94.8% of Websites Fail WCAG — Does Yours?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) has been law since June 2025. Non-compliant companies face fines of up to 100,000 EUR per member state. Overlays are not a solution — the FTC fined accessiBe $1M USD. Only expert manual remediation guarantees real compliance.
What Our Service Includes
Genuine remediation, not cosmetic patches.
Manual Remediation vs Overlays: Why Shortcuts Don't Work
Accessibility overlays are a proven legal risk.
In January 2025, the FTC fined accessiBe $1 million USD for deceptive advertising. Over 100 companies have been sued for using overlays as a substitute for real remediation. Overlays add a JavaScript layer that tries to "fix" issues on the fly, but: they don't fix broken semantic HTML, they interfere with screen readers like NVDA and JAWS, they create false positives in audit tools, and they add page weight. Automated tools only catch 30-40% of accessibility barriers — the rest requires manual review by experts who navigate with keyboards, screen readers, and real assistive devices.
Executive Summary
What you need to know to decide.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is now law. Every day without compliance is a day of regulatory exposure with fines up to 100,000 EUR per member state or 4% of annual revenue. National authorities are already implementing enforcement and penalty mechanisms.
Beyond legal compliance, accessibility is a competitive advantage: 15% of the population has a disability, accessible sites rank better in search (Google rewards semantic HTML), and usability improvements benefit all users. The accessibility remediation market is growing at 8.6% annually to reach $3.24 billion by 2034.
Summary for CTO / Technical Team
Implementation requirements and standards.
WCAG 2.2 AA compliance requires: semantic HTML5 (landmarks, hierarchical headings, lists), correctly implemented ARIA (roles, states, properties — no redundant ARIA), full keyboard navigation (visible focus, no focus traps, skip links), and minimum 4.5:1 contrast for normal text (3:1 for large text).
Automated testing with axe-core and Lighthouse covers only 30-40% of WCAG criteria. The remaining 60-70% requires manual testing with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), keyboard navigation, and validation with real users with disabilities. We integrate accessibility tests into CI/CD with Playwright and Pa11y to prevent regressions.
Is It Right for You?
The EAA applies to nearly every company selling digital products or services in the EU.
Who it's for
- E-commerce businesses selling to EU consumers (direct EAA obligation).
- Banking, insurance, and online financial services.
- Telecommunications and communication service providers.
- Public sector entities already required to comply with EN 301 549.
- Any company with a website or app serving European consumers.
- Organizations looking to expand their market to the 15% of the population with disabilities.
Who it's not for
- Micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees and revenue under 2M EUR (exempt under the EAA).
- Internal tools without external consumer access.
- Pre-recorded audiovisual content created before the law took effect (legacy content exempt).
Service Packages
Solutions tailored to every maturity stage.
Quick WCAG Audit
Analysis of the 5 most visited pages against WCAG 2.2 AA. Report with severity, user impact, and remediation effort estimate. Ideal for establishing your baseline.
Full Audit + Remediation
Comprehensive site-wide audit (automated + manual). Code remediation by our developers: semantic HTML, ARIA, keyboard, contrast, forms, multimedia content. Includes post-fix re-testing.
Continuous Monitoring
Monthly automated scans + quarterly manual audit. Early warning on regressions caused by content updates or new features. Compliance report for regulatory audits.
Accessibility Training
Hands-on workshops for design, development, and content teams. How to build accessible components from scratch, write effective alt text, and test with screen readers.
Design System Review
Audit of your component library (Storybook, Figma). We ensure every component — buttons, modals, forms, navigation — is accessible by default before it reaches production.
Work Process
From diagnosis to verified compliance.
Audit
Automated scanning with axe-core, Lighthouse, and Pa11y + expert manual review with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), keyboard navigation, and contrast validation. Report detailing each barrier, WCAG severity, and affected users.
Prioritization
We classify each barrier by user impact + legal risk + remediation effort. Level A barriers (basic perceivability, keyboard navigation) come first. We deliver a prioritized roadmap.
Remediation
Our developers fix the code: semantic HTML, ARIA attributes, focus management, contrast, alt text, captions. Re-testing after each sprint to validate corrections.
Monitoring
Automated tests integrated into CI/CD to prevent regressions. Monthly scans + quarterly manual audit. Accessibility statement updated per EN 301 549.
Risks We Mitigate
From legal exposure to verified conformance.
EAA fines (up to 100,000 EUR per member state)
Full WCAG 2.2 AA audit + remediation + accessibility statement per EN 301 549. Compliance documentation for regulatory audits.
Overlay dependency (lawsuit risk)
Overlay removal and genuine source code remediation. Fixing semantic HTML, ARIA, and navigation that automated tools cannot patch.
Regressions after updates
Accessibility tests integrated into CI/CD with axe-core and Playwright. Monthly automated scans + quarterly manual audit to catch new barriers.
Team lacks accessibility knowledge
Hands-on training for designers, developers, and content creators. Accessible component guidelines integrated into the design system.
Real Web Accessibility Experience
Since 2009 we've been building websites with accessibility standards. Our development team has deep expertise in semantic HTML, ARIA, and testing with assistive technology. We're not consultants who deliver PDFs: we're developers who fix the code and verify with real screen readers.
Accessibility and SEO: Two Sides of the Same Coin
An accessible website ranks better in Google.
Google rewards semantic HTML, correct heading structure, image alt text, and fast load times — exactly what WCAG demands. Accessible sites score higher on Core Web Vitals, have lower bounce rates, and achieve greater time on site. A Semrush study found that WCAG AA-compliant websites receive an average of 12% more organic traffic than their non-compliant competitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What companies ask about web accessibility and the EAA.
What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
The EAA (Directive 2019/882) is a European law that came into force on June 28, 2025. It requires companies offering digital products or services to EU consumers to meet harmonized accessibility requirements based on EN 301 549 (which references WCAG 2.1 AA as a minimum). It applies to e-commerce, banking, telecommunications, transport, and audiovisual services.
Who needs to comply with the EAA?
Any company that offers digital products or services to EU consumers, regardless of where the company is headquartered. This includes: online stores, digital banking, telecommunications platforms, transport services, and audiovisual services. Micro-enterprises (fewer than 10 employees and under 2M EUR revenue) are exempt.
What is WCAG 2.2 and what level do I need?
WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the W3C international standard with 86 success criteria organized into three levels: A (minimum), AA (recommended and required by the EAA), and AAA (optimal). Level AA is the legal standard required by the EAA through EN 301 549. It covers four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.
Why shouldn't I use accessibility overlays?
Overlays (accessiBe, UserWay, AudioEye) are JavaScript layers that try to "fix" barriers on the fly, but: they don't fix broken semantic HTML, they interfere with screen readers, they create false positives in audits, and they add page weight. The FTC fined accessiBe $1M USD in January 2025 for deceptive advertising. Over 100 companies have been sued for using overlays as a substitute for real remediation.
How long does remediation take?
It depends on site size and complexity. A quick audit of 5 pages: 1-2 weeks. Full audit + remediation of a mid-sized site (50-100 pages): 6-10 weeks. Large sites or complex web applications: 3-6 months. We start with Level A barriers (the most critical) to reduce legal risk from the first sprint.
How much does it cost to make my website accessible?
Quick WCAG audit (5 pages): from 1,500 EUR. Full audit + remediation: from 5,000 EUR. Cost depends on site size, severity of existing barriers, and whether team training is included. Continuous monitoring: from 500 EUR/month. A significantly smaller investment than a 100,000 EUR EAA fine.
Do I need continuous monitoring?
Yes. Accessibility is not a one-time project. Every content update, new feature, or design change can introduce regressions. The EAA requires ongoing compliance, not just an initial audit. We recommend monthly automated scans + quarterly manual audit + CI/CD tests.
Does web accessibility affect SEO?
Yes, positively. Google rewards semantic HTML, correct headings, alt text, and load speed — the same elements WCAG requires. Accessible sites score higher on Core Web Vitals, have lower bounce rates, and achieve greater engagement. Studies show up to 12% more organic traffic for WCAG AA-compliant sites.
What about mobile app accessibility?
The EAA also covers mobile applications. The principles are the same (WCAG + mobile-specific requirements from EN 301 549): alternative gestures, minimum 44x44 px touch target size, VoiceOver (iOS) and TalkBack (Android) compatibility, and flexible screen orientation. We audit and remediate web, native, and hybrid apps.
Investment
Proposal tailored to your current compliance level.
The EAA Is Law — Every Day Without Compliance Is a Day of Risk
94.8% of websites fail WCAG. The fines are real. Overlays are not a solution. Request an accessibility audit and find out where your site really stands.
Request accessibility audit Technical
Initial Audit.
AI, security and performance. Diagnosis with phased proposal.
Your first meeting is with a Solutions Architect, not a salesperson.
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