The European Accessibility Act Compliance in the Czech Republic

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In the early days, businesses in Czechia have enjoyed unfettered access to European markets with little hindrance or regulatory burden to keep them on their toes. However, that’s changed in recent years, and it’s about to get even more complicated.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA), which imposes a looming deadline on Czech businesses, is set to become enforceable by June 2025. Given that more than three quarters of Czechs made online purchases last year alone, the effects of non-compliance could ripple through digital enterprises with devastating consequences. Want to avoid this? Let’s find out how.

What is the European Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a European directive that was first brought about in 2019. It sets a European-wide minimum accessibility standard that member states will be expected to enforce by June 2025.

The goal is to ensure products and services across the EU meet the same accessibility standards, allowing people with disabilities to navigate, purchase, and use them.

Originally focused on physical spaces like buildings and transport, the EAA now includes digital accessibility, covering websites, mobile apps, and online services.

Before the EAA, accessibility requirements varied from one EU country to another, creating inconsistencies between products and services that originated from different member states. As such, the EU saw an opportunity to not only improve the lives of people with disabilities but also improve trading by standardising accessibility expectations across the bloc.

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.

Which businesses in the Czech Republic must comply with the Act?

In case you are wondering if all this applies to you, the answer is likely yes. See, the EAA covers broad ground.

Firstly, it applies to both public and private sector organisations in Czechia, meaning whether you run a public funded university or founded your own ecommerce store, the rules still apply.

Secondly, the EAA has a low exemption threshold. Any business with 10+ employees or an annual turnover exceeding €2 million is expected to comply. This is relevant to pretty much every organisation except microenterprises.

Microenterprises, defined as any business which falls short of the above threshold, are generally exempt from the act. However, while compliance might not be mandatory for these companies, it is still highly beneficial and indeed recommended.

Taking steps to improve accessibility on your website can help future-proof your business, safeguard against potential lawsuits, and provide an excellent customer experience for all users.

Accessibility laws that impact EAA compliance in Czechia

Now that you understand which organisations fall under the EAA’s remit and which do not, it’s time to delve into the nitty-gritty of legislation.

The first thing to note is that the EAA is a directive. This means that while it sets broad rules and overarching aims, the specifics on how those aims are implemented are entirely up to the member state. Affected countries like Czechia must therefore rely on international guidelines and national regulations as their enforcement mechanisms. What kind of guidelines and regulations? Let’s take a look.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a globally recognised framework for making web content more accessible. Think of it as an instruction manual on how to adapt your online content to suit those with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor impairments.

WCAG is the gold standard of everything web accessibility and is built on four core principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Derived from these principles come specific accessibility recommendations covering just about every aspect of web design.

Take colour contrast, for example. The WCAG recommends a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 or 7:1 for, depending on the level of compliance you’re aiming for.

Each recommendation has three versions (A, AA, and AAA) reflecting different WCAG compliance levels. Level A is the lowest, while AAA is the highest. Your target depends on resources, commitment, and goals, but EAA compliance requires at least WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

Act No. 99/2019

Act No. 99/2019 is the Czech Republic’s digital accessibility regulation, which is governed by the Ministry of the Interior and the Czech Trade Inspection. It regulates the accessibility of websites and mobile applications in the public sector.

The law aligns with the EAA and sets clear standards for ensuring that public sector websites and apps are accessible to those with disabilities. It applies not only to government websites but also to the websites of public universities, hospitals, and other publicly funded institutions.

Requirements to take to make your website EAA compliant

It’s time to get practical. What exactly do you need to do to make your website accessible? Here we will cover some crucial EAA requirements and what you need to consider to be compliant.

Accessible websites and mobile apps

To comply with the EAA, Czech businesses must ensure their websites and mobile apps adhere to the WCAG’s requirements. Among other things, this includes providing alt text for images, ensuring sufficient colour contrast between text and its background, and making sure all website functions can be carried out using a keyboard.

Audiovisual content

Whether part of a website or not, all audiovisual content must be accessible under the EAA. Videos for social media ads should have captions to support viewers with hearing impairments, and podcasts should include transcripts so that listeners can follow along by reading. Doing so is not only an expectation when publishing media in the modern world, but part and parcel of EAA compliance.

Ecommerce platforms

If you run an ecommerce website in the Czech Republic, the same rules apply to you as any other website owner, but with an emphasis placed on the check-out process. After all, if the intended product or service cannot be purchased, what is the point in having an accessible home page or blog?

This might mean creating a check-out form with clearly labelled fields, informative error messages, and visible focus indicators. It may also involve writing product descriptions that are simple and free of technical jargon.

Customer support channels

Everyone should have access to help when they need it, not least those with disabilities. Under the EAA, Czech businesses must provide accessible customer support options. While phone support is perhaps the most common mode of offering support, it can exclude those with speech or hearing impairments who are unable to communicate effectively over the phone. Instead, consider offering alternative contact methods, such as email, live chat, or in-person meetings.

Risks for Czechish businesses that are non-compliant with EAA requirements

As you can see, complying with the EAA can end up being quite the task for Czech businesses. So, why should you bother? Well, failing to comply isn’t just a minor oversight—it has real, tangible risks. Non-compliance leads to lawsuits, which in-turn create a domino effect of growth-hindering problems for your business. Each issue, whether legal, financial, or reputational, compounds the others, leading to long-term setbacks. Let’s take a closer look.

Loss of market share

An inaccessible website excludes some 13% of Czech adults who have a disability – a significant market segment for any business. By failing to comply with the EAA, you’re limiting your pool of potential customers and losing out to more inclusive competitors in the process.

Legal penalties

A non-compliant website could face European Accessibility Act fines and penalties up to €100,000 in the Czech Republic. This can lead to a significant financial burden that drains investment away from other projects and initiatives, halting progress until you are able to recover.

Reputational damage

Word spreads fast. If your website isn’t accessible, it sends a message to your customers that you don’t care about inclusivity. This can result in negative publicity and a damaged reputation, which ultimately drives potential customers away and can take a long time to recover from. Investing in accessibility from the outset is a much more cost-effective solution.

Increased operational costs

It’s much more costly to address accessibility issues reactively than proactively. If you wait until legal action is taken or if your website becomes a target of public scrutiny, you’ll face additional costs due to legal fees, emergency fixes, and crisis management efforts.

Employee morale and recruitment challenges

We’ve mentioned the reputational damage that inaccessibility can bring, but a non-inclusive business could face internal challenges too. Employees largely want to work for an organisation that aligns with their values, and many people with disabilities want to work for companies that prioritise accessibility. Failing to make your website accessible could impact your ability to attract top talent and maintain high employee morale.

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 meet Czechia EAA compliance guidelines

Now that you know why EAA compliance is crucial, it’s time to tackle the how. With the June 2025 deadline fast approaching, we’ve mapped out a simple four-step plan to help get you underway.

Conduct an accessibility audit

The first step is to assess your current website and identify any areas that don’t meet accessibility standards. You can use automated tools like an accessibility checker to quickly spot areas of concern.

However great they are, automated scans alone can miss subtle nuances. So, consider pairing them with manual audits and user testing for a more comprehensive review of your site’s accessibility. The EAA compliance checklist provides a great starting point for manual and user testing.

Apply WCAG fixes

Once you’ve identified areas of improvement, apply the necessary fixes by following WCAG guidance. This might include adding alt text for images, improving colour contrast, or restructuring content to make it more accessible.

Regularly test and update

Accessibility is an ongoing process, meaning even once you’ve made all the necessary fixes, the work is not done. See, regulations change over time and so will your website. So, to ensure long-term compliance, you need to monitor accessibility by conducting regular tests. Do this after every major design change or regulation update to avoid falling behind.

EAA training for your team

Finally, if you want to operate at the highest level of accessibility, you need to embed a culture of inclusivity within your company. You can do this by providing EAA training, this will help to keep your team updated on factors such as WCAG best practices, unconscious bias, or assistive technologies. You should also make sure everyone understands how their role contributes to creating a more inclusive digital experience.

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: