If you run a SaaS company with customers in the European Union, there is a ticking clock you cannot afford to ignore. On June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) moves from a directive to an enforced reality.
Unlike previous guidelines that mostly applied to the public sector, the EAA is a game-changer because it targets the private sector—specifically digital products, e-commerce, and software services. If your software provides banking, travel info, e-books, or essential commercial services to EU citizens, the EAA likely applies to you, regardless of where your headquarters are located.
Non-compliance isn't just a matter of "bad PR." It carries the risk of hefty fines and being effectively barred from the EU market. Here is a 10-point checklist to help your SaaS business prepare for the EAA.
1. Audit Against WCAG 2.1 Level AA While the EAA doesn’t name one specific technical standard, it heavily references EN 301 549, which is closely aligned with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.
To be safe, your SaaS should treat WCAG 2.1 AA as the minimum baseline. This includes ensuring your interface has: Sufficient color contrast. Consistent navigation patterns. No keyboard traps. Readable fonts and scalable text.
2. Implement Full Keyboard Navigability Many SaaS platforms rely on complex "drag-and-drop" builders or intricate dashboards that require a mouse. Under the EAA, every functional element of your software must be accessible via a keyboard alone.
This means a user must be able to "Tab" through your entire workflow—from logging in to exporting a report—without needing a cursor. If a user gets stuck in a modal window they can’t close with the "Esc" key, you are non-compliant.
3. Review Compatibility with Assistive Technology The EAA requires your digital product to be "perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust." In practical terms, this means your SaaS must play nice with screen readers (like JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver), braille displays, and speech-to-text software.
Check your semantic HTML. Are your buttons labeled as buttons, or are they just <div> tags with an onclick event? Screen readers need proper ARIA labels and landmarks to tell the user what is happening on the screen.
4. Evaluate Your "Micro-Copy" and Error Handling Accessibility isn't just about the code; it’s about the content. Your error messages need to be helpful and descriptive.
An error that says "Invalid input" highlighted only in red is a double-failure: it doesn't tell a screen reader user what went wrong, and it relies solely on color (which fails for color-blind users). Ensure your SaaS provides text-based cues and clear instructions for correcting mistakes.
5. Address Multimedia and Data Visualization Does your SaaS provide video tutorials or data-heavy dashboards? To meet EAA standards, you must provide: Alt-text for all meaningful images and charts. Captions and transcripts for video content. Audio descriptions for visual-heavy presentations.
For complex data visualizations, consider providing a "Table View" alternative that is easier for assistive technologies to parse than a complex SVG graph.
6. Update Your Legal Documentation The EAA requires more than just code changes; it requires transparency. You must provide an Accessibility Statement that: Outlines your compliance status. Identifies any known limitations. Provides a clear feedback mechanism for users to report accessibility issues.
This statement should be easily found on your website, ideally in the footer or within the "About" section of your application.
7. Train Your Product and Engineering Teams Compliance is not a one-time "fix it and forget it" task. If your developers push a new feature that isn't accessible, your compliance score resets to zero.
Invest in training for your designers and engineers. They should understand how to use automated testing tools (like Axe or Lighthouse) and how to conduct manual testing with a screen reader. Making accessibility part of your Definition of Done (DoD) is the only way to stay compliant long-term.
8. Assess Your Supply Chain and Third-Party Integrations Your SaaS likely relies on third-party tools—chatbots, payment gateways, or embedded analytics. Under the EAA, you are responsible for the accessibility of the entire user experience.
If your checkout process is inaccessible because your third-party payment provider hasn't updated their widget, you are still liable. Start auditing your vendors now and ask for their Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or equivalent documentation.
9. Establish an Internal Complaints Procedure The EAA grants users the right to complain and take legal action. Your SaaS needs a clear, documented process for handling accessibility-related feedback.
Don't bury this in a generic "support" inbox. Ensure that your customer success team knows how to escalate accessibility issues to the product team and that you have a timeline for resolving these grievances.
10. Perform Regular Manual Audits Automated tools are great for catching low-hanging fruit (like missing alt-text), but they only catch about 30-40% of accessibility issues.
The final step in your checklist is to hire an accessibility consultant or use a professional auditing service to perform manual testing. Ideally, this should include testing by people with disabilities. Authentic feedback on how a screen reader user navigates your SaaS is the only way to ensure true "usability" rather than just "technical compliance."
Conclusion: The Business Case for Accessibility Preparing for the EAA can feel like a daunting technical hurdle, but it is also a massive market opportunity. Improving accessibility makes your product better for everyone—including elderly users, people with temporary injuries, and those in low-light environments.
By starting your EAA compliance journey now, you avoid the last-minute rush, mitigate legal risks, and open your SaaS up to millions of potential users who have been historically underserved by the digital economy. Is your SaaS ready? The clock is ticking.