The European Accessibility Act is EU law that requires many products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. It has applied in Ireland since 28 June 2025. If you sell to consumers online, it may well apply to your website.
This post explains what the European Accessibility Act is, who it covers in Ireland, what standard to aim for, and some quick checks you can do yourself.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. If you are unsure whether the rules apply to you, speak to a solicitor.
What is the European Accessibility Act?
The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) sets common accessibility requirements across the EU for certain products and services. The idea is that a person with a disability should be able to shop, bank, travel and communicate just as easily as anyone else.
Before it, public sector websites in Ireland already had accessibility rules. The European Accessibility Act extends similar expectations to many private businesses.
When it applied and how Ireland brought it in
Ireland transposed the Act through S.I. No. 636 of 2023, the European Union (Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services) Regulations 2023. The requirements have applied since 28 June 2025.
There are some transition arrangements running to 2030 for certain products and services already in use before that date. Check your own position rather than assuming it applies to you.
Who enforces it in Ireland
Enforcement is split across several bodies depending on the sector.
- CCPC: products, ebooks, dedicated software and ecommerce services.
- ComReg: electronic communications services.
- Coimisiún na Meán: audiovisual media services.
- Central Bank of Ireland: consumer banking services.
- National Transport Authority and Irish Aviation Authority: elements of passenger transport services.
The Irish regulations include penalties for breaches, so this is worth taking seriously.
Who the European Accessibility Act covers in Ireland
The Act covers specific products and services. For most businesses reading this, the services side is what matters.
- Ecommerce: selling products or services to consumers online, through a website or app.
- Consumer banking services.
- Passenger transport services: including websites, apps, electronic tickets and travel information.
- Electronic communications services.
- Access to audiovisual media services.
- Ebooks and dedicated ebook software.
On the products side, it covers things like computers, smartphones, ebook readers, ATMs and ticketing or check in machines.
What about online booking?
If customers can book and pay for something on your website, such as a tour, a class or an event, that is likely to count as an ecommerce service. Tour operators, activity providers and other tourism businesses selling directly to consumers online should check carefully.
The microenterprise exemption
Microenterprises providing services are exempt from the service accessibility requirements. This comes from Article 4(5) of the Directive, and Ireland applied it in Regulation 5(4) of S.I. No. 636 of 2023, which says the service requirements and service provider obligations do not apply to a service provided by a microenterprise.
A microenterprise is a business that employs fewer than 10 persons and has either an annual turnover or an annual balance sheet total of no more than €2 million. The exemption covers services only. A microenterprise that makes, imports or sells covered products still has to meet the product requirements.
Even if you are exempt, accessibility is still worth doing. It helps every customer, it is good for SEO, and your business may grow past the threshold. The CCPC has published guidelines for microenterprises if you want to check where you stand.
WCAG 2.2 AA: the practical standard
The Act sets out accessibility requirements in general terms. In practice, websites are measured against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, known as WCAG.
The European standard for digital accessibility is EN 301 549. Version 3.2.1, from 2021, referenced WCAG 2.1 AA. The updated EN 301 549 V4.1.1 was published in September 2026 and aligns with WCAG 2.2 AA. It is expected to be cited in the Official Journal of the EU as the harmonised standard under the Act before the end of 2026.
WCAG 2.2 is backwards compatible: content that conforms to WCAG 2.2 also conforms to WCAG 2.1. It adds new success criteria and drops one obsolete one (4.1.1 Parsing). Aiming for WCAG 2.2 AA is the sensible target for any new build or remediation.
What WCAG 2.2 added
These are the new criteria at levels A and AA.
- Focus not obscured: sticky headers and popups should not hide the item a keyboard user is on.
- Target size: buttons and links should be big enough to tap, generally at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels or well spaced.
- Dragging movements: anything done by dragging should also work with a simple click or tap.
- Consistent help: contact or help options should appear in the same place across pages.
- Redundant entry: do not make people type the same information twice in one process.
- Accessible authentication: logging in should not depend on memory puzzles or tests.
Quick checks you can do today
You do not need special software to spot many common problems. Try these on your own site.
- Use only the keyboard. Press Tab through your homepage and checkout. Can you reach everything, and can you always see where you are?
- Zoom to 200%. Does the page still work without text overlapping or content disappearing?
- Check your images. Do meaningful images have alt text that describes them?
- Look at colour contrast. Is light grey text on white hard to read? It probably fails.
- Test your forms. Does every field have a visible label? Are error messages clear about what went wrong?
- Check headings. Do pages use proper headings in a logical order, not just bold text?
- Videos. Do they have captions?
- Tap targets on mobile. Are buttons easy to hit with a thumb?
If several of these fail, a proper audit is a good next step.
How we audited and fixed Exclusive Tours Ireland
We recently carried out a WCAG 2.2 AA audit and remediation for Exclusive Tours Ireland, as part of a Fáilte Ireland grant.
The process followed a clear path.
- Audit: we tested the site against WCAG 2.2 AA, using automated tools alongside manual checks with a keyboard and screen reader.
- Prioritise: we grouped the issues by impact, so the problems that blocked users were fixed first.
- Remediate: we worked through the fixes in the templates and content, from contrast and labels to focus states and structure.
- Retest: we checked the fixes and documented the results.
You can see more projects like this in our work.
Fixing issues at template level matters. On a WordPress site built properly, one fix to a template can correct the same problem across hundreds of pages. That is one reason we build the way we do, explained in why we use Elementor Pro and ACF Pro.
Accessibility helps everyone
Accessible sites are usually easier for everyone to use. Clear headings, good contrast, proper labels and fast pages also help search engines understand your content. There is a real overlap between accessibility and good website building.
If your service is covered, you must also publish information explaining how it meets the accessibility requirements, usually as an accessibility statement. It is good practice to include how people can contact you if they hit a problem.
Where to start
Run the quick checks above on your homepage, a key product or tour page, and your checkout or booking form. Note what fails. That list is a useful starting point for an audit.
If you want help, book a free 15 minute call and we will talk through where your site stands.
FAQ
Does the European Accessibility Act apply to my small business?
If you provide covered services, such as ecommerce, and you are not a microenterprise, it is likely to apply. Microenterprises providing services are exempt. It is sensible to keep a simple record of how you meet the definition, in case a regulator asks.
Which standard should my website meet?
WCAG 2.2 AA is the practical target. Content that meets WCAG 2.2 also meets WCAG 2.1, and the latest version of the European standard EN 301 549 aligns with WCAG 2.2 AA.
Can an accessibility plugin or overlay make my site compliant?
Not on its own. Real accessibility comes from fixing the site’s code, templates and content. Overlays cannot fix most underlying problems.
Sources and further reading
- Directive (EU) 2019/882 on the accessibility requirements for products and services, Official Journal of the European Union
- S.I. No. 636 of 2023, European Union (Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services) Regulations 2023, Irish Statute Book
- S.I. No. 358 of 2020, European Union (Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations 2020, Irish Statute Book
- European Accessibility Act becomes law in Ireland on 28 June 2025, CCPC
- Products and services covered by the European Accessibility Act, CCPC
- European Accessibility Act guidelines for microenterprises, CCPC
- European Accessibility Act obligations for businesses, CCPC
- European Accessibility Act, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, National Disability Authority
- Updated EN 301 549 standard strengthens accessibility requirements for ICT products and services, National Disability Authority
- EN 301 549 V4.1.1, Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services, ETSI
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, W3C
- What’s New in WCAG 2.2, W3C Web Accessibility Initiative