What is the EU Accessibility Act? (And Why It Matters for Your Business)
- vitolasindi
- Jul 15
- 4 min read
On June 28th, 2025, the European Accessibility Act officially came into effect, and if you're running a digital service business in the EU, this directly impacts you.
What is the EU Accessibility Act?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is EU legislation that requires websites, mobile apps, and digital services to be accessible to people with disabilities. This includes your business website, online booking systems, digital products, and any apps you might offer.
The goal is simple: if someone with vision problems, hearing difficulties, or motor impairments wants to buy from you or use your services, your website should work for them too. What started as good practice is now legal requirement.
Who Does This Affect?
If you're a female founder running a digital or service-based business in the EU with:
A business website
An online store or booking system
Mobile apps
Any digital services or products
Then this affects you. And if you're like most of the overwhelmed founders I work with, you've probably been putting this off because it feels too technical or time-consuming to tackle while you're already drowning in client work.
What Actually Needs to Change?
Here's the thing - it's not as scary as it sounds. Most of the changes are actually pretty straightforward:
Your website needs:
Alt text for all images (so screen readers can describe them)
Proper heading structure (H1, H2, H3 in the right order)
Good color contrast (no light gray text on white backgrounds)
Keyboard navigation that actually works
Descriptive link text (not just "click here")
The good news? If you're using platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress, a lot of this can be fixed pretty easily.
My Recent Experience (And How I Can Help You)
Just last week, I was working with a client on this exact issue. She had been receiving emails saying she must make her website compliant or face fines—pretty scary stuff. While those fear-based sales pitches were a bit much, the underlying requirement is real.
She contacted me and we talked through where to start and what actually needed to be done. Once she understood that the changes weren't that major, we agreed on a timeline to fix them and I took the lead on implementation.
Since she was on Wix, I used their Accessibility Wizard—a tool that scans your entire website and tells you exactly what needs fixing.
Here's what it found on her site:
22 accessibility issues that needed attention
Missing alt text on images
Heading structure problems
Color contrast issues
The wizard doesn't just point out problems—it gives you step-by-step instructions on how to fix them. We went from 22 issues to 6 in about an hour, and most of the remaining ones were quick fixes.
What Happens If You Don't Comply?
Look, I'm not trying to scare you, but there can be fines. The EU isn't messing around with this. More importantly though, you could be missing out on customers who literally can't use your website.
My Honest Take
I know this feels like just another thing on your endless to-do list when you're already overwhelmed with client delivery and trying to find time to work on your business instead of just in it. But here's the thing—making your website accessible actually makes it better for EVERYONE.
Better structure? Google loves that for SEO.
Clear navigation? Your regular customers will thank you.
Faster loading times? (Yes, accessibility improvements often boost speed too.)
Everyone wins.
Need Help Getting This Done?
If you're feeling overwhelmed (totally normal!), here's what I'd recommend:
Do a quick audit - If you're on Wix, use their Accessibility Wizard. For other platforms, try Googling "Check website Accessibility" for free checkers (For example, I tested TestDevLab, and it gave a free basic to-do list)
Start with the basics - Alt text and heading structure will get you 80% of the way there.
Don't try to do everything at once - Pick one page, fix it completely, then move to the next.
Get professional help if needed - This is exactly the kind of systems work I help my clients with. Sometimes it's worth having someone who knows what they're doing just take care of it.
The Bottom Line
June 28th, 2025 has passed, whether we're ready or not. But honestly? This is a good thing.
Making your business accessible to everyone isn't just about compliance - it's about being the kind of business owner who genuinely cares about serving all her customers.
And trust me, once you get this sorted, you'll wonder why you waited so long. Your website will be cleaner, more professional, and ready for everyone who wants to work with you.
Feeling overwhelmed by this and not sure where to start?
I help female founders break down projects like this into manageable action plans so you can tackle them without adding to your stress.
This is exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes work that's perfect for stepping back from deliverables mode and working on your business infrastructure. I can help you map out what needs to be done, prioritize the fixes, and create a clear timeline that works with your existing workload.
Book a free 20-minute consultation and let's figure out your accessibility action plan—no tech overwhelm, just clear next steps.
