The European Accessibility Act: What It Means for Marketers

Today, more than 1.3 billion people around the world live with a disability. That's about 16% of the global population and the percentage is even higher in the EU, where about 25% of people over the age of 16 (101 million people) currently live with a disability. For marketers, these numbers reflect a key consideration: Namely, that a significant portion of your addressable audience may have accessibility needs that can impact your brand's ability to connect with them effectively. And as we approach the June 28, 2025 deadline for companies with European customers to comply with the European Accessibility Act, it's more important than ever for marketers to re-evaluate their messaging to ensure it is inclusive, accessible, and compliant.

To help you prepare, let's take a look at the European Accessibility Act, what it requires of brands, and how marketers can assess and adjust their customer engagement programs in thoughtful ways.

What is the European Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act is a directive aiming to remove barriers caused by inconsistent accessibility standards in different EU member nations. Under the European Accessibility Act, all websites and apps operating in the EU must be accessible, even if the organization itself is not based in the region.

According to the directive, apps and websites must comply with accessibility standards that allow for the sending of accessible messages. To achieve this, the European standards incorporate the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards; these standards are designed to ensure that all content is perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. For now, affected organizations should ensure compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA as a minimum requirement, while also considering WCAG 2.2 best practices in order to future-proof their accessibility efforts.

Why marketers should care about the upcoming European Accessibility Act

When marketers don't ensure their messages are accessible they leave money on the table: During the 2021 winter holiday season, for instance, Forbes found that retailers lost $828 million dollars due to inaccessible websites. But embracing accessible messaging can expand the reach of your existing marketing efforts, helping to boost your sales and brand reputation.

Imagine receiving a promotional email from your favorite brand—but you're not able to take advantage of the promised deal because the colors they've chosen makes it impossible to see the discount code. These kinds of issues happen all the time and they leave many affected people feeling frustrated and overlooked. In contrast, prioritizing accessible content and messages signals your brand's genuine commitment to every customer and also makes it easier for the marketing program you're already running to connect with customers with visual disabilities.

That's not just the right thing to do; it also provides a competitive advantage over other brands who aren't taking accessibility seriously. In addition, businesses who fail to comply with the European Accessibility Act may also face legal and financial consequences, something that will likely become a larger issue as enforcement begins following the June deadline.

What marketers can do now to start preparing for the European Accessibility Act

June 28, 2025 is fast approaching. If your organization isn't already working towards compliance with the European Accessibility Act, now is the time to get started—getting your house in order in terms of accessibility takes work and the conversations, audits, and evaluations that may be required can take time. Below, we've highlighted some small but impactful steps that teams can begin taking today to pave the way for accessibility in connection with their customer engagement programs:

• Understand and further research what the European Accessibility Act means for your organization: Start having conversations with internal teams if you haven’t already started preparing, and be aware that if you have customers in the EU, you are required to comply with the standards laid down by the European Accessibility Act.
• Start conducting an audit to re-evaluate your messaging: This can help to identify areas of improvement that will support your efforts to ensure that all messaging you send is inclusive and accessible. To help your team better understand accessible messaging best practices and how to incorporate accessibility as you begin your audit, be sure to check out our new Accessible Messaging Foundations course. To give you an idea of what your audit can include, here’s a quick hit list:
  • Use clear, direct language
  • Add alt text for images or mark them as decorative
  • Use consistent formatting and hierarchy
  • Use accessible color combinations
• Start developing a strategy for accessibility: If accessibility has been an afterthought at your organization, it’s time to start developing a strategy. Get the right teams in a room, start thinking through what needs to be prioritized, and make a plan.
• Mark your calendars for the upcoming EAA deadline on June 28, 2025.

Final thoughts

Understanding accessibility, its impact, and importance is not just good business sense, it’s every company’s responsibility. While the European Accessibility Act may be driving your brand to think more seriously about the accessibility of your customer engagement program, your efforts shouldn’t just stop here. Accessibility is a continuous effort, and should be revisited and iterated upon as regulations change.