The European Accessibility Act (EAA) mandates that companies serving customers in the European Union (EU) must comply with new accessibility regulations by next June. Navigating the EAA's broad scope and varying rules across EU member states can be complex.
This blog will help you effectively manage EAA compliance and align your business with EN 301 549 standards. For a deeper dive into the EAA, check out our detailed post: The European Accessibility Act (EAA): What You Need to Know.
Work with Experts Early
Start by involving your legal team early in the compliance process. EAA requirements vary across EU countries; each member state has its version of a law that complies with the EAA requirements. Partnering with experienced accessibility experts can help you tailor your EAA compliance strategy to meet the specific needs of each country where you do business.
Recognize the Differences Across EU Member States
Each member state may interpret EAA requirements differently.
For example, in Italy, the Digital Italy Agency (AGID) enforces the "Stanca law" to align with the EU Web Accessibility Directive. Read more about Italy's accessibility law here.
Conversely, in Ireland, the Irish Regulations named the National Disability Authority (NDA) as the national monitoring body that monitors compliance with and reports on the EU Web Accessibility Directive. We'll touch more on the NDA later in this blog.
Staying informed about how each country enforces the EAA and the specifics of each law is beneficial when striving to meet the rules of each member state. For further details on accessibility policies across different regions, you can explore the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) policies page, which provides an overview of accessibility laws and policies worldwide.
Align Your Products with EN 301 549 Standards
A key aspect of EAA compliance is ensuring that your products meet EN 301 549 accessibility standards. This standard, updated on 13 September 2018, incorporates the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 for information and communications technology (ICT).
EN 301 549 applies to various ICT products and services, including:
- Web Content
- Electronic Documents
- Non-web software, such as native mobile apps
These updates ensure that the accessibility requirements extend beyond traditional web content and cover a wide range of digital products and services.
Collaborating closely with your legal team to define what qualifies as a product under these standards can help you avoid unexpected compliance issues and align your products effectively with EU accessibility requirements. For more details, refer to the blog post WCAG 2.1 Adoption in Europe.
Understand the Penalties for Non-Compliance
The EAA does not set penalties directly; instead, it leaves this to each member state's advisory organization.
In Ireland, the NDA oversees enforcement, and the penalties are among the most severe:
- Summary convictions: Fines up to €5,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 6 months.
- Indicted convictions: Fines up to €60,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 18 months.
These examples highlight why prioritizing EAA compliance is essential to avoid severe penalties that could impact your business operations. Understanding each country's specific regulations and potential penalties is vital.
Manage Documentation
EAA and EN 301 549 documentation can be complex, especially if you're new to accessibility compliance. An experienced accessibility partner can help you maintain proper documentation and keep your efforts on track, ensuring compliance with the latest EU accessibility standards.
Ensure Compliance Even if You're Outside the EU
If your company offers products or services to customers in the EU, you must comply with the EAA, regardless of your location. Non-EU businesses must prioritize EAA compliance to continue accessing the EU market and avoid potential penalties.
Prioritize Your Compliance Efforts
Given the broad scope of EAA requirements, scaling your efforts is critical. Prioritize by focusing on the most crucial areas first. This is another area where an accessibility partner can guide you to ensure your efforts are impactful and aligned with EAA standards.
Coordinate Across Teams
In large organizations, different teams may address EAA compliance at varying levels. To ensure a comprehensive approach, it's essential to involve key members of your team in the accessibility journey:
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Executives: Leadership commitment is crucial, as change starts from the top. Executives must emphasize and enforce the importance of accessibility to the company and its customers.
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Product Owners and Project Managers: With their oversight of processes and business lines, these roles are uniquely positioned to ensure that accessibility is embedded into the scope and requirements of projects from the outset.
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UI/UX Designers: Designers are critical in implementing accessibility standards. Incorporating these standards during the design phase can help prevent time-consuming remediation of accessibility issues later.
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Marketing and Content Teams: As the gatekeepers of your brand's content, marketers must understand web accessibility requirements. This knowledge ensures that your website, app, emails, social media posts, and other content meet accessibility standards.
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Developers: Developers should be familiar with WCAG standards and codes, as accessible design facilitates their work and contributes to the overall success of accessibility initiatives.
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Customer Support: Your customer service team must have the tools and knowledge to assist customers with disabilities, ensuring they can provide effective support and enhance the user experience.
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Quality Assurance: QA teams should integrate web accessibility checks into their broader quality validation processes, with clear goals and objectives for accessibility testing.
Effective coordination among these teams ensures a consistent approach to meeting EAA and EN 301 549 standards, avoiding duplicated efforts or gaps in compliance.
Stay Prepared for Evolving Challenges
Accessibility is an ongoing journey. You may encounter more complex technical hurdles than initially anticipated. In fact, a common verse in the accessibility world is "progress, not perfection."
This might seem frustrating if you are working toward compliance. However, staying agile and adaptable and adjusting your strategies as needed is essential.
Taking the Next Steps in EAA Compliance
Complying with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is challenging but crucial. Don't hesitate to seek guidance from experts. By staying informed about the rules and penalties in each state, coordinating your teams, and remaining adaptable, you can ensure your organization meets its accessibility obligations and avoids penalties.
Need help navigating EAA compliance? Book a meeting today. With over twenty years of experience and experts in Europe, we're here to guide you on your accessibility journey.
