On June 28, 2025, the European Union’s Accessibility Act (EAA) will take effect, and the ripple effects will be felt far beyond Europe’s borders. U.S. companies that do business in Europe or serve European customers online must comply, or risk facing steep penalties, reputational damage and lost revenue. With 1.3 billion people worldwide living with disabilities (16% of the global population), including 87 million in Europe, the EAA represents a massive market opportunity for businesses willing to embrace accessibility.
On the other hand, for those who drag their feet, the cost of non-compliance could be devastating.
The EAA impacts a wide range of industries, from e-commerce and banking to telecommunications and transportation. U.S. companies that sell products or provide digital services to European customers must ensure their offerings meet stringent accessibility standards by June 2025.
This includes ensuring that digital interfaces are compatible with assistive technologies, providing alternative formats for content and ensuring navigation is intuitive for users with disabilities. For example, a U.S.-based company with a Shopify storefront that ships to Europe must ensure that its e-commerce platform complies with accessibility guidelines. With more than 30% of international travelers to the U.S. coming from Europe, hospitality businesses like hotels and cruise lines must ensure their digital platforms meet EAA standards, especially for European customers who rely on digital bookings.
Steps to Compliance
To comply with the EAA, U.S. companies must start now by taking several concrete steps:
- Assess and Adapt Digital Offerings: Conduct an audit of current digital products and services. Many websites fall short in accessibility; studies have shown that 96.3% of the top website homepages still have accessibility failures.
- Implement Accessible Design Principles: Companies must ensure user-friendly interfaces that work for all users, regardless of their abilities. Features like intuitive navigation, keyboard shortcuts and compatibility with screen readers are crucial.
- Test Continuously for Compliance: Continuous testing is key to maintaining compliance. This involves integrating accessibility testing into product development from the beginning to ensure that digital offerings remain compliant as new features are added.
- Engage Disabled Users in the Design Process: By involving people with disabilities in product testing, companies can ensure that their digital platforms address real-world challenges.
Implementing these changes will be challenging. Many U.S. companies may find that retrofitting their digital offerings with accessible features requires significant investment or will struggle with balancing accessibility with other operational priorities. For example, overworked development teams must learn and implement new standards while minimally disrupting existing workflows. This underscores that accessibility must be prioritized from the top down, meaning leadership must allocate the necessary resources to comply.
Risks for Non-Compliant Companies
Failure to comply with the EAA comes with substantial risks, both financial and reputational. Non-compliant companies could face fines that vary by EU member state or even see their websites or services temporarily shut down. The exact penalty can vary — for example, a smaller e-commerce site that isn’t compatible with screen readers could face fines up to $16,500, while larger corporations may incur penalties as high as $22,000 for each non-compliant store in their network. These fines can quickly add up, especially for businesses with extensive digital operations
The reputational and brand cost of being labeled inaccessible should not be overlooked. Given that 70% of consumers say a poor digital experience affects their purchasing decisions, companies that fail to prioritize accessibility may find themselves losing market share.
And keep in mind that the EU has a track record of strict enforcement of digital regulations, as seen with the GDPR and the EAA will likely follow suit. As of March 2024, the CMS enforcement tracker database recorded 2,086 fines for GDPR violations, totaling over €4 billion.
The Benefits of Compliance
However, the benefits of achieving EAA compliance are substantial. By making digital products accessible, U.S. companies can unlock a huge market totaling over $6 trillion. Accessibility offers a path to increased market share and improved user satisfaction. Additionally, accessible design tends to enhance the user experience for all users, improving website usability and boosting customer retention. By investing in accessible technologies such as AI-driven content adaptation and voice recognition, US businesses can further improve their customer experience while ensuring compliance. Companies that embrace inclusive design can see significant improvements in customer loyalty, reduced bounce rates and better overall brand perception.
The time to act is now. The EU’s Accessibility Act is more than a compliance issue — it is a call to action for U.S. companies to rethink how they design and deliver digital experiences. With a deadline that is fast approaching, companies that begin early will not only avoid penalties but also position themselves as leaders in inclusive design.
In the long run, accessibility is not just the right thing to do — it is a business imperative that levels the playfield and opens up new markets that will benefit everyone.
