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European Accessibility Act (EAA)

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a directive established by the European Union aimed at improving the accessibility of products and services for people with disabilities.

This directive requires modifications to websites and mobile applications to ensure they meet specific accessibility standards. These standards typically cover aspects such as screen reader compatibility, keyboard-only navigation, and accessible user interfaces.

Read more about the EAA act here and read the full act here.

The purpose of the act is to ensure that services and products are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This includes public bodies and businesses providing services or products within the EU.

Key requirements

In the context of a website implementation, these are some aspects of the key requirements to take into consideration:

  • Accessibility of your websites and mobile application
  • Usability of your CMS and eCommerce solution for persons with disabilities

The best way to ensure that your website implementation is EAA-compliant is to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 guidelines at the AA level. The WCAG requirements are published and maintained by W3C.

DynamicWeb and Swift EAA Compliance

DynamicWeb solutions can be implemented as WCAG AA compliant:

  • Implementation have to be compliant using the WCAG AA requirements
  • Requires item types, content and templates to be setup to meet requirements using alt-texts, title fields, aria attributes and roles.

DynamicWeb Swift is WCAG AA compliant:

  • Swift is 99% WCAG AA compliant
  • Customers must use features (i.e. alt-texts) as designed and use tools to check
  • For example, when you name buttons:
    • 3 buttons “Read more”, “Read more” and “Read more” are not accessible
    • 3 buttons “More on PIM”, “More on Commerce” and “More on integration” are accessible

Other requirements

Other requirements not necessarily part of your website implementation:

  • Web accessibility
    • If your business has a digital presence, your website must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). You will need to ensure that your digital storefront is open to all
  • Product Design
    • From ATMs to smartphones, products must be designed with accessibility in mind. This includes features like audio-assisted transactions for people with visual impairments
  • Service Accessibility
    • Whether it’s online banking or transport services, the Act mandates that these must be accessible. This extends to apps and other digital platforms used to access these services
  • Cross-border compliance
    • The Act aims to standardize accessibility laws across the EU. This means that businesses will benefit from a single set of rules, making cross-border trading more seamless
  • Staff training
    • Your team should be educated on web accessibility best practices. This is not just a one-off training, but should be an integral part of your business culture
  • Regular Audits
    • Businesses are required to conduct regular audits to ensure compliance and continuous improvement
  • Reporting and Review
    • Companies are obligated to report on their accessibility measures and will be subject to periodic reviews

Website and Ecommerce process considerations

Here are some things you should consider to incorporate accessibility into a website project lifecycle.

Planning

Ensure that accessibility is included as a key requirement in the initial stages of project planning. Set clear accessibility goals aligned with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 AA standards.

Example: During the feature brainstorming phase, include user stories that focus on users with disabilities, such as "As a visually impaired user, I want to be able to hear descriptions of all images on the site."

Design

Involve accessibility experts and users with disabilities in the design process to ensure that all user interfaces are navigable and understandable for all users.

Example: Use wireframes that illustrate how assistive technologies interpret page layouts, including keyboard navigation paths.

Development

Implement accessibility features from the ground up, not as an afterthought. Use semantic HTML and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) labels to enhance accessibility. Swift uses ARIA attributes for its implementation.

Example: Use <nav>, <main>, <aside>, and <footer> tags to structure HTML documents properly, making them more navigable with screen readers. Swift uses semantic markup for its implementation.

Testing

Regularly test the product with both automated tools and manual testing by users with various disabilities.

Example: Conduct accessibility audits using tools like accessibilitychecker.org or Google Lighthouse, and organize manual testing sessions with users employing assistive technologies like JAWS (screen reader) or ZoomText (magnifier).

Maintenance

Ensure ongoing compliance with accessibility standards through regular updates and checks.

Example: Set up monthly reviews of the site's accessibility status, adjusting for new content or features.

Technical considerations

Here are some technical considerations when implementing accessibility features.

Text and Visual Content

Ensure text is legible and contrasts are sufficient. Use alternative text for all images.

Example: For an image showing a product, provide an alt text that describes the product concisely, e.g., "Blue men's down jacket with hood."

Inactive elements

Make all interactive elements keyboard accessible and provide visible focus indicators.

Example: Ensure that all buttons and links can be navigated using the tab key and that a clear focus outline appears around the focused element.

Forms

Design forms to be accessible, with descriptive labels and error messages that are communicated to the user via assistive technologies.

Example: For a registration form, associate each field with a descriptive label using the <label> tag, and implement real-time validation that communicates errors accessibly.

Media

Provide captions and transcripts for videos, and ensure that all media controls are accessible.

Example: Include closed captions for a product demo video and make sure the video player controls can be used with a keyboard.

Assistive Technology Compatibility

Ensure compatibility with leading screen readers, magnification software, and voice control applications.

Example: Test website compatibility with software like NVDA (screen reader) and Dragon NaturallySpeaking (voice recognition).

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