Blog | Laioutr

European Accessibility Act 2025: Changes and What it Means for Ecommerce Enterprises

Written by Larry | 07.08.2025 07:17:42

The European Accessibility Act 2025 marks a significant turning point for digital businesses across the EU, especially for eCommerce enterprises. With the enforcement date fast approaching, companies must ensure their online experiences are accessible to all users, including people with disabilities. Failure to comply could not only result in legal consequences but also mean losing access to a growing and underserved customer base.

What Is the European Accessibility Act 2025?

The European Accessibility Act 2025 is an EU directive aimed at standardising accessibility requirements for digital products and services across member states. It covers a wide range of areas, including:

  • eCommerce websites and mobile apps

  • Electronic communication services

  • Banking services

  • Ticketing machines and self-service terminals

For eCommerce, the law specifically mandates that websites and apps must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, in line with the WCAG 2.1 (and potentially WCAG 3.0 in the future).

What This Means for eCommerce Businesses

Online merchants, especially medium to large enterprises, must ensure that:

  • Navigation is accessible via keyboard and screen readers

  • Product content and media have proper alt-text and transcripts

  • Color contrast and typography support readability for all users

  • Checkout flows are accessible and error-tolerant

  • Mobile experiences meet accessibility standards

If your eCommerce website or app does not meet these standards by 2025, you may face compliance audits, fines, or even be barred from selling across EU markets.

Benefits Beyond Compliance

Complying with the European Accessibility Act 2025 isn’t just about avoiding penalties:

  • Expand your audience: Over 135 million people in Europe live with a disability.

  • Improve SEO: Accessible websites are more crawlable and rank higher.

  • Enhance UX for all users: Accessibility improvements often benefit everyone — including users on mobile, older adults, and non-native speakers.

  • Brand reputation: Show your commitment to inclusivity and digital responsibility.

How Laioutr Supports Accessibility Compliance

Laioutr’s frontend management platform is built with accessibility in mind from the ground up:

  • All components are WCAG 2.1 compliant (and preparing for WCAG 3.0)

  • Our visual Studio warns users when accessibility violations are introduced

  • Built-in contrast checks, aria attributes, keyboard navigation, and more

  • Layouts are responsive and semantic by default

Using Laioutr, teams can build high-performing eCommerce storefronts that meet and exceed the requirements of the European Accessibility Act 2025, without needing deep accessibility expertise in-house.

Prepare Now, Avoid Penalties Later

The European Accessibility Act 2025 is not just another regulation, it’s an opportunity to innovate, include, and future-proof your digital presence. Start by auditing your current storefronts, train your teams, and adopt technologies like Laioutr that make compliance a part of your development process.

👉 Ready to future-proof your eCommerce storefront? Book a demo