Does the European Accessibility Act apply to you?

Short answer · updated 2026-09-30

It applies if you sell to consumers online and you’re bigger than a microenterprise.

Since 28 June 2025, EU e-commerce services must meet accessibility requirements.
Firms under 10 people with turnover or balance sheet up to €2 million are exempt for services.
A site with no way to buy online isn’t an e-commerce service.

Who it covers

The European Accessibility Act is EU Directive 2019/882. Ireland brought it into law as S.I. No. 636 of 2023, from 28 June 2025.

It covers a list of services, including e-commerce, consumer banking, e-books and passenger transport ticketing.
E-commerce means selling to consumers at a distance, through a website or app, where the customer asks for a contract.
It covers the online sale of any product or service.

The microenterprise exemption

A microenterprise employs fewer than 10 people and has an annual turnover or balance sheet of €2 million or less.
Microenterprises providing services are exempt from the accessibility requirements.

The exemption covers services only. A microenterprise that makes or imports products covered by the Act still has duties for those products.

What accessible means in practice

The legal benchmark today is the European standard EN 301 549, version 3.2.1. For websites, it follows WCAG 2.1 at level AA.
A newer version based on WCAG 2.2 was published in September 2026, but it isn’t yet the legal reference.

Every image that carries meaning has a text description.
Every part of the site works with a keyboard alone.
Text has enough contrast against its background.
Form fields have labels, and error messages say what went wrong.
Videos have captions.
Pages still work when the text is enlarged.

Automated checkers find only part of the problems, so test with a keyboard and a screen reader too.

Who enforces it in Ireland

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) enforces the rules for e-commerce services.
Other regulators cover banking, communications, media and transport. The National Disability Authority advises them.

An authority gives notice and a chance to respond before it issues a direction. Ignoring a direction is an offence.
On indictment, the maximum penalty is a €60,000 fine, 18 months in prison, or both.

The UK and the US

The Act isn’t UK law. A UK business selling to consumers in the EU may still be covered. The Act applies to anyone offering services on the EU market.
At home, the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.

In the US, the Department of Justice says the ADA applies to what businesses offer on the web.
It has no detailed regulation, and names WCAG as a helpful resource.

This is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a solicitor or the CCPC.

Common questions

Does online booking count as e-commerce?

It can. The Act covers services where a consumer concludes a contract at a distance, through a website or app.

If customers book and pay for a service online, treat it as covered unless you’re a microenterprise.

I’m a microenterprise. Should I bother?

The law doesn’t require it for your services, but customers with disabilities still need to use your site.

Fixes like image descriptions and form labels are small jobs. You also stay ready if the business grows past the threshold.

Does it apply to businesses outside the EU?

It can. The Act defines a service provider as anyone who provides or offers a service to consumers in the EU.

A business elsewhere that sells to EU consumers online may be covered.

Do I need an accessibility statement?

It’s good practice to publish one. Say which standard you follow, what doesn’t work yet, and how a visitor can report a problem to you.

Getting your site checked

Sitecomb, our website checker, gives a free score across six areas.

Its checks look for an accessibility statement, a privacy notice and a cookie notice. It doesn’t replace a full accessibility test by a person.

You can read our own accessibility statement as an example.

Sources

All free guides

The European Accessibility Act and you