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Accessibility · Checklist

European Accessibility Act checklist for small business websites

A practical checklist for WordPress and WooCommerce sites selling to consumers in the EU: what the European Accessibility Act requires, what to test and what to fix first.

The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) has applied since 28 June 2025. For websites, it matters most if you sell products or services to consumers in the EU online – an online store is the most common case. This checklist covers the technical side; it is not legal advice.

Does the EAA apply to you?

  • E-commerce services offered to EU consumers are explicitly covered.
  • Microenterprises providing services – fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover or balance sheet of no more than €2 million – are exempt from the service requirements.
  • Enforcement and penalties are set by each member state, through national authorities.
  • The technical reference is the European standard EN 301 549, which points to WCAG 2.1 level AA for web content.

Checklist: content and design

  • Every meaningful image has alternative text; decorative images are hidden from screen readers
  • Text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background (3:1 for large text)
  • Buttons, form borders and icons that carry meaning have at least 3:1 contrast
  • Information is not conveyed by colour alone (e.g. errors marked only in red)
  • Videos have captions; audio has a transcript
  • Text can be zoomed to 200% without breaking the layout

Checklist: navigation and keyboard

  • Everything works with a keyboard alone: menus, sliders, filters, pop-ups, checkout
  • Keyboard focus is always visible
  • A “skip to content” link is available
  • No keyboard traps – you can always tab out of a component
  • Headings follow a logical order (one H1, then H2, H3…)
  • Links and buttons have names that make sense out of context

Checklist: forms and checkout

  • Every field has a visible label, not just a placeholder
  • Error messages say what is wrong and how to fix it
  • Required fields are marked in text, not only with colour
  • CAPTCHAs have an accessible alternative
  • The cookie banner can be operated with a keyboard and a screen reader
  • Order confirmation and emails are readable by screen readers

Checklist: code

  • The page language is set (e.g. lang="en")
  • Native HTML elements are used where possible; ARIA only where needed, and correctly
  • Custom components expose the right name, role and state to assistive technology
  • Status messages (e.g. “added to cart”) are announced to screen readers

Publish an accessibility statement

Explain how your site meets accessibility requirements, which known issues remain and how users can report a problem or ask for content in another format. Keep it up to date after each round of fixes.

Why overlay widgets are not enough

Accessibility overlays add a toolbar on top of your site, but they do not fix the code underneath: missing labels, broken keyboard navigation or poor structure. Testing and fixing the site itself is what makes it usable – and what the standard measures.

Frequently asked questions

WCAG 2.1 level AA, the level referenced by EN 301 549 for web content.

No. Automated tools find a part of the issues, such as missing alt text or low contrast. Keyboard and screen reader testing by a person is still needed.

It applies to products and services offered to consumers in the EU, wherever the company is based. Check your situation with a lawyer.

It depends on the theme, plugins and number of issues. An audit gives you a prioritised list and an estimate.

Not sure where your site stands?

We audit WordPress and WooCommerce sites against WCAG 2.1 AA and fix what we find. Send us your URL for a fixed quote.

Request an audit