In a rapidly digitising Poland, where the digital economy is expected to exceed $133 billion by 2030, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is set to have an enormous impact. With its June 2025 deadline fast approaching, understanding the EAA is essential for businesses striving to remain competitive and compliant. But what does the EAA mean for Polish organisations? Let’s find out.
What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a directive designed to harmonise accessibility standards across the European Union (EU) and, above all, remove barriers that prevent individuals with disabilities from participating fully in society.
To achieve these aims, the EAA legally requires European businesses to make their products and services accessible. Exactly what constitutes ‘accessible’ is dependent on a few things, including the country in which the EAA is being enforced and the regulations they choose to cite, but more on that later.
While physical accessibility does indeed fall under the EAA’s remit, the directive focuses heavily on ensuring websites, mobile applications, and digital tools used in key sectors, such as finance, healthcare, and retail, are accessible. By placing digital accessibility front and centre, the EAA pays homage to the growing influence of online content across modern day businesses. This is especially true in Poland, where the value of e-commerce alone has been set to increase by more than PLN 94 billion between 2021 and 2027.
Unlike many other European regulations, the EAA is enforced differently across member states. So, while the EAA’s aims are legally binding, member states have until June 2025 to figure out how they will go about achieving those aims. For many, including Poland, it’s a matter of leveraging existing global and regional laws to define accessibility.
Free EAA Compliance Audit of your Website
Detecting EAA Compliance issues has never been easier than it is now. At Recite Me we offer a free audit of your websites homepage. This will identify and highlight any non-compliance on your website as it relates to the European Accessibility Act and WCAG. Followed by recommendations on how to implement the necessary changes to improve your websites accessibility score and standing.
Accessibility laws relevant to EAA compliance in Poland
As mentioned earlier, while the EAA provides overarching guidelines, its implementation and enforcement is at the discretion of each member state. This section unpacks the global and regional laws which guide Polish businesses on their journey to EAA compliance.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) form the backbone of digital accessibility across the world. As the gold standard for accessible web content, these guidelines are built on four core principles, called POUR principles:
- Perceivable: Ensure all content is presented in ways users can perceive (e.g., captions for videos).
- Operable: Make navigation and interface operable by all (e.g., keyboard accessibility).
- Understandable: Content and operation must be easy to understand (e.g., clear language and predictable navigation).
- Robust: Must be compatible with assistive technologies now and in the future (e.g., proper coding standards).
Crucially, WCAG features several versions and compliance levels. Each one has its own unique set of requirements that are informed by the above principles. For Polish businesses to remain compliant with the EAA, adherence to WCAG 2.1 Level AA is critical. This means, among other things, ensuring appropriate text alternatives for non-text content like images, providing labels or instructions for all form elements, and making error messages prescriptive and easy to identify.
Polish accessibility law: Ustawa o Dostępności
The Ustawa o Dostępności, or Polish Accessibility Act, is a key piece of Polish legislation aimed at ensuring equal access to services and information for individuals with disabilities. Focused specifically on public sector entities within Poland, this law aligns, in part, with the EAA while addressing Poland-specific challenges.
Enacted in 2019, the Polish Accessibility Act seeks to eliminate barriers, particularly in public services and spaces, through a comprehensive approach to accessibility. It applies to public sector entities, including government agencies, educational institutions, and healthcare providers. For example, under the law, Polish universities must ensure their websites and e-learning platforms are accessible to visually impaired students by ensuring screen reader compatibility and accessible keyboard navigation.
The ultimate goal of the Polish Accessibility Act is to promote inclusivity and empower individuals with disabilities to participate fully in society, which is very similar to that of the EAA. So, by adhering to the Polish Accessibility Act and its stipulations, you can go a long way to complying with the EAA.
Important requirements for EAA compliance as a Polish business
To fully understand the EAA and how it affects your business, you need to know what it takes to be compliant. To make things easier, we’ve broken down the EAA’s digital requirements into several key areas. Each one addresses different aspects of accessibility. Let’s take a closer look.
Website accessibility
To comply with EAA, Polish businesses must ensure their websites adhere to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. This includes implementing appropriately descriptive alt text for all images, creating accessible web forms with proper labels, and ensuring a minimum colour contrast of 4.5:1 for normal text. Consider the case of a Polish retail website, for example. By using relevant alt text descriptions for each product image, visually impaired users who rely on screen readers to perceive images are still able to browse and shop independently.
Customer support accessibility
In Poland, businesses should offer customer support channels that are accessible to individuals with disabilities. In most cases, this is as simple as providing a range of customer support options, beyond just phone support, as users with hearing or speech impairments might struggle to communicate effectively over the phone. For instance, if a Polish telecommunications provider offers email and live chat services, on top of phone support, they are ensuring that customers can access the help they need in the way that best suits them.
Accessible product information
Manuals, guides, and instructions should be provided in formats compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers. This ensures users with visual impairments can easily access product information. A Polish electronics manufacturer, for example, could distribute product manuals in digital PDF formats that are tagged for accessibility. It is important to remember here that WCAG 2.1 Level AA applies for all digital content, including PDFs and similar documents.
Responsive web design
Content must be accessible and functional across a range of different devices and screen sizes, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Businesses can achieve this through responsive EAA web design and adaptive layouts, which ensure that all users have a consistent experience regardless of the device they use. For instance, a Polish news outlet could implement responsive web design so that its articles are easy to read on both mobile phones and desktop monitors, accommodating users who rely on screen magnifiers or touch interfaces.
What are the risks of EAA non-compliance in Poland
Failure to comply with the EAA ahead of its June 2025 deadline carries with it significant risks for Polish businesses. This section outlines the main ones.
Loss of market share
An inaccessible website significantly limits your potential customer base, as it excludes some 2.5 million Poles, who live with disabilities, from accessing your products and services. Users who cannot access your services are likely to turn to competitors who prioritise inclusive design, resulting in a loss of market share and revenue.
Legal penalties
Failure to comply with can result in EAA fines and legal actions. For instance, Polish companies that fail to meet accessibility standards could face fines up to €200,000, depending on the severity of the violation. Additionally, the litigation process that comes as part of any lawsuit, from either disability advocacy groups or individuals, can add further significant financial strain.
Operational costs
Delaying compliance can dramatically increase costs over time. If you fail to make your products and services accessible by the June 2025 deadline, you might find yourself needing to overhaul outdated systems or invest in emergency fixes under court orders. Proactive upgrades and ongoing maintenance are far more cost-effective solutions in the long term.
Reputational damage
Non-compliance with accessibility laws can damage your brand’s reputation. Once involved in an EAA-related lawsuit, it doesn’t take long for public perception around your brand to shift in a negative direction. Negative publicity regarding your business’s lack of inclusivity can lead to a serious loss of trust among existing customers and partners, who might eventually choose to leave in favour of a more inclusive competitor. The same goes for future clients.
Download your free EAA Compliance Checklist
Want to make sure your website is compliant with the European Accessibility Act? Then get started today with our EAA checklist. This document details all of the important steps you need to take to ensure your website is EAA compliant before the deadline. Work through each step to avoid the negative consequences of being non-compliant.
How to make your website EAA compliant before the June 2025 deadline
According to Statista, some 69,000 e-commerce sites were registered in Poland as of 2024 – a 44k increase compared with 10 years earlier. This is a clear indication of the direction Poland is headed. But all of these sites still need to be EAA compliant before June 2025. And given that 96% of homepages possess WCAG failures, there is a lot of work to be done. To help, we’ve outlined a simple four-step process for ensuring compliance.
Conduct an accessibility audit
Begin with a comprehensive audit using a combination of automated tools, manual testing, and user feedback. Automated tools can quickly identify common issues, while manual and user testing provide insights into real-world usability. Consider opting for a tool like our accessibility checker, which scans your website according to WCAG 2.1 guidelines, synthesising results in a concise report with actionable tips for making improvements.
Make adjustments according to WCAG’s requirements
Once you’ve identified areas for improvement, start implementing changes in line with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. This includes fixing colour contrast issues, adding alt text, and ensuring keyboard navigation works seamlessly. Work through your list of flagged website elements, addressing them one-by-one with Level AA fixes.
Continued testing
Once all accessibility issues have been addressed, your site should now be deemed EAA compliant. However, there is still work to be done. Regularly test your website to prevent future accessibility issues from cropping up. Do so at least after every design change or regulation update, otherwise once a month as a minimum. Continuously monitoring accessibility ensures compliance with evolving standards and helps you avoid costly retroactive overhauls.
Run employee training sessions
Finally, once the dust has settled, spend some time and money investing in EAA training sessions for your team to raise awareness about accessibility. Topics could be centred around creating accessible content, designing inclusive interfaces, or understanding assistive technologies. For example, training your web designers on WCAG principles ensures long-term compliance.
Need more help becoming EAA compliant?
The following resources are packed full of actionable tips and expert advice for making your digital content compliant with the European Accessibility Act:
European Accessibility Checklist
Start ticking off European Accessibility Act requirements and ensure your organisation is compliant to avoid the risks.
European Accessibility Act Guide
Ensure your organisation is meeting the necessary requirements for European Accessibility Act compliance.
Free EAA Audit of your Website
Download a free accessibility check of your website. This report will highlight any EAA non-compliance and how to fix it.
