The law
The European Accessibility Act, Directive (EU) 2019/882, requires certain digital products and services offered in the European Union to be usable by people with visual or motor impairments and by screen-reader users. The shared technical benchmarks are WCAG 2.1 at level AA and EN 301 549. Enforcement and sanctions depend on the national law of the EU country concerned, so there is no single penalty figure that applies everywhere.
Who is covered?
The EAA does not automatically apply to every website. What you offer, who you offer it to and the size of your business all matter.
You sell products online to EU consumers, for example through a Shopify or Etsy store, or provide covered banking, travel, telecommunications or e-book services. Online sellers of products are covered regardless of company size.
You are a microenterprise with fewer than 10 employees AND no more than €2 million in annual turnover and provide only services, with no goods sold. The EAA exemption applies to service providers, not product sales. Pure B2B offers with no consumer contact are also generally outside scope.
Our free quick check tells you honestly whether and how strongly you are affected, even when the answer is ‘probably not’.
What we check
Our check follows WCAG 2.1 AA and EN 301 549, the shared accessibility benchmarks used across the European Union.
Text and controls need enough contrast against their background, including for users with low vision.
Every function must work without a mouse, including forms, menus, baskets and booking flows.
Semantic HTML and a logical reading order allow screen readers to present the page correctly.
Every field needs an identifiable label, and errors must be described clearly.
Images need alternative text; videos need captions or a transcript.
A logical heading hierarchy helps people navigate by keyboard or screen reader.
The process
Send us your store or website address and the EU markets you serve. We combine an automated scan with a short manual review to assess scope and the largest issues.
You receive a clear view: likely covered or not, and, if covered, what matters first. No scare tactics and no inflated report.
If useful, we manually review each important page against WCAG 2.1 AA, including contrast, keyboard use, screen readers and forms, with a prioritised issue list.
You decide whether we should fix the issues for a fixed price based on the findings. We credit the audit fee if you commission the implementation.
Pricing
free
A quick first answer: are you likely covered, and where are the largest accessibility issues?
from €490one-off, net
A full manual review of your most important pages against WCAG 2.1 AA, with a prioritised report.
The exact price depends on the size of your site. We quote larger stores and multilingual websites individually, using the same fixed-price principle as our other work.
All prices are net, plus applicable VAT.
Important: Our EAA check is a technical assessment, not legal advice. For a binding view of your individual obligations, consult a lawyer specialising in accessibility law in the relevant market.
Frequently asked questions
Generally yes if you sell products to EU consumers. The microenterprise exemption applies to service providers, not to the sale of products.
Enforcement and sanctions vary under each EU country's national law. The appropriate response and any penalty depend on the market and the individual case.
No. We test technically against WCAG 2.1 AA and EN 301 549. Ask a specialist lawyer for a binding assessment of your obligations.
Automated scanners catch only some barriers, such as missing alt text or contrast failures. Keyboard operation, screen-reader logic and accessible forms need manual testing.
You receive an initial, free and non-binding assessment within 48 hours.
Yes. We review every site to the same standard, whoever built it. Knowing the structure of a GB-Design site can make the audit faster.
Next station
Your online store. Set up ready to sell.
We build and run shops on Shopify and Etsy, from the first product photo to the shipping label. You sell, we take care of the tech, design and logistics.
Continue to Shopify & Etsy