Accessibility in E-Commerce: Law, Obligation and Real Opportunity

Since June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) has applied to private companies — and that includes online shops above a certain size. What many perceive as a bureaucratic requirement has a real economic rationale.

Around 15% of the population live with a disability. Anyone who does not make their shop accessible is actively excluding this target group.

What accessibility actually means

Accessibility is not a single feature — it is a property of the entire system. The key requirements under WCAG 2.1 (Level AA):

Keyboard navigation: All functions must be usable without a mouse. This is especially important for users with motor impairments.

Contrast ratios: Text must have sufficient contrast against its background. 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text.

Alt texts for images: Product images need meaningful alternative texts for screen readers.

Forms and error messages: Every input field needs a label. Error messages must clearly describe what needs to be done.

Focus indicators: Anyone navigating by keyboard must always be able to see which element is currently active.

Why it pays off beyond the legal obligation

Accessible shops have measurable benefits:

• Better SEO: Structured code, alt texts and clear hierarchies help search engines just as much as screen readers
• Higher conversion on mobile devices: Many accessibility principles also improve general usability
• Larger audience: Older users benefit from larger touch targets, better contrast and clear structures

First steps for shop operators

An automated scan (for example with the WAVE tool or Lighthouse) quickly shows where the biggest gaps are. Many issues — missing alt texts, insufficient contrast — can be fixed without much effort.

Structural problems in navigation or checkout require more attention. Here it makes sense to carry out a review with real users.

If you would like to know how your shop is positioned, we can conduct a brief accessibility audit.