by Łukasz Mądrzak - February 2026
If you run a business in Ireland with a website - and let's face it, that's most of you - there's something you need to know. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into effect in June 2025, and it's no longer a "nice to have." It's the law.
But don't panic. Let's break down what it means, who it affects, and what you actually need to do about it.
What Is the European Accessibility Act?
The EAA is an EU directive that requires certain products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. For websites and online services, this means your site needs to meet specific accessibility standards - primarily WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
In plain English? Your website needs to work for everyone, including people who:
- Use screen readers (visually impaired users)
- Navigate with a keyboard only (no mouse)
- Have colour vision deficiencies
- Need captions on video content
- Have cognitive or learning disabilities
Who Does It Affect?
Here's where it gets interesting. The EAA applies to businesses that provide:
- E-commerce services (online shops)
- Banking and financial services
- Telecommunication services
- Transport services (booking platforms)
- E-books and digital publishing
Micro-enterprises (fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million turnover) may be exempt in some cases, but don't assume you're off the hook. If you sell online, you're likely covered.
What Happens If You Don't Comply?
Each EU member state is responsible for enforcement, and Ireland is no exception. Non-compliance can result in:
- Fines and penalties from national enforcement bodies
- Legal action from affected users
- Reputational damage - customers notice when you don't care about accessibility
- Lost revenue - roughly 1 in 5 people in Ireland has a disability. That's a lot of potential customers you're turning away.
The Good News: Most of This Isn't Hard
A lot of accessibility improvements are straightforward and overlap with good web design practices you should be following anyway:
1. Alt Text on Images
Every image on your site should have descriptive alt text. Not "IMG_4532.jpg" - something like "Customer enjoying coffee at our Cork café."
2. Proper Heading Structure
Use H1, H2, H3 tags in order. Don't just make text bigger and bold - screen readers rely on heading structure to navigate your page.
3. Colour Contrast
Text needs sufficient contrast against its background. That light grey text on a white background might look sleek, but it's unreadable for many users. Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.
4. Keyboard Navigation
Can you navigate your entire site using just the Tab key? Try it. If you get stuck or can't reach something, keyboard-only users can't either.
5. Form Labels
Every form field needs a proper label. Placeholder text alone doesn't count - it disappears when you start typing, leaving users guessing what goes where.
6. Video Captions
If you have video content on your site, it needs captions. Not auto-generated YouTube captions that turn "accessibility" into "axe says ability" - proper, accurate captions.
7. Responsive Design
Your site needs to work at different zoom levels (up to 200%) without breaking. Users with low vision often zoom in, and your layout shouldn't fall apart when they do.
A Simple Accessibility Checklist for Irish Businesses
Here's a quick self-audit you can do right now:
- [ ] All images have descriptive alt text
- [ ] Headings follow a logical H1 → H2 → H3 structure
- [ ] Text has sufficient colour contrast (use WebAIM's contrast checker)
- [ ] The site is fully navigable by keyboard
- [ ] All forms have proper labels
- [ ] Videos have captions or transcripts
- [ ] Links have descriptive text (not "click here")
- [ ] The site works well at 200% zoom
- [ ] Error messages are clear and helpful
- [ ] No content flashes more than 3 times per second
Score yourself honestly. If you ticked fewer than 7, your site needs work.
"But My Website Was Built Years Ago..."
That's actually the most common situation we see. Websites built in 2018, 2019, or even 2020 weren't designed with the EAA in mind - because it wasn't law yet. But now it is, and your site needs to catch up.
The good news is that you don't always need a full redesign. In many cases, an accessibility audit followed by targeted fixes can bring your site up to standard without starting from scratch. We wrote about how to decide between a refresh and a redesign - it's worth a read.
How RedStudio Can Help
We offer a free accessibility audit that scans your website and identifies the most critical issues. It's automated, instant, and gives you a clear starting point.
For businesses that need hands-on help, we can:
- Run a detailed manual accessibility audit covering all WCAG 2.1 AA criteria
- Fix accessibility issues on your existing site
- Build a new accessible website if yours is beyond repair
- Train your team on maintaining accessibility going forward
Accessibility isn't just about compliance - it's about reaching more customers, improving your SEO (Google loves accessible sites), and doing the right thing.
Don't Wait for an Enforcement Notice
The EAA has been in effect since June 2025. Enforcement bodies are ramping up, and the businesses that act now won't have to scramble later.
If you're unsure where your website stands, get in touch or try our free accessibility audit tool. It takes 30 seconds, and you'll know exactly what needs fixing.
RedStudio is a web design agency based in Ireland, specialising in accessible, fast, and beautiful websites for small businesses and e-commerce owners. Book a call to chat about your website.