
  • Letter spacing: at least 0.12x the font size
  • Word spacing: at least 0.16x the font size
  • Printed materials have good legibility and sufficient contrast

Website

  • Websites and mobile apps follow WCAG guidelines
  • Digital content is compatible with screen readers and other assistive tools
  • Videos include subtitles and audio descriptions
  • Text is available in a machine-readable format for voice assistance
  • Text can be enlarged without loss of functionality
  • All buttons and interactive elements are large enough and well spaced
  • No flashing content that may pose a risk to individuals with photosensitive epilepsy

For more specific cases, the WCAG checklist offers further guidance. You can also run a scan of your website using an accessibility checker.

Sources:

Is It Complicated? Perfect.

That's exactly the kind of communication challenge we love to take on. Tell us what you're working on.

Get in Touch →