The European Accessibility Act (EAA), and in Poland the law implementing it, has applied since 28 June 2025. In short: new websites and shops within scope must be accessible to people with disabilities from the moment they go live, while for some existing solutions there is a transition period until 28 June 2030. The smallest service businesses are exempt, but the threshold is lower than many people assume.
Below I explain, without legal jargon, who this really affects, what an “accessible website” means, and what to check specifically on a WordPress site. Let me flag it right away: this is an informational post, not legal advice – borderline cases are worth checking with a lawyer.
What the EAA and the national law are
The European Accessibility Act is an EU directive that harmonises accessibility requirements for selected digital products and services. Poland implemented it through a law on ensuring the accessibility of certain products and services, in force since 28 June 2025.
The point is that websites and apps can be used comfortably by people with disabilities too – blind and low-vision users, deaf users, and people with motor or cognitive limitations. In practice this translates into concrete technical requirements for sites.
Who it affects
The rules mainly cover consumer-facing digital services and products, among them:
- online shops and e-commerce,
- banking and payment services,
- ticketing and transport (online booking and sales),
- some e-services and platforms.
An important detail: the obligation also applies to companies outside the EU if they sell products or services to customers in EU countries.
Where the micro-business exemption ends
The most common misunderstanding concerns exactly this threshold. Exempt from the obligations for services are microenterprises, meaning businesses that together:
- employ fewer than 10 people, and
- have annual turnover or a balance sheet below EUR 2 million.
If you exceed that threshold, or run e-commerce at a larger scale, the obligations most often apply to you. In other words: a one-person business with a small shop is probably exempt, but a growing company with real turnover is not necessarily.
Watch out for the “substantial change”
The transition period until 2030 applies to existing solutions left unchanged. If you carry out a substantial rebuild, or launch a new site, compliance is usually required straight away. A big redesign is therefore a good moment to close the accessibility topic at once, rather than putting it off.
What an “accessible website” means
The reference point is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at level AA, in the current version 2.2, referenced by the European standard EN 301 549. Behind that acronym stand four simple principles – content and functions should be:
- perceivable – they can be seen or heard (contrast, alternative text for images, captions for video),
- operable – they can be used without a mouse, with the keyboard alone,
- understandable – the language, forms and messages are clear and predictable,
- robust – the code is correct, so screen readers and assistive technologies can handle it.
An accessibility checklist for a WordPress site
This is not a full audit, but a concrete starting point. The most common things to check:
- Text contrast – light text on a light background is the most common mistake. It should meet the minimum required contrast.
- Alternative text for images (alt) – every meaningful image needs a sensible description. Decorative ones can be left empty.
- Keyboard navigation – go through the site with the Tab key alone. All menus, buttons and forms must be usable without a mouse.
- Visible focus – the currently selected element must be clearly visible. Themes often hide this.
- Labelled forms – every field needs an associated label, and errors must be described clearly.
- A correct heading hierarchy – one H1, then a logical H2 and H3. This is the structure screen readers move through.
- Captions and alternatives for media – video with captions, audio with a transcript.
- Clear links – instead of “click here”, describe where the link leads.
- An accessibility statement – a page informing about the state of accessibility and a channel for reporting problems.
Beware of overlay plugins
The market is full of plugins promising “accessibility in one click” – so-called overlays. It is worth approaching them with caution. They can fix minor things, but they do not replace proper work on the code, content and navigation, they are criticised by the disability community itself, and they provide neither compliance nor legal protection. Real accessibility lives in the site itself, not in a bolted-on widget.
Why it is worth it, even if you do not have to
Even if your business falls within the exemption, accessibility usually pays off:
- more customers – an accessible site is comfortable for more people, including older users and those on weaker devices,
- better SEO – correct headings, alt text and a clear structure help in search and in being cited by AI too,
- less future risk – thresholds and rules change, and a site built accessibly is simply safer.
Summary
The EAA has applied since 28 June 2025. If you run an online shop or service and exceed the micro-business threshold, accessibility most likely affects you – and for a new site or a larger rebuild it is required straight away. The reference standard is WCAG 2.2 at level AA, and real compliance cannot be handled with a bolted-on overlay.
If you are not sure whether your site meets these requirements, I can run an accessibility audit and point out what to fix – concretely, step by step, without scare tactics. During a larger website redesign accessibility can be handled at once, instead of returning to it a year later.
FAQ
Since when does the EAA apply?
The European Accessibility Act has applied since 28 June 2025. New websites and services covered by the directive must be accessible from launch, and for some existing solutions there is a transition period until 28 June 2030. A substantial change to an existing site can, however, trigger compliance sooner.
Does my small business have to comply with the EAA?
Microenterprises providing services – businesses with fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover or balance sheet below EUR 2 million – are generally exempt from the obligations for services. Above that threshold, and for e-commerce operating at a larger scale, the obligations usually apply. This is not legal advice – borderline cases are worth checking with a lawyer.
Which standard do I have to meet?
In practice the reference point is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at level AA, in the current version 2.2, referenced by the European standard EN 301 549. The idea is that content and functions are perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.
Does an overlay plugin make my site accessible?
Not fully. Automated overlays can fix minor things, but they do not replace proper work on the code, content and navigation. They are often criticised and, on their own, provide neither compliance nor legal protection.
