On 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act comes into force. This is the European accessibility law. From that day, many online shops and digital services must be accessible to people with a disability. Think of people who have poor eyesight, difficulty hearing, a tremor, or who can only use a keyboard.
Not ready yet? You still have about a month. That is tight, but enough to tackle the most important points. In this article you will find a practical checklist for your online shop, with extra attention to the checkout.
What changes on 28 June?
The law sets requirements for products and services that you supply to consumers. Online sales are explicitly covered. Your online shop must therefore be usable by as many people as possible.
The requirements align with the international guidelines for web accessibility, the WCAG. This stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. In practice, you will usually work towards WCAG 2.1 level AA. That is a clear benchmark for colour, operation, structure and comprehensibility.
In the Netherlands, the European directive has been transposed into national rules. Supervisory authorities can check whether you comply and can impose measures. So do not look only at the law, but also at what it means for your customers.
Does this apply to you?
For many online shops, the answer is yes. If you sell products or services to consumers online, you are likely to fall under the law. This also applies to online bookings, banking and e-books, for example.
There is an exemption for very small businesses that provide services. A microenterprise has fewer than 10 employees and a limited turnover or balance sheet total. Whether you fall into that category depends on your situation. If in doubt, have it checked by a legal adviser.
Even if you are exempt, accessibility pays off. A site that is easy to use works better for everyone. It also helps your conversion rate, meaning the share of visitors who actually buy.
The checklist for your online shop
Start with the basics. You can usually check these points quickly, and often improve them quickly too.
- Contrast: text has enough contrast with the background. Light grey text on white is a classic pitfall.
- Alt text: every meaningful image has alt text. This is a short description that a screen reader reads aloud. A screen reader is software that reads out the content of a screen.
- Keyboard: everything works with a keyboard alone, including menus, filters and pop-ups. You must be able to see where you are, and you must never get stuck.
- Forms: fields have a visible label and clear error messages. Text that only appears as an example inside the field disappears as soon as someone starts typing.
- Headings: use a logical heading structure, so that people using a screen reader can navigate the page.
- Link text: do not write a bare “click here”, but make it clear where a link leads.
- Video: provide subtitles for videos with speech.
Go through these points page by page. Start with your homepage, category pages and product pages. These are the pages your customers see most.
The checkout: where things often go wrong
The checkout is the most important part of your online shop. This is where someone pays. If it does not work here, you lose a sale.
These are the problems we see most often:
- Payment buttons without text. A button with only an icon or logo is unclear to a screen reader. Give every button a clear name.
- Error messages that only turn red. Anyone who is colour blind cannot see the difference. Add text that says what is wrong and how to fix it.
- Time limits that are too short. Some people need more time to read or type. Let visitors extend the time or remove the limit.
- Steps that are not clear. Show which step someone is on and what comes next.
- External payment pages. Check your payment provider’s screen too. It is part of your customer’s experience.
Test the whole journey yourself, from basket to confirmation email. Do it once without a mouse.
What this looks like in practice
A common scenario: an online shop selling household goods has a smart, clean checkout. The form has grey fields with light grey example text. The label sits inside the field and disappears when you type. If you enter a postcode incorrectly, the field turns red, but no text appears.
A customer with poor eyesight does not know which field has failed. A customer who uses a keyboard cannot reach the payment button, because it only works with a mouse click. Both give up, and the shop does not know why. In the figures, you only see that people are leaving the checkout.
The solution is often simple. Put the labels above the fields. Increase the contrast. Add a short text to every error, such as “Enter a valid postcode, for example 3811 AB”. Make sure the payment button works with the Enter key. This helps people with a disability and all your other customers too.
An accessibility statement
In addition to an accessible site, there should also be information on your site. This is the accessibility statement. In it, you explain what you have done and where your site does not yet comply.
Include at least the following:
- what you have done to make your site accessible;
- which parts do not yet comply and what you are going to do about it;
- how people can report a problem, for example via an email address or form;
- when you last updated the statement.
Make sure you respond to reports. A statement without follow-up has little value. Place the link in a fixed spot, for example in the footer.
How to tackle it in a month
You do not have to do everything at once. Work in a fixed order, so that you remove the biggest risks first.
- Week 1: test your most important pages and the checkout. Use an automated tool, but also test manually. Tools only find some of the problems.
- Week 2: fix the problems in the checkout. That is where your revenue is.
- Week 3: improve contrast, alt text, headings and forms on the rest of the site.
- Week 4: write your accessibility statement and arrange how reports will be handled.
Also make arrangements for afterwards. New products, banners and pop-ups can create new problems. Make accessibility part of your regular way of working.
Frequently asked questions
Is my online shop ready once a tool no longer finds any errors?
No. Automated tools only find some of the problems. For example, they cannot tell whether alt text is actually accurate, or whether a form works logically. So test it yourself too, using only a keyboard and preferably a screen reader.
Does everything have to be perfect on 28 June?
Aiming for perfection is not realistic for every site. What counts is that you are making a serious effort and have addressed the main bottlenecks, especially in the purchase journey. In your accessibility statement, explain what is not yet right and when you will fix it.
Does this also apply to my shop if I sell via a platform?
Yes. If you are the seller, you are also responsible for your shop. A platform can take care of a lot for you, such as the basics of the checkout. You remain responsible for your own text, images, theme and customisations. Ask your platform provider what they have taken care of.
Book a free 30-minute introductory call
Not sure where to start, or short on time? Then book a free 30-minute introductory call with Adventio Marketing in Amersfoort. We will look at your online shop and your checkout together. You will hear which points need attention first and what you can tackle yourself.
Get in touch and choose a time that suits you. That way, you will go into the deadline prepared.
