Modern web design is built to cater for a wide range of needs and preferences. With web development practices becoming more flexible and refined over the years, new accessibly features have become possible – and now mandatory for many businesses.
At Squarebird, we bring you the cutting edge in web design that helps your business convert customers while complying with digital regulations. In this article, we’ll explain what the European Accessibly Act (EAA) is, when it will come into effect, which businesses will be impacted, and how you can prepare for the change.
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What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is the EU’s move towards more accessible digital content. It aims to tackle inequalities on the net, supporting people with disabilities in engaging with online content.
The EAA targets businesses who work in, sell products to, or receive traffic from the EU. It provides benefits to businesses through a unified ruleset, enabling easier cross-boarder trading and expanding potential for market opportunities.
The primary focus is to provide benefits for people with disabilities, however, as it means they can more easily access products and services in the market. This makes everyday items, services, and platforms like eBooks, smartphones, and websites easier to use for everyone.
When will it come into effect?
The EAA will come into effect in June 2025, after which point all businesses that meet its criteria will need to include enhanced accessibility features in line with the regulations. Not all businesses will need to make this change, although it could become enshrined in UK law at a later date. Read on to find out if the EAA applies to you.
Which UK businesses need to comply with the EAA?
The primary businesses that need to comply with the European Accessibility Act are those that operate in the EU, including UK-based businesses. If your website is pulling in EU customers, then you will need to comply with these new European regulations. If you only operate domestically within the UK, then you don’t have to comply with the EAA.
Note: Other legislation such as GDPR, which is EU-only, have required compliance on a near-global scale due to the possibility of EU citizens visiting a given website. The full extent of the EAA is unclear, so you may need to be prepared to comply with the EAA even if it doesn’t directly apply to you.
Alongside the regions you operate in, there are other criteria that determine whether or not your business will need to comply with the EAA. Businesses that need to comply with the EAA include:
- Businesses that export products to EU countries
- Global companies
- Public and private sector organisations
- Organisations with more than 10 employees
- Organisations with an annual turnover of over 2 millions euros
- Businesses not exempt under the principle of “undue burden”
As you can see, there is a relatively low benchmark for compliance, meaning the most important factor is whether or not you operate in the EU. If you do, it is likely you’ll need to comply, and if you don’t quite meet the other criteria yet, it’s still a good idea to comply so you’re covered for your future growth.
Whether or not these factors apply to your business, there’s always the chance the UK will release their own version of the EAA. In this case, implementing better accessibility now will ensure you’re ready for the future – and provide a better user experience to boot.
Will the UK release their own web accessibility law?
There may be future moves to align UK accessibility with EU standards. Even after Brexit, the UK has continued to follow EU laws closely, still hanging on to many previous laws that are integral to the smooth running of modern society.
The EAA is no different. Web accessibility is important to a huge number of people, especially those with visual impairments, disabilities, or English as a second language. In these cases, having a website that’s easy to understand and navigate, with options for features like text-to-speech, dark mode, and larger font sizes, can drastically improve the user experience.
The reason why web accessibility laws are being introduced is to ensure the website remains accessible for everyone. Even without the law, it is still a sensible idea to adjust your website to fit changing accessibility standards – and it may be easier than you expect.
How could the EAA impact your website?
The primary way that the EAA could impact your website is the need to include additional web accessibility features like dark mode or font size changes. While this may sound like a simple fix, the reality is a bit more complex, as preserving things like your branding and design while changing core visual components can be a challenge.
There are two main ways that the EAA could come about that could impact your website:
Potential Integrations
Existing plugins, or potential new fixes, might come about that make it easy to implement EAA features on your website. These could come from plugins you already have installed, or from new packages. In either case, this would be the simplest solution to install, making it easy to comply with the EAA.
At the same time, there might be additional costs, and tweaks may need to be made to ensure the plugin responds well with your particular site and design. A prefabricated approach like this also won’t give the most bespoke results, so some businesses may want to go the mile and get a manual development instead.
Manual Development
If no plugin is available for easy integration of EAA features, the next option is manual development. This is a more time-consuming and resource-intensive process than an integration, but will result in a sleek, bespoke functionality that’s hard to obtain otherwise.
The downsides of manual development mean it might be better for businesses on the fringe of the EAA compliance requirements to wait until better solutions are available. However, if your business needs to comply with the EAA, and manual development is required, then at the very least you’ll end up with an accessible site you can be proud of.
Top accessibility features to include on your website
There are a huge number of different accessibilities features you can include on your website, catering to all manner of people. Each feature you include will open up your site, content, and offering to more customers, increasing your potential for conversions.
At the same time, you need to be sure you’re not bogging down your site with weighty plugins and features that slow down load times, as this could turn away prospective customers who would have otherwise engaged with your services.
To help you get started, here’s a basic selection of accessibility features to include on your website:
- Dark mode
- Font adjustment
- Image alt text
- Improved load times
- Text-to-speech considerations
Website features and accessibility requirements are constantly evolving, and you need to be sure your website stays on top. Working with a partner like Squarebird can provide you with a valuable resource for web updates and optimisation, ensuring your online platform runs like clockwork.
Improve your web accessibility with Squarebird
The first step to aligning your website with the EAA is to work with a partner you can trust. Whether you’re with us already, or have a WordPress website that needs updating, Squarebird are here to help. Our team of expert web developers, designers, and digital marketers have all the tools and resources needed to evolve your site in-line with changing regulations and your growing business. To find out more, get in touch!
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