Avoid penalties: make sure your online content complies with the European Accessibility Act
On 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will officially come into effect.
This milestone represents a turning point for companies, institutions and professionals that publish or share digital content. It is no longer just a best practice — it’s now a legal requirement, with financial and reputational consequences for non-compliance.
At BBL IA, we understand that many organisations lack the technical or legal expertise to meet these requirements.
That’s why we offer a comprehensive accessibility audit, correction and certification service, ensuring your websites, documents and digital content comply with European law.
What the European Accessibility Act requires
The Act transposes Directive (EU) 2019/882, which requires that all goods and services made available to the public be accessible to people with disabilities.
Compliance in the digital field means aligning with the EN 301549 standard, based on WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 guidelines (levels A and AA).
These are structured around four key principles:
- Perceivable: all information must be available to everyone (e.g. ALT text for images, subtitles in videos).
- Operable: websites and documents must be navigable using only a keyboard, without barriers.
- Understandable: content must be written in a clear, predictable, and coherent way.
- Robust: content must be compatible with assistive technologies such as screen readers or magnifiers.
Risks and penalties for non-compliance
Failing to comply with accessibility laws can result in:
- Financial penalties of up to €1 million for serious violations.
- Withdrawal from the market: authorities can ban non-compliant products or services.
- Reputational damage: accessibility-related complaints can harm brand trust and credibility.
In short: non-compliance is not an option.
Early action protects your brand and saves costs in the long term.
BBL IA’s accessibility compliance service
Initial Audit
We analyse your websites, apps, social media and documents (including PDFs) against 50+ WCAG 2.1/2.2 criteria, checking for:
- ALT text and proper semantic tagging.
- Logical structure of titles, lists and tables.
- Adequate text-to-background contrast.
- Keyboard navigation and reading order.
- Subtitles and audio descriptions in videos.
Correction and adaptation
Once issues are identified, our experts provide practical fixes:
- Adding missing ALT text and descriptive labels.
- Adjusting colour contrast to meet minimum 4.5:1 standards.
- Making PDFs and Office documents accessible and tagged.
- Simplifying language for clarity and readability.
- Adding subtitles, transcripts, and audio descriptions to media.
Accessible social media
Accessibility extends to social platforms. We ensure that:
- All images include descriptive ALT text.
- Videos feature accurate subtitles.
- Emojis and decorative symbols don’t disrupt screen reader flow.
Final verification and certification
After the corrections, we carry out a full validation test and issue a compliance report (A or AA level) that serves as evidence for audits or public procurement requirements.
Benefits of working with BBL IA
Partnering with BBL IA not only helps you comply with the law but also brings strategic advantages:
- Broader reach: over 100 million Europeans live with a disability.
- Improved SEO: Google rewards accessible, well-structured websites.
- Positive reputation: inclusivity builds trust with your audience.
- Better UX: accessibility optimisations improve usability for all users.
Practical examples of our work
- A corporate PDF report transformed into a fully accessible, tagged document.
- A social media campaign enhanced with ALT text and subtitles.
- A corporate website improved with keyboard navigation and “Skip to content” links.
- A promotional video equipped with transcripts and audio descriptions.
Our guarantee: compliance, peace of mind and ethics
With BBL IA, your organisation will:
- Comply with the European Accessibility Act and national regulations.
- Avoid financial penalties or service withdrawal.
- Protect its reputation as a responsible and inclusive brand.
- Ensure equal access to information for everyone.
Conclusion
Digital accessibility is no longer optional — it’s a legal and ethical obligation.
From 28 June 2025, non-compliance means risking penalties, lost opportunities and reputational harm.
At BBL IA, we help you review, update and certify your content to meet the European Accessibility Act, EN 301549, and WCAG 2.2 standards.
Contact us today to make your websites, apps and documents accessible — and turn compliance into a competitive advantage.
Transparency notice
In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), this content was generated with the support of artificial intelligence and subsequently reviewed and validated by a human editor to ensure accuracy, coherence and ethical integrity.
