New Accessibility Laws Coming into Effect June 28, 2025 - What E-commerce Businesses Need to Know

Starting June 28, 2025, a new EU law, the European Accessibility Act (EAA), will require many e-commerce businesses to ensure their digital products and services are accessible to people with disabilities. This means your website, online platforms, and web systems will likely need updates to meet accessibility standards and remain compliant.

Who Does This Affect?

Currently, the law applies primarily to customer facing services. However, the EAA has indicated that employee facing systems (like internal admin tools) may also be included in the future.

Not every business has to comply. You will be excempt if you meet the following:

• Having less than 10 employees AND/OR have an annual turnover of under €2 million (unless you sell certain specified products)
• Not serving EU consumers

Important Exception: Product-Based Compliance

Even if your business doesn’t meet the employee count or turnover thresholds, you must comply if you sell any of the following products in the EU:

• Computers and operating systems
• Smartphones and tablets
• Payment terminals
• ATMs, ticketing/check-in machines
• E-readers
• TV-related hardware for digital television

US Laws and Regulations - ADA

ADA (Americas Disability Act) have stated that public facing websites need to be compliant with WCAG (see below) by April 2026.

Are Any Businesses Exempt from ADA Website Compliance?

While most businesses are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a few categories are generally exempt:

• Businesses that operate 20 weeks or fewer per year
• Companies with fewer than 15 employees
• Religious organizations
• Private clubs

Websites directly associated with these types of organizations may not be subject to ADA website accessibility requirements.

If your website falls under one of the exempt categories but includes a link to an online store, you will still be required to comply with ADA regulations.

What Does Compliance Mean for both US and EU?

If your business meets the criteria above, your digital presence must comply with the WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. This is a globally recognized set of guidelines created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that defines how to make digital content accessible to people with disabilities.

Key Areas Covered by WCAG 2.1 AA

• Text Alternatives: Provide descriptive alt text for all images
• Keyboard Accessibility: Ensure all functions can be accessed using only a keyboard
• Colour Contrast: Maintain a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text
• Resizable Text: Allow text resizing up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
• Navigation: Use logical heading structures, visible focus indicators, and “skip to content” links
• Forms: Include clear labels, instructions, and error messages for all form fields
• Responsive Layout: Ensure the site works well on different screen sizes and orientations
• No Time Limits: Avoid imposing time limits on user activities, or provide options to extend/disable them
• Accessible Media: Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content

What Should You Do Next?

If you think your business will be impacted by this new law, it’s crucial to start evaluating your digital platforms now to identify accessibility gaps. Preparing ahead of the deadline will help you avoid potential legal issues and ensure your site is welcoming to all users.