The European Union’s European Accessibility Act (EAA) represents a significant shift in how businesses must approach their digital presence, with major implications for marketing teams. As the June 2025 compliance deadline approaches, marketers need to understand how this EU legislation will affect their strategies and campaigns. Let’s explore the key impacts and opportunities.

The Costs of Non-Compliance

Failing to meet EAA requirements carries substantial penalties:

Financial Penalties

• Fines vary by EU member state but can be significant
• Penalties are typically proportionate to the size of the business and severity of the violation
• Some EU countries can impose fines for each instance of non-compliance

Legal Consequences

• In some EU member states, penalties for non-compliance can include up to 18 months imprisonment for responsible parties
• Costly legal proceedings from both regulatory bodies and civil lawsuits
• Expenses related to emergency remediation efforts

Market Access Restrictions

• Non-compliant products and services may be prohibited from entering or remaining in the EU market
• Exclusion from public procurement opportunities
• Increased regulatory scrutiny and monitoring

Impact on UK Businesses Trading Only Within the UK

For UK businesses trading exclusively within the UK and not offering products or services to EU markets, the European Accessibility Act does not directly apply. However, UK businesses should be aware of several important considerations:

• The UK has its own accessibility legislation through the Equality Act 2010, which requires reasonable adjustments to make websites accessible to people with disabilities
• UK businesses should follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as best practice
• If you plan to expand into EU markets in the future, EAA compliance would become necessary
• The UK may introduce similar or aligned regulations in the future for harmonisation purposes

Despite not being directly bound by the EAA, UK-only businesses should still prioritise digital accessibility as both a legal requirement under UK law and a business opportunity.

Understanding the EAA’s Scope and Requirements

The EAA establishes accessibility requirements for products and services sold within the EU market. For digital marketers, this primarily affects:

• E-commerce websites and mobile applications
• Digital content including PDFs and online documents
• Digital marketing campaigns and communications
• Interactive elements and multimedia content

The Act requires compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, focusing on making digital content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for all users, including those with disabilities.

Marketing Implications and Opportunities

1. Website and Content Redesign

Marketing teams will need to ensure their digital properties meet accessibility standards by:

• Providing proper text alternatives for images
• Ensuring sufficient colour contrast for text and visual elements
• Creating properly structured content with clear headings
• Making all interactive elements keyboard accessible
• Providing captions and transcripts for video and audio content

This represents an opportunity to refresh your brand’s digital presence while making it more inclusive.

2. Expanded Audience Reach

By implementing accessibility features, marketers gain access to a significantly larger audience:

• Approximately 87 million people in the EU have some form of disability
• In the UK alone, around 16 million people live with a disability
• Accessible websites typically see improved engagement metrics and conversion rates
• Creating inclusive experiences strengthens brand perception among all customers

3. SEO Benefits

Many accessibility improvements directly benefit search engine optimisation:

• Proper heading structures help search engines understand content hierarchy
• Alt text for images provides additional context for search algorithms
• Transcript content from videos creates more indexable text
• Structured data becomes more machine-readable and discoverable

4. Competitive Differentiation

Early adopters of comprehensive accessibility practices can use compliance as a market differentiator:

• Showcase your commitment to inclusion in marketing materials
• Highlight accessibility features in your value proposition
• Develop case studies showing the positive impact of your inclusive approach

5. Creative Content Considerations

Marketing teams must adapt their content creation processes:

• Train content creators on accessibility best practices
• Develop accessible templates for marketing materials
• Implement tools that check content for accessibility issues
• Consider accessibility from the concept phase rather than as an afterthought

Building an Accessibility-First Marketing Strategy

To thrive under the EAA, marketing departments should:

1. Audit existing assets – Evaluate your current website, content, and digital marketing materials for compliance issues.
2. Invest in training – Ensure marketing staff understand accessibility requirements and how to implement them in their work.
3. Update design guidelines – Revise brand and design standards to incorporate accessibility requirements.
4. Test with diverse users – Include people with various disabilities in your user testing processes.
5. Communicate your commitment – Publish an accessibility statement and highlight your inclusive approach in marketing messaging.
6. Choose accessible technologies – Select marketing platforms and tools that support accessibility features.
7. Monitor compliance – Implement regular auditing and testing to maintain accessibility as content evolves.

Beyond Compliance: The Business Case

While the EAA creates regulatory requirements, the business benefits extend far beyond avoiding penalties:

• Brand reputation enhancement – Demonstrating corporate social responsibility through accessibility builds trust.
• Increased market share – Accessible experiences attract a wider audience, including the growing senior demographic.
• Innovation catalyst – Designing for accessibility often leads to creative solutions that benefit all users.
• Reduced legal risk – Proactive compliance reduces the likelihood of legal challenges.
• Employee attraction and retention – Inclusive values appeal to top talent who want to work for socially responsible companies.

Conclusion

The European Accessibility Act presents an opportunity for forward-thinking marketers to reimagine their digital strategy through an inclusive lens. While businesses trading exclusively within the UK are not directly bound by the EAA, they should still prioritise accessibility to meet UK legal requirements and capitalise on the business benefits of inclusion.

By embracing accessibility as a core marketing principle rather than an afterthought, brands can differentiate themselves, expand their audience, improve SEO performance, and build deeper connections with customers across the UK, Europe and beyond.