Resource guide
The European Accessibility Act
Your complete guide to the EAA and WCAG 2.2. Every requirement explained in plain English, with practical advice you can act on today.
By Calling All Minds·Last updated April 2026
WCAG 2.2 criteria
Every one explained in plain English.
2025 enforcement
Already in effect across all 27 member states.
All conformance levels
Not just the legal minimum.
No jargon, no legalese
Written by accessibility specialists.
Guide home
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The European Accessibility Act became law across the EU on 28 June 2025. It requires that digital products and services — from e-commerce websites and banking apps to self-service kiosks and e-books — are accessible to people with disabilities.
If your organisation offers products or services to anyone in the European Union, this law almost certainly applies to you, even if you are based in the United Kingdom or elsewhere outside the EU.
This guide covers everything you need to know: what the law requires, how WCAG 2.2 provides the technical standard to meet it, and what each of the 87 success criteria actually means and how to comply. No jargon. No legalese. Just clear, actionable guidance written by accessibility specialists with lived experience of disability and neurodiversity.
🇬🇧 For UK organisations
Although the UK has left the EU, the EAA applies to any organisation that offers products or services to EU consumers, regardless of where the business is based. If you sell to anyone in the EU, you are in scope. The UK also has its own accessibility obligations under the Equality Act 2010, and this guide covers both perspectives throughout.
Who this guide is for
Developers fixing specific issues, business owners working out scope, content creators wanting to write more accessibly, and compliance officers building a roadmap.
How to use it
Start with the EAA overview to understand the law, then move through the WCAG 2.2 principles. Every success criterion has its own dedicated page.
Guide
What is the EAA?
The European Accessibility Act (Directive EU 2019/882) sets common accessibility requirements for products and services across all 27 EU member states. Originally proposed in 2011 and adopted in April 2019, it became enforceable on 28 June 2025.
Guide
Who does it apply to?
If you offer e-commerce, banking, telecoms, transport, audiovisual media, or e-book services to consumers in the EU — and you employ 10 or more people or have a turnover exceeding €2 million — the EAA applies to you.
Guide
The EAA and WCAG 2.2
The EAA sets the legal requirement. WCAG 2.2 — via the European harmonised standard EN 301 549 — provides the technical standard to meet it. Achieving WCAG 2.2 Level AA gives you a presumption of conformity with the EAA.
- Level A — 32 criteria, the essential baseline
- Level AA — 24 additional criteria, the legal compliance target
- Level AAA — 31 additional criteria, this guide covers all of them
Guide
Getting started
Accessibility can feel overwhelming when you look at the full list of 87 WCAG 2.2 criteria. You do not need to tackle everything at once. Our six-step roadmap breaks the work into manageable, high-impact steps.
WCAG 2.2 Principles
The four WCAG 2.2 principles
WCAG 2.2 organises its 87 success criteria under four foundational principles, often remembered as POUR. Each principle has its own section in this guide, with every individual criterion explained on a dedicated page.
Perceivable
Can everyone see, hear, and read your content? 29 criteria covering text alternatives, captions, contrast, and adaptable layouts.
Operable
Can everyone use your website? 29 criteria covering keyboard access, timing, navigation, and input methods.
Understandable
Can everyone follow what is happening? 21 criteria covering readability, predictability, and error handling.
Robust
Does your site work with assistive technology? 2 criteria covering compatibility and status messages.
Ready to dive in?
Start with the EAA overview to understand the law, or jump straight to the WCAG 2.2 principles if you are already familiar with the legislation.
Check your site against these standards
AXS Audit evaluates your website against the full WCAG 2.2 matrix, including visual, cognitive, and keyboard criteria that most automated scanners miss. Built by the same team that created this guide.