EAA Compliance Checklist 2026: 10 Things Every EU Website Must Fix Now
EAA Compliance Checklist 2026: 10 Things Every EU Website Must Fix Now
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) has been enforced across all 27 EU member states since June 28, 2025. Fines range from EUR 100,000 in Germany to EUR 300,000 in Spain, with daily penalties of approximately EUR 1,000 until issues are resolved.
This applies to any business serving EU customers — not just companies based in Europe. If your website is accessible from the EU, you need to comply.
I scanned hundreds of European websites and compiled the 10 most common failures. Here's the checklist with practical fixes for each.
The 10-Point Checklist
1. Missing Alt Text on Images
WCAG 1.1.1 | Found on 92% of sites scanned
Screen readers can't describe images without alt text, making visual content invisible to blind users.
Fix: Add descriptive alt attributes to all <img> tags. Decorative images should have alt="" (empty string, not missing). For complex images like charts, provide a text description nearby.
<img src="hero.jpg" alt="Developer reviewing accessibility report on laptop">
<img src="decorative-line.svg" alt="">
2. Insufficient Color Contrast
WCAG 1.4.3 | Found on 78% of sites
Light gray text on white backgrounds is the most common offender. Users with low vision, color blindness, or simply using screens in sunlight can't read low-contrast text.
Fix: Minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text, 3:1 for large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold). Use the WebAIM Contrast Checker to verify.
3. Missing Form Labels
WCAG 1.3.1 | Found on 58% of sites
Without <label> elements, screen readers announce form fields as "edit text" with no context. Users literally don't know what to type.
Fix: Every <input> must have a corresponding <label> with a for attribute matching the input's id. Placeholder text is NOT a label — it disappears when users start typing.
<label for="email">Email address</label>
<input type="email" id="email" placeholder="you@example.com">
4. No Keyboard Navigation
WCAG 2.1.1 | Found on 65% of sites
Users who can't use a mouse — including people with motor disabilities, RSI, or temporary injuries — rely entirely on keyboard navigation.
Fix: All interactive elements must be reachable with the Tab key. Add visible focus styles. Never use outline: none without providing an alternative focus indicator.
5. Missing Skip Navigation Link
WCAG 2.4.1 | Found on 54% of sites
Keyboard users must tab through every navigation link on every page load. On a site with 30 nav items, that's 30 Tab presses before reaching the content.
Fix: Add a "Skip to main content" link as the first focusable element. It can be visually hidden until focused.
6. Auto-Playing Media
WCAG 1.4.2 | Found on 23% of sites
Auto-playing audio disorients screen reader users (it overlaps with their speech output). Auto-playing video can trigger seizures in photosensitive users.
Fix: Never auto-play audio or video with sound. If auto-play is essential, provide an immediately visible pause/stop button and keep it under 5 seconds.
7. Missing Language Attribute
WCAG 3.1.1 | Found on 34% of sites
Without a lang attribute, screen readers guess the language — often incorrectly. A French screen reader reading English text produces garbled output.
Fix: Add lang to the <html> element: <html lang="en">. For multilingual content, use lang on specific elements.
8. Non-Descriptive Link Text
WCAG 2.4.4 | Found on 67% of sites
Screen reader users often navigate by jumping between links. "Click here" and "Read more" tell them nothing about the destination.
Fix: Use descriptive text: "Read the EAA compliance guide" instead of "Click here". The link text alone should make sense out of context.
9. Broken Heading Hierarchy
WCAG 1.3.1 | Found on 45% of sites
Screen reader users navigate by headings (H1-H6). Skipping from H1 to H4 breaks this navigation pattern and confuses the document structure.
Fix: Use headings in sequential order: H1 → H2 → H3. Use CSS for visual styling, not heading levels.
10. No Accessibility Statement
EAA Article 14 | Missing on 71% of sites
The EAA specifically requires a public accessibility statement. It must include your current compliance level, known issues, and how users can report accessibility problems.
Fix: Create a dedicated accessibility statement page. Include: compliance standard (WCAG 2.1 AA), known limitations, remediation timeline, and contact information for feedback.
How to Check All 10 at Once
AccessiScan (FixMyWeb) checks all 10 of these issues — and 191 more — in a single automated scan. It takes 60 seconds and provides:
- Issue severity classification (critical, serious, moderate, minor)
- Code snippets showing exactly what to fix
- An Accessibility Statement generator (checklist item #10)
- A VPAT report generator for enterprise compliance
Free tier: 3 scans per month. No signup required for the first scan.
EAA Fines by Country
| Country | Maximum Fine | Daily Penalty |
| Spain | EUR 300,000 | ~EUR 1,000/day |
| France | EUR 250,000 | Possible |
| Ireland | EUR 200,000 | Possible |
| Austria | EUR 200,000 | Possible |
| Germany | EUR 100,000 | Possible |
| Sweden | SEK 10,000,000 | — |
What Else You Should Know
The EAA is one of two major EU regulations hitting businesses in 2026. The other is the EU AI Act, with a high-risk compliance deadline of August 2, 2026. If your website uses AI (chatbots, recommendation engines, content generation), you may need to comply with both.
CompliPilot runs 200+ automated EU AI Act checks — and CaptureAPI provides screenshot and PDF generation APIs for documentation needs.
FAQ
Does the EAA apply to my non-EU company?
Yes. If you offer products or services to EU consumers through a website or app, the EAA applies regardless of where your company is located.
Can I use an accessibility overlay widget instead?
No. Overlays do not provide genuine WCAG compliance. Multiple accessibility organizations have published statements against overlay products. Fix the underlying code.
How often should I scan my website?
After every major deployment, and at minimum monthly. Accessibility issues can be introduced by any code change.
Scan your website now at fixmyweb.dev — 201 automated WCAG checks, free.