What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA 2025)?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an EU directive (EU 2019/882) aimed at improving access to digital and physical products and services for people with disabilities. It introduces common accessibility rules across all EU member states to reduce fragmentation, support innovation, and make everyday technologies usable for all citizens, especially the 80+ million people in the EU living with disabilities.
The EAA was adopted in 2019, and its rules must be applied from 28 June 2025. After that date, all newly introduced or significantly updated products and services within its scope must meet specific accessibility standards. Existing services can remain available until 2030 or even 2045 in special cases, but accessibility upgrades are strongly encouraged before then.
Who does it apply to and what’s covered
The EAA affects a wide range of businesses, both EU-based and international companies that offer products or services in the EU market. This includes manufacturers, software providers, e-commerce platforms, banks, telecom operators, and more.
Products covered by the EAA include smartphones, tablets, computers, ATMs, self-service terminals, and e-readers. On the services side, the law applies to websites, mobile apps, e-commerce platforms, online banking, video streaming platforms, electronic communications, and transport services like online ticketing or travel apps.
The main requirement is that these products and services must be accessible to people with disabilities, meaning they must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Most companies will need to follow technical standards like EN 301 549, which includes web accessibility rules based on WCAG 2.1 or newer (WCAG 2.2, Level AA).
Why it matters and how to prepare
Complying with the EAA is not just about legal obligation, it also improves the overall user experience, opens access to a wider market, and builds trust in your brand. Accessibility is increasingly seen as a core component of high-quality digital design. Failure to comply after June 2025 may result in legal action, fines, or removal from the EU market, depending on local enforcement.
To get ready, businesses should start by auditing their websites, apps, and digital tools using accessibility standards (such as WCAG 2.1 or 2.2).
To help you get ready, below you’ll find a list of articles that break down accessibility requirements for different elements used when creating content in GetResponse, including images, videos, forms, and more. These guides are designed to help every creator using GetResponse build content that meets EAA standards.
- Creating accessible assets: Images and icons
- Creating accessible assets: Videos
- Creating accessible assets: Color and contrast
- Creating accessible assets: Typography
- Creating accessible assets: Links
- Creating accessible assets: Headers and titles
- Creating accessible assets: Forms
- Creating accessible assets: Snippets and HTML code
Additionally, at GetResponse we’ve already implemented a number of accessibility improvements directly into our tools – meaning some of the work has already been done for you. You can find a list of these enhancements here:
To further prepare, we recommend auditing your websites and emails using current accessibility standards, testing with assistive technologies, and regularly reviewing your content as part of your publishing workflow.