7 Steps to Make Your Website Compliant with the European Accessibility Act 2025

Introduction

Did you know that in Europe alone, more than 100 million people live with some form of disability? The importance of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) goes beyond legal compliance — it addresses a genuine social need. That's almost one in four Europeans, including elderly people and those with temporary disabilities, who depend on accessibility to play an active role in society.

The EAA, formally known as Directive (EU) 2019/882, was established to improve access to products and services for people with disabilities across the European Union. It came into force in 2019, with a deadline for implementation by Member States of 28 June 2025.

This means that websites, mobile apps, e-books, electronic banking services, and more must be accessible — with penalties for non-compliance. The directive covers both public and private sectors, including e-commerce, finance, telecoms, and digital publishing, affecting SMEs and large companies operating in the EU alike.

Accessibility in Web Design

Web accessibility refers to the design and development of websites that can be used by people with various types of disabilities — visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive. It involves creating content that is perceivable, understandable, and operable by everyone, regardless of their abilities. For example, videos should have captions for deaf users, and interfaces should be keyboard-navigable for users with motor limitations.

Compliance with the EAA largely requires following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at level AA — an internationally recognised standard. This includes criteria such as providing text alternatives for non-text content, ensuring sufficient colour contrast (at least 4.5:1 for normal text), and making all functionality accessible via keyboard.

How to Make Your Website EAA 2025 Compliant

Making your website compliant with the European Accessibility Act may seem time-consuming, but it's an important step in the right direction. Here's a detailed, step-by-step guide to help you make your site accessible to everyone.

1. Run an accessibility audit

In Webflow:

1. Publish your site or use the preview mode in the Designer.
2. Open your browser and use tools like:
   • WAVE (go to wave.webaim.org, enter the URL and analyse the results)
   • Lighthouse (in Chrome, right-click the page, choose "Inspect", go to the "Lighthouse" tab, select "Accessibility" and generate the report)
   • Peeks Chrome Extension (lets you check issues directly while editing in the Designer)
3. Note the errors found (images without alt text, insufficient contrast, navigation problems) and plan your fixes.

In code:

1. Use WAVE or Lighthouse to audit the site.
2. In HTML, fix basic errors like adding alt attributes to images: <img src="photo.jpg" alt="Image description">

2. Use semantic HTML

In Webflow:

1. In the Designer, open the Add Elements panel and choose semantic elements:
   • Header: Drag a "Section", rename it "Header" and add the logo or title.
   • Navbar: Use the "Navbar" element and define it as the main navigation.
   • Main Content: Add a "Section" and define it as "Main".
   • Headings: Select "Heading" and adjust to H1 (main title), H2 (subtitles), etc.
2. In the Navigator (layers icon), check that the structure is logical and clear.

3. Implement ARIA Landmarks and Roles

In Webflow:

1. Select an element in the Designer (e.g. a button or navigation).
2. Go to the Settings panel and click "Custom Attributes".
3. Add ARIA attributes:
   • For a button: Name: role | Value: button and Name: aria-label | Value: "Open menu"
   • For navigation: Name: role | Value: navigation
4. Test in Preview mode.

4. Ensure keyboard navigability

In Webflow:

1. Select buttons, links, or form fields in the Designer.
2. Open the Style panel, click the States icon and choose "Focused".
3. Add visible styles, such as:
   • Outline: 2px solid #000000 (black)
   • Border: 2px dashed #1E90FF (blue)
4. Test with the keyboard: Tab to navigate, Enter to click.

5. Maintain adequate colour contrast

In Webflow:

1. Select a text element in the Designer.
2. In the Style panel, check the contrast and adjust colours until you reach 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
3. Use tools like the Contrast Checker.

6. Add alternative text to images

In Webflow:

1. Click an image and open the Settings panel.
2. In the Alt Text field, write a clear description (e.g. "Dog running on the beach").
3. If it's decorative, mark it as "Decorative".

💡 Pro Tip: Be concise but descriptive in your alt texts and avoid phrases like "image of" or "photo of". For example, for a dog image use "German Shepherd jumping in a park with trees in the background" instead of "image of a dog".

7. Test with screen readers

1. Publish the site and use tools like:
   • NVDA (Windows)
   • VoiceOver (Mac)
   • Accessibility Insights
2. Test the reading order and adjust elements in the Designer as needed.

Final Thoughts

Accessibility isn't a one-time task. Check your site regularly to ensure it remains compliant as you update content. You can use tools like Siteimprove Accessibility Checker for more detailed reports.

Here are some recommended practices to stay compliant:

1. Schedule regular audits: Plan monthly or quarterly accessibility audits to catch new problems.
2. Stay updated: Keep up with changes to accessibility guidelines and standards.
3. Train your team: Educate your team on accessibility best practices so that new content and features are accessible from the start.

By following these steps, you can ensure your website complies with EAA 2025 and is accessible to all users. Taking these measures not only helps you meet legal requirements — it also creates a better, more inclusive experience for everyone who visits your site.

I'm trying to keep my own site as accessible as possible. I hope you'll do the same. 😉

💡 Pro Tip: Webflow has an Accessibility Checklist you can use to audit your website. It was inspired by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA).