Ran Ronen, Founder and CEO of Equally AI, the solution that helps teams create, test and ship better accessibility from start to finish.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) represents a landmark shift toward inclusivity, aiming to harmonize accessibility standards across the European Union to ensure products and services are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.
While my previous article explored the broad scope and significance of the EAA, this article shifts the focus to specific, actionable steps that businesses can implement to ensure compliance.
Creating An EAA Compliance Roadmap For Your Business
Creating a roadmap for navigating EAA compliance is much like planning a long trek or a marathon: You need to know your starting point, the terrain ahead and the milestones you aim to reach. In my experience, a well-thought-out strategic “trail map” can differentiate a smooth compliance process from a difficult one. Here’s how you can create a phased implementation plan for your team:
1. Identify the relevant aspects of the EAA.
In my view, comprehending the EAA’s scope is the first step toward effective compliance. Does your business operate online platforms, digital interfaces or physical products open to public use?
To identify these aspects, I recommend conducting a comprehensive audit of your current offerings, categorizing them by how they are delivered (digital versus physical) and who they serve. This audit should also include reviews of customer feedback and accessibility complaints to highlight areas requiring immediate attention.
2. Set realistic compliance goals.
Once you understand the requirements that apply to your business, the next step is to set realistic and achievable goals for compliance. I find that using the SMART framework—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound—can be incredibly effective.
For example, if your audit reveals that your website fails to meet the recommended WCAG 2.1 standards, a SMART goal might be: “Optimize website to fully meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance by the end of Q1 2025.”
Setting these goals involves estimating the resources you’ll need—time, budget or expertise—and aligning them with your overall business operations. For instance, redesigning an accessible website might require an additional budget for expert consultants and extra time for testing with users who have disabilities. It’s crucial to view these efforts as integral to your broader business growth and innovation strategies, rather than isolated tasks.
3. Develop a phased implementation plan.
With your goals set, the next step is to outline a phased implementation plan. This plan should methodically break down the compliance process into manageable stages, each with its actions and deadlines. Here’s a structured approach I recommend:
Phase 1: Preparation And Planning
• Establish a cross-functional accessibility team. I’ve found that creating a dedicated team drawn from different departments such as IT, product development, marketing and customer service makes a huge difference in implementing accessibility practices, ensuring these considerations are integrated into every aspect of your business operations.
• Conduct a detailed accessibility audit. In my experience, starting with a comprehensive manual audit of your digital platforms is best. While automated tools are useful, they often generate numerous false positives, overwhelming development teams—especially if they lack specialized expertise—with thousands of issues to check individually. A precise manual audit saves time by pinpointing exactly what needs to be resolved. Then, automated tools can be used effectively to focus on the relevant issues, reducing the workload dramatically.
• Develop an accessibility policy and compliance timeline. This policy will serve as the guiding document for your accessibility efforts, detailing your commitment and the steps your business will take to achieve and maintain compliance.
Phase 2: Implementation
• Redesign key user interfaces and functions. Ensure they meet accessibility standards. This could involve improving UI and ensuring that the experience is accessible from A to Z.
• Roll out targeted accessibility training. Many businesses fall short in this regard. In my view, your team—including developers, designers, content creators and customer support—needs to understand the importance of accessibility and how to implement it in their work.
• Begin integrating accessibility into new product development workflows. This ensures that all new products or services are designed to be accessible from the outset.
Phase 3: Evaluation And Enhancement
• Conduct comprehensive testing with users who have disabilities. Nothing beats real feedback from real users. Their insights can help you pinpoint areas for improvement that you might not have noticed otherwise.
• Collect and analyze user feedback to guide continuous improvement efforts. Set up a system on your website or through customer service that lets users tell you about their accessibility issues. This direct feedback is invaluable and should guide your ongoing updates and changes.
• Prepare documentation and reports for regulatory compliance. These documents will not only help you in case of audits but also serve as an internal record of your efforts.
Phase 4: Ongoing Maintenance
• Continuously monitor and audit compliance across all operations. Regular checks ensure that your business remains compliant and identifies new areas for improvement. To maintain high standards, I recommend you split your testing phase into two stages:
1. Pre-Deployment: Use tools like GitHub Copilot to check your code before it goes live. This can help catch and fix any potential accessibility issues early.
2. Post-Deployment: After updates are live, continue with regular manual audits to catch any oversights. Also, set up automated scans with customized rules tailored to your specific needs to ensure ongoing compliance and a great user experience.
• Regularly update accessibility training programs. Accessibility is not a one-time effort but a continuous process that needs to adapt to new technologies and standards.
• Stay informed about updates to EAA regulations and related standards. Regulatory environments are dynamic, and staying updated will help you remain compliant.
While the European Accessibility Act sets a broad framework for accessibility, it’s important to note that its implementation varies across different EU countries. In your efforts to comply with the EAA, take the time to understand and adhere to the specific accessibility regulations and standards in each country where your business operates. This ensures you meet legal compliance and demonstrates your brand’s commitment to inclusivity.
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