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Understand European Accessibility Act (EAA) compliance requirements and how it affects digital accessibility across the EU. Prepare your business for compliance.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an EU directive aimed at improving access to key products and services for people with disabilities. Taking full effect in 2025, the EAA applies to businesses, public services, websites, digital platforms, and more. It sets a new standard for accessibility and inclusion across member states.
As organizations prepare to meet these requirements, the EAA is driving significant changes in how digital content is delivered. From broadcasters to cross-border enterprises, compliance presents both challenges and opportunities to expand reach and enhance user experience.
One important but often overlooked area is language accessibility. AI translation tools like Wordly help fill this gap by making content understandable to more people, in more languages. This not only supports compliance with the EAA, but also helps organizations connect with wider and more diverse audiences.
Enforced across all EU member states, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) mandates that digital products and services be accessible to all individuals, including people with disabilities. It covers a wide range of platforms and technologies, including websites, mobile apps, audiovisual content, and e-commerce services. To comply, organizations must adopt accessibility measures such as captions, subtitles, alternative formats, and support for assistive technologies.
But compliance goes beyond legal requirements. It’s about creating a more inclusive experience for all users, whether they have disabilities, speak different languages, or navigate digital environments in diverse ways.
Key Objectives of the EAA
The EAA sets out to:
These objectives reflect the EU’s broader commitment to equality, usability, and universal design principles.
Who Must Comply
The EAA applies to both public and private sector organizations offering services within the EU. Key industries include:
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 10 employees and under 2 million euros in turnover may be exempt. However, these businesses are still encouraged to follow accessibility best practices to remain competitive and inclusive.
What’s New in EAA 2025
Starting June 28, 2025, the EAA will be fully enforced. Key updates include:
Member states are responsible for enforcement, and businesses will need to demonstrate compliance by this deadline.
Compliance Requirements
To meet EAA requirements, organizations must implement:
AI accessibility tools like Wordly offer a scalable and cost-effective way to meet these requirements.
How It Applies to Meetings & Events
The EAA specifically calls out live events, requiring that real-time meetings, webinars, and conferences be accessible to all participants. This includes:
These requirements apply to both virtual and hybrid formats, meaning event organizers need tools that can adapt in real time.
Language Accessibility as a Compliance Factor
Language accessibility plays a vital role in EAA compliance. It's not only about disability access, it also helps reach non-native speakers, international participants, and individuals in challenging listening environments.
Tools like Wordly provide live AI translation and captions across dozens of languages. This helps organizations move beyond compliance to create events and digital experiences that are truly inclusive, engaging, and accessible for everyone.
Under the European Accessibility Act 2025, captions and subtitles are required for audiovisual content across e-commerce, education, government, and media.
Here are the key components businesses must prioritize:
Wordly plays a pivotal role in achieving this by offering not only automated captions but also high-quality subtitles with customizable display options (font size, color, etc.). By focusing on both the compliance and user experience aspects of captioning, businesses can stay a step ahead.
EAA compliance for multilingual content is especially important for B2B platforms and global e-commerce websites.
AI translation also aids in aligning with regulations beyond the EU, such as ADA Title II (U.S.) and Canada’s Bill 96.
Operating across multiple EU member states makes compliance even more complex, as businesses must cater to audiences speaking various languages. AI Translation tools simplify this challenge by dynamically adapting content into multiple languages without manual intervention.
Examples of AI in Cross-Border Compliance:
Tools like Wordly generate dynamic translations of captions, ensuring webinars, corporate town halls, and public events are accessible across language barriers.
Features like Wordly’s audio output capabilities help visually impaired users to engage with content, ensuring full accessibility.
Relying on advanced AI solutions for translation ensures that businesses don’t just scratch the surface of compliance but deliver truly accessible experiences.
The European Accessibility Act will be fully enforced starting June 28, 2025. After this date, non-compliance may result in penalties such as fines, restricted access to EU markets, and legal enforcement under national law.
Common compliance failures that may trigger penalties include:
Adopting AI solutions is a proactive way to meet and exceed EAA requirements before the deadline. Here’s how your organization can get started:
With these steps, businesses can confidently align their practices with the EAA while delivering exceptional customer experiences.
AI is more than a compliance facilitator; it’s a competitive advantage. Wordly equips businesses to not only meet the minimum of accessibility requirements but to innovate by offering unmatched accuracy, security, and accessibility.
How Wordly Can Help:
✅ Live captions & subtitles for everyone.
✅ Text-to-speech option for visually impaired individuals.
✅ Multilingual translation to meet accessibility requirements.
✅ Fully automated and no human interpreters needed, reducing costs and delays.
✅ Seamless integration works with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other meeting platforms.
Learn more about real-time translation.
One of many features included with Wordly.
Compliance Deadline: June 28, 2025
Penalties for Non-Compliance:
❌ Fines and legal action for non-compliance.
❌ Restrictions on business operations in the EU.
Whether you’re streaming a corporate event, onboarding employees across borders, or delivering exceptional customer service, Wordly ensures your digital content speaks every language and helps future-proof your business.
In addition to helping organizations comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA), Wordly can also help you comply with Canada Bill 96 and U.S. ADA Title II.
Get a Demo today to find out how Wordly helps achieve language accessibility compliance.
