The European Accessibility Act is now in force: Is your website compliant or at risk of sanctions?

What is the European Accessibility Act and why does it affect you NOW?

The EAA is a regulation that requires key digital products and services, such as websites and e-commerce, to be accessible to all people, especially those with disabilities.

For your business, this has two immediate implications:

• Real Risk of Penalties: Failure to comply with the law can result in significant fines. In Spain, these range from €30,000 to €1,000,000 for very serious violations. A cost that can destabilize any marketing budget.
• Market Loss: An inaccessible website is closing the door to a global audience of more than a billion people. This is a niche market with considerable purchasing power that, now more than ever, will choose companies that allow them to browse and shop without barriers.

What does web accessibility mean in practice? Your website under the microscope : WCAG 2.1

To comply with EAA , your website must follow the A and AA criteria of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines ( WCAG 2.1). These principles focus on ensuring your content is:

1. Perceptible: Can your content be seen and heard?

• Alt text: Not just for SEO! Every image should have a description.
• Subtitles and transcripts: Essential for your videos and podcasts.
• Contrast and scalability: Ensures that the text is legible (minimum contrast 4.5:1) and can be enlarged up to 200% without breaking the design.

2. Operable: Is your website easy to use?

• Keyboard navigation: Your website must be fully functional without a mouse. All buttons and links must be accessible with the Tab key.
• Motion controls: If you have animations, background videos, or automatic sliders, it's mandatory to offer a pause/play button. This is one of the most common and easiest mistakes to spot.

3. Understandable: Is what you offer understood?

• Clear language: Avoid jargon and structure information logically.
• Predictable design: Navigation should be consistent throughout the site.
• Form help: Clearly indicates errors and offers suggestions for correcting them.

4. Robust: Does it work everywhere?

• Compatibility: Your website should work correctly with different browsers and assistive technologies (such as screen readers), using standard and well-structured HTML code.

Beyond Implementation: Validations You Can't Forget

It's not enough to make changes. The EAA demands evidence and transparency:

• Accessibility Audit: Conduct an assessment that combines automated tools (such as Lighthouse or WAVE) with manual testing. A 96% score on an automated test doesn't guarantee compliance!
• Accessibility Declaration: You must have an official document published on your website stating your level of compliance and providing a contact method.
• Feedback Mechanism: Provides a clear way for users to report accessibility issues.

Is your business affected?

The law primarily applies to private EU companies that offer digital products and services to consumers, in sectors such as:

• E-commerce
• Online banking
• Transportation services
• E-books and software

Important: Microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees and less than €2 million in annual turnover) are exempt. However, being accessible remains a huge competitive advantage.

Don't wait any longer: Accessibility is Smart Marketing

If you haven't yet adapted your website, now's not the time to wait. Every day that passes without an accessible website is a legal risk and a lost business opportunity. Accessibility isn't just a technical or legal issue; it's a strategic investment in your brand's reputation and in optimizing the user experience for everyone.

At ClickOnline 360, we believe that successful digital marketing is, by definition, inclusive marketing.

What can you do right now?

Although we don't implement accessibility technically at ClickOnline 360, your digital marketing strategy should consider it. We recommend:

• Conduct an initial diagnostic: Use free online tools like WAVE or Google's Lighthouse report to get an initial idea of the most obvious errors.
• Talk to your technical team: Share this information with your web developers. They're key to troubleshooting code issues.
• Find specialists: If necessary, consider hiring consultants who specialize exclusively in web accessibility auditing and implementation.

Our role is to help you integrate this need into your overall strategy so that your brand is stronger, more inclusive, and aligned with the demands of today's market.