How will the new Accessibility Act (EAA) affect your business?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a directive aimed at improving the accessibility of products and services throughout the European Union, including Poland. The directive requires the publication of accessibility statements for websites and mobile applications of public institutions. The EAA also requires official documents to be accessible to people with disabilities.

The directive will come into full effect on 28 June 2025 – from this date, all websites, mobile applications and other digital services must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards. The aim is to remove barriers for people with disabilities and ensure equal access to information and services for all.

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If you’re in the eCommerce sector, for example, digital accessibility is a powerful tool for business growth, especially since implementing best practices will still put you in the minority within this category. Organisations need to ensure that essential information on their websites is accessible to facilitate communication with users. Unfortunately, the e-commerce industry is a notorious leader in WCAG non-compliance. According to 2023 data, approximately 82% of accessibility-related lawsuits in the United States were directed at eCommerce websites.

Ensuring accessibility is critical, as it involves legal obligations and procedures that must be followed to avoid sanctions. Although accurate data on litigation in the European Union is not yet widely available and communicated, the figures are believed to be similar.

In a study conducted by the Business Disability Forum in 2022 and sponsored by Microsoft in the UK, key findings showed that 65% of consumers with disabilities felt their purchasing choices were limited by access barriers on a daily basis, and 43% reported abandoning online or face-to-face purchases due to a lack of information (site design and navigation) that affected accessibility.

NGOs also need to make their websites accessible to comply with existing legislation.

According to the latest data, the global purchasing power of people with disabilities and their families is approximately $13 trillion annually. This is a significant market, especially when compared to the purchasing power of the Chinese market ($17.8 trillion).

According to the Office of the Plenipotentiary for People with Disabilities, over 3 million people in Poland have a legally recognised disability. In reality, the number is much higher – between 4 and 7 million. Considering that Poland represents about 0.51% of the world’s population (38 million people out of 7.9 billion worldwide), the purchasing power of people with disabilities in Poland is estimated to be about $66.3 billion annually.

This enormous purchasing power highlights the need to adapt products and services to the needs of people with disabilities, which is not only a moral obligation, but also brings economic benefits by removing access barriers and increasing company profits.

Some may argue that this may not have a direct impact on business and is difficult to quantify in concrete terms. However, in terms of improving reputation and brand image, and increasing the number of consumers who feel cared for and seen (and therefore more loyal), the benefits are significant.

• All consumers share certain expectations: they are short of time and do not want to waste it by not being able to navigate a website. They want:
• security of purchase,
• access to full product information,
• access to full offers,
• the satisfaction of a good transaction.

A report on digital accessibility for e-commerce in Poland highlights the importance of adapting online services and applications to the needs of people with various disabilities, which can significantly increase their market share.

Many websites and mobile applications still struggle to meet basic accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), resulting in a lack of digital accessibility.

Adding alternative text (alt text) to images helps people who use screen readers to understand the graphic content. Alt text is also analysed by search engine bots, which can improve the page’s visibility in search results. Image descriptions help search engines understand the context of the content on the page, which can contribute to better indexing. Digital accessibility of websites is crucial for better indexing by search engines.

Using appropriate HTML tags (such as < h1>, < h2>, < h3>) to create a page structure not only makes navigation easier for users, but also helps search engines better understand the hierarchy of content on the page. Pages with a well-organised structure are generally ranked higher by search engines.

Strony internetowe, które są łatwe w nawigacji, oferują lepsze doświadczenia użytkownikom, co prowadzi do dłuższego czasu spędzonego na stronie i niższego współczynnika odrzuceń. Wyszukiwarki, takie jak Google, monitorują te wskaźniki i mogą poprawić ranking stron, które oferują lepsze doświadczenia użytkownikom.

Accessible websites often load faster because they are designed with various devices and internet speeds in mind. Faster page loading times are a key factor in Google’s rankings, so quicker sites may achieve better positions in search results.

Accessible sites typically use semantic, clean HTML code, which is easier for search engines to understand. Semantic HTML tags (such as <header>, <nav>, <main>, <footer>) help search engine bots grasp the structure of a site, potentially improving indexing and ranking.

Implementing accessibility often means that a site is optimised for mobile devices. Google prioritises mobile-friendly sites, which can positively impact a site’s ranking.

Accessible websites can attract a broader range of users, including those with disabilities, which increases reach and engagement. High levels of engagement and interaction with site content are positively viewed by search engines, potentially leading to better search rankings.

Implementing accessibility can help avoid legal penalties and negative publicity associated with non-compliance with accessibility regulations. Publishing an accessibility statement is mandatory for public sector bodies to avoid legal repercussions. Websites that comply with regulations are often seen as more trustworthy and credible by users, which can also positively influence SEO rankings.

As a provider of services and/or products, you can easily make changes to your platforms. The most common accessibility barriers in e-commerce can actually be addressed “on the spot.”

WCAG is based on four key principles:

• Perceivability
• Operability
• Understandability
• Robustness

• Test your websites (learn more in the article “How to Test the Accessibility of Your Website?“).
• Add accurate alt text (also known as “alternative text”) to images to accommodate customers who cannot perceive visual content.
• Remove unnecessary hyperlinks and use descriptive link text.
• Write precise page titles and subtitles.
• Make thoughtful design decisions that prioritise consistency and simplicity.
• Limit the number of options on each page to streamline transactions and other processes.
• Provide detailed information about each product and ensure that this information is accessible to users, in accordance with digital accessibility guidelines.

https://niepelnosprawni.gov.pl/index.php?c=page&id=78

Would you like to learn more about how the new accessibility regulations might impact your business? Or perhaps you need support in implementing WCAG standards in your digital services?

Get in touch with us to:

• Understand how the EAA could affect your business
• Receive guidance on implementing WCAG requirements
• Consult on the digital accessibility of your products and services

Fill out the form below, and we will get back to you with tailored solutions that meet your needs. Ensure accessibility and boost your business’s competitiveness in the market.