Web accessibility – WCAG 2.2. and new EAA rules from June 2025

Web accessibility is one of the hottest topics currently being addressed by medium and large enterprises. That’s because from 28 June 2025, a new European directive comes into force that will require almost all websites (with a few exceptions) to be accessible to absolutely everyone – including people with a disability or impairment. Who all needs to prepare for the new changes and what to look out for?

Web accessibility for users with disabilities

Web accessibility, or web accessibility, allows any user – including those with a disability – to view and use a website. Such sites are usually designed to be enlarged, to be controlled by keyboard or voice, or to allow individual texts to be listened to. In this way, they do not restrict people who have:

• visual impairment,
• hearing problems,
• movement limitation,
• learning disabilities or cognitive problems.

Accessibility is also beneficial for other user groups. This includes seniors who don’t have a lot of experience with websites, or who may be bothered by shaky hands. Nor should we forget those who have only a temporary health or other handicap – for example, a broken arm, a poor internet connection, and so on.

The good news is that accessibility can be ensured in a number of ways. In addition to enlarging the font or screen reader support as mentioned above, the following can also help:

• subtitles in videos or moving pictures,
• clear and logical structure of the content,
• simple texts that even a layman can understand,
• sufficient colour contrast, etc.

The importance of accessibility

Accessibility may seem like a less important factor that many people don’t think about when creating a website. However, the exact opposite is true. It is a key element – not only because of the new law, but also because, according to statistics from 2023, certain disabilities have up to 27% of the EU population. That is approximately 101 million people, almost one in four adults in the EU.

This data only confirms that when creating a website or e-shop, you should definitely think about people with disabilities. By ignoring their needs, you could be missing out on a large number of potential customers who would be interested in your products or services.

Technical accessibility standards – what’s new?

The topic of accessibility was not much discussed until 2022, when the new law was passed. The most important document in this area was a decree of the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation of the Slovak Republic. However, this concerned mainly state websites and websites of municipalities or schools.

However, this was not enough, and the European Union issued the so-called. European Accessibility Act, also known as EAA. It includes the EN 301 549 standard, which is based on WCAG 2.2 at level AA. This standard will not only apply to state websites or websites of local governments, but according to the Act 351/2022 Coll., also to:

• websites and apps that provide air, bus, rail and water passenger transport services,
• websites and apps providing information on transport services,
• financial services such as mobile banking and internet banking
• eBooks and specialised software,
• online shops and the like.

WCAG 2.2 standards

Web accessibility is a very general term that can be interpreted differently by everyone. This is why several norms or standards that give a better idea of what an accessible website should look like.

One of these standards is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – WCAG 2.2. According to them, accessibility is divided into three basic levels:

• A – these are the most basic and minimum requirements that you must implement in your website to make it accessible. This includes things like alternative image descriptions, keyboard control, or proper contrast. However, according to EN 301 549, this level is not enough – to avoid the risk of a fine, your website must meet level AA.
• AA – WCAG 2.2 AA is a higher level that makes the web clear and understandable for most users. Requirements include, for example, the logical arrangement of content, structuring using subheadings, and consistency of elements that influence how users navigate the site.
• AAA – the highest and most difficult level to achieve within WCAG 2.2. For some websites it may not be realistic, but it is advisable to incorporate as many of the solutions as possible. This includes, for example, sign language in a video or its text transcription.

What can I do to make the web accessible?

There are several ways to create an accessible website that is clear and easy to read. For a better overview, we’ve prepared a WCAG 2.2 checker to help you make at least basic changes.

• Proper contrast and font size – when creating a website, always choose the right combination of colours that won’t clash with each other and ensure good readability of the text. Also make sure the font is large enough. Text that is too small can be a problem not only for users with visual impairments, but also for ordinary visitors.
• Text transcription or subtitles – provides a transcript from the video into separate text, making it accessible to people with hearing problems or those who can’t currently play the audio. Subtitles perform a very similar function.
• Zoom option – this can be to enlarge text, images or any other elements found on the site.
• Clear design – makes it easier to navigate the site and find information. This advantage is especially appreciated by users with lower technical skills.
• Keyboard control – The WCAG 2.2 checklist must include the ability to control the site using keyboard shortcuts, which is essential for people with mobility limitations.
• Clearly labelled elements – this includes, for example, CTA buttons or links to other subpages. They should be clearly visible and clearly labelled so that visitors can easily spot them.
• Alternative text – images and graphic elements should contain alternative descriptions that can be easily read by a screen reader. People with visual impairments will always know what is on the page.
• Zoom option – this is the ability to enlarge text, images or any other elements on a web page.

Exceptions

The new law will affect a large number of companies and businesses. However, there are exceptions that will not be affected. This group includes:

• micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees,
• micro-enterprises whose annual turnover does not exceed EUR 2 million,
• content that was published before the date of entry into force of the Act (i.e. before 28 June 2025),
• websites that have only archive content – remember that to fall within the exceptions to the law, their content must not be updated in any way after 28 June 2025.

Sanctions

The Slovak Trade Inspection (SOI) will be in charge of controlling compliance with the new directive and will have the power to impose sanctions. Their amount will depend on the specific situation. However, fines should start at EUR 200, while in particularly serious cases they can reach EUR 20 000 to EUR 30 000.

It is therefore important to prepare for the law as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary inconveniences that could cost you dearly.

How to prepare for the new rules?

There are several ways to prepare for the new rules. First of all, read up on all the important information about accessibility. You can get it from professional articles or courses. For example, you can find a free course at Web.Dev, where all the details are written down.

Then do an accessibility audit. Find out where your website currently stands. Do you have any solutions in place? If so, are they working as they should? Several testing tools will help you with the audit, as listed below.

In the last step comes the implementation of the solutions into the web. Find out what all it lacks according to WCAG 2.2 AA standard and fix it as soon as possible.

What can cause accessibility problems?

Modern websites today offer a large number of features. However, some of them can cause problems in terms of accessibility. This includes, for example, entering passwords. Many e-shops and websites require passwords to contain a variety of special characters and numbers in addition to letters. However, this can be a major barrier for people with visual impairments. In such cases, it is ideal to incorporate code-based authentication into the site, which the system automatically sends via SMS. Biometrics may also be a suitable solution.

Another accessibility challenge is CAPTCHA. It can be easy to tick the box and prove you’re not a robot if you don’t have a disability. However, if you have a visual or cognitive impairment, you may not be able to solve the logic puzzle correctly. Many people therefore opt for the honeypot method in such cases. In this method, web developers insert hidden fields into forms that are not supposed to be filled in – but the bots don’t know this.

Don’t forget about the various animations or pop-ups, which can be difficult to read for some groups of people. In addition, they may also be difficult to close. It is therefore ideal to omit these elements altogether.

Tips on testing tools

The best way to find out if your website meets the necessary standards is to use tools that automatically test it and provide important information.

Practical automated tools include:

• WAVE
• axe DevTools
• Accessibility Insights
• LERA – Accessibility Reporting Tool (WCAG 2.1)

If you want to check the colour contrast, you can use for example:

• Colour Contrast Analyser
• Adobe Color

Tools like SARRA or Google Text to Speech can help you transcribe audio. There are also a number of plugins available for accessibility testing, such as Lighthouse or Web Developer Tools.

A modern accessible web is essential

Accessibility is important not only because of the new law, but also because of the large group of people with disabilities. Whether you already have a website or are still planning to create one, be sure to keep this area in mind. Incorporate all the key elements we’ve mentioned and test your site regularly. This is the only way to ensure it meets all the necessary standards and avoid the risk of heavy fines.