Who must comply?
The EAA covers a wide range of sectors, but here are some of the big ones:
E-commerce
What’s covered
- Online stores, mobile shopping apps, and digital platforms for buying goods and services.
What it means in practice
- Customers should be able to browse, buy, and check out using assistive tech like screen readers or keyboard-only navigation. That includes everything from product pages to payment forms and confirmation screens.
Telecommunications
What’s covered
- Websites, apps, and digital tools for managing accounts or getting support.
What it means in practice
- Think live chat, bill payments, or updating your contact info. If you offer it online, it needs to be accessible—whether someone’s using a screen reader or navigating with speech or switches.
Banking and financial services
What’s covered
- Online banking, mobile apps, payment services, and digital finance platforms.
What it means in practice
- Users should be able to do everyday tasks like check balances, apply for a loan, or make payments without facing barriers like inaccessible CAPTCHAs or unlabelled buttons.
Transportation
What’s covered
- Booking systems, real-time travel updates, online ticketing, and self-service machines.
What it means in practice
- Whether someone is checking a train schedule or buying a bus ticket at a kiosk, the experience should work for people with a wide range of needs, including vision, motor, and cognitive impairments.
Public services
What’s covered
- Government websites and digital services related to healthcare, social support, or public administration.
What it means in practice
- If someone’s applying for benefits or renewing a license, they should be able to do it online—even if they rely on keyboard navigation or need text read aloud. That includes mobile apps and kiosks, too.
Audiovisual media services
What’s covered
- TV, video-on-demand, and streaming platforms.
What it means in practice
- Interfaces need to be accessible, and content should include features like subtitles, audio descriptions, and (where possible) sign language interpretation. These features should be easy to find and turn on.
One last thing…
Just because your sector isn’t listed here doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. The EAA focuses on specific products and services, not entire industries—so it’s all about what you offer, not just who you are.
Free accessibility checker in your browser
Our free accessibility checker tests any web page for over 200 WCAG issues, and gives you straightforward, step-by-step guidance on how to improve your web accessibility. Available on Chrome and Edge.
