or some, online shopping is an everyday activity, while for others, it can present significant challenges. According to the World Health Organisation, over one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. In Europe, this figure represents around 15% of the population, meaning approximately 87 million people may face barriers when using online stores.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) introduces new standards aimed at minimising these barriers and promoting inclusivity. With the implementation of these regulations, digital accessibility is no longer just a best practice but a necessity. In this article, we will guide you on how to adapt your e-commerce platform to meet the new legal requirements and enhance the experience of all online store users.
What is digital accessibility and why does it matter?
Digital accessibility refers to the practice of designing websites, applications, and other digital solutions in a way that makes them easily usable by people with various limitations – ranging from physical disabilities to visual or auditory impairments, as well as cognitive difficulties. In the context of e-commerce, this includes:
- Easy navigation using a keyboard,
- Availability of alternative descriptions for graphics,
- Compatibility with assistive technologies, such as screen readers,
- Appropriate contrast between text and background.
According to the report "Digital Accessibility of E-commerce in Poland," the average level of accessibility for the websites analysed did not exceed 44%, indicating that most online stores are not fully adapted to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Additionally, as highlighted by the Polish Association of the Blind, visually impaired individuals often face difficulties such as the inability to register or add products to the basket using only a keyboard, significantly hindering the shopping process.
Failing to adapt e-commerce platforms not only leads to digital exclusion but also results in the loss of potential customers for businesses. Ensuring digital accessibility allows companies to meet legal requirements, expand their customer base, and strengthen their image as socially responsible enterprises.
The European Accessibility Act – what do you need to know?
This legislation aims to provide as many people as possible with equal access to products and services, regardless of their level of ability. In practice, this means that individuals with specific needs, such as those who are blind, deaf, elderly, or have mobility issues, should have the same opportunities to use all products and services.
This obligation will apply to manufacturers, importers, distributors, and service providers, with the exception of micro-enterprises, which are exempt from some requirements.
The new regulations cover both the accessibility of product information (such as descriptions, instructions, or installation procedures) and the products and services themselves, including e-commerce services. These rules will apply to all EU member states from 28 June 2025. The regulations are based on the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), which define the principles of creating accessible online content.
WCAG 2.1 Guidelines
This set of international standards, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), aims to ensure that websites, applications, and other digital content are accessible to as wide an audience as possible, including people with disabilities. The main principles of WCAG 2.1 focus on areas such as:
- Perceivability
- Operability
- Understandability
- Robustness/Compatibility
Perceivability
This principle requires:
- Logical content structure (with headers, lists, etc.),
- Text alternatives for non-text content (e.g., images or icons),
- Transcriptions for audio and video materials,
- Subtitles and audio descriptions for videos,
- Highlights (not just colour-based),
- Text colour with sufficient contrast against the background,
- Clear identification of functions (forms, tables, etc.),
- Readable and visible content,
- Avoidance of text embedded in images,
- Responsive web design.
Operability
To ensure a user-friendly experience, the following solutions should be implemented:
- Navigation using only a keyboard,
- Options to pause or stop moving content,
- Ability to change or disable keyboard shortcuts,
- Clear visibility of keyboard focus elements,
- Avoidance of flashing graphics and text,
- Clear headings and labels for forms,
- Links allowing users to skip directly to content (e.g., "Skip to Content" links),
- Links with descriptive text indicating their destination,
- Understandable page titles,
- Minimisation of complex gestures on touchscreens.
Understandability
To make your shop's content readable and easy to absorb, you should:
- Use simple language (avoiding industry jargon and unnecessary words),
- Avoid difficult terms and phrases or provide clear explanations for them,
- Expand abbreviations and acronyms,
- Specify the language of the content in the website’s code,
- Ensure consistent appearance and functionality across all subpages,
- Provide clear and understandable labels in forms,
- Publish comprehensible error messages with guidance on how to fix them.
Robustness/Compatibility
This principle can be achieved through:
- Proper coding, compliant with HTML standards,
- Providing assistive technology users with information on status or conditions,
- Enabling assistive technologies to communicate emerging messages.
What obligations does the European Accessibility Act impose on online stores?
In addition to compliance with the aforementioned WCAG 2.1 guidelines, websites and mobile applications should also provide:
- Multisensory information: Content should be available in various formats (e.g., textual and audio descriptions) to accommodate visually impaired users.
- Responsiveness: Websites must function seamlessly across different devices, such as smartphones, tablets, or computers.
- Enhanced customer communication: Online stores should offer more than one method of contacting customer service, such as phone support, voice chat, or online forms.
Regarding the accessibility of products and services:
- Instruction manuals and documentation must be available in various formats, such as text and audio.
- Products, like computer equipment or telecommunication devices, should include features that make them accessible to people with disabilities. For instance, a Braille keyboard enabling blind users to operate a purchased computer effectively.
Is a revolution in e-commerce on the horizon?
Until now, accessibility features like contrast adjustment, font size changes, or providing audio versions of content were seen as good UX practices and a nod towards users. However, with the implementation of new regulations, ensuring full digital accessibility will become mandatory. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in financial penalties.
The European Accessibility Act should not necessitate a complete overhaul of existing websites. Meeting WCAG 2.1 guidelines is more likely to be another step towards enhancing accessibility and broadening the customer base. Today, elements like appropriate text contrast, clear forms, and mobile-friendly design are already standard practices in modern e-commerce design.
Nonetheless, businesses must ensure their platforms are navigable via a keyboard (e.g., ensuring elements are appropriately highlighted in the "focus" state) and that all images include alternative text useful for screen reader users. Additionally, multimedia content, such as videos or presentations, should be accessible to people with disabilities, necessitating subtitles or transcriptions.
Although the regulations will take effect on 28 June 2025, preparations can be time-consuming, especially if they involve adapting the product range, adding alternative descriptions for images and videos, or improving site responsiveness. Therefore, conducting a comprehensive UX audit of your platform now is advisable to identify areas requiring improvement.
If you need support in developing or adapting your e-commerce platform to comply with the new regulations, get in touch with us.