Does my business website have to meet the Accessibility Act?

It depends on what the site does. If you sell or book against payment online (e-commerce), the starting point is yes. If it is a pure information site that does not sell anything, it is often not a service the law targets. If you are unsure, check your specific situation with a lawyer — this is an overview, not legal advice.

What is the micro-enterprise exemption?

Companies with fewer than 10 employees and under roughly 2 million euro in turnover or balance sheet that provide services are exempt from the service requirements. Important: the exemption applies to services, not products. If you make or sell covered physical products, size does not grant the same relief.

Is an accessibility widget or overlay enough?

No, do not rely on it. Overlay widgets rarely cover the actual requirements and can interfere with the assistive tech users already have. Real accessibility is built into the page — semantic code, contrast, keyboard, alt text — not bolted on with a button.

What does WCAG 2.1 AA mean?

WCAG is the international standard for web accessibility, and AA is the middle level the law effectively aims at. Concretely it means things like enough contrast, everything reachable by keyboard, alt text, clear structure, and text that can be enlarged. It is entirely doable to build in from the start.

Who checks it, and what happens if I do not comply?

In Sweden several authorities supervise it, including DIGG. They can require corrections and ultimately issue orders to covered companies that fall short. The more everyday risk, though, is simpler: you lose customers who cannot use the site, and you fall behind in search.

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3 July 2026 · 8 min

The EU Accessibility Act 2026: what it means for your website (honestly)

Since the EU Accessibility Act came into force, many small-business owners wonder if their website is suddenly breaking the law. The short answer: it depends entirely on what the site does. Here I walk through who is actually covered, what the requirements mean in practice, and why an accessible site pays off even when you are not required to. I am not a lawyer — this is an honest overview, not legal advice.

What the Accessibility Act actually is

The Accessibility Act (the EU's European Accessibility Act, implemented in Sweden through the law on the accessibility of certain products and services) took effect on 28 June 2025. It requires certain digital services to be usable by everyone — including people with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive disabilities. The technical bar is the EN 301 549 standard, which in practice points to WCAG 2.1 level AA. In Sweden, DIGG is one of the authorities that supervises it.

Does it apply to your website? The honest answer

The law targets specifically named consumer services: e-commerce, banking, e-books, transport ticketing, telecom and the like. If you have a web shop or sell/book against payment online, the starting point is that the rules apply to you. If you have a pure information or presentation site that does not sell anything online, it is often not such a "service" in the law's sense. The line is not always razor-sharp, which is why I say it plainly: if you are unsure, check with a lawyer for your specific business.

The micro-enterprise exemption — narrower than many think

Micro-enterprises that provide services — fewer than 10 employees and under roughly 2 million euro in turnover or balance sheet — are exempt from the service requirements. But there is a downside easy to miss: the exemption applies to services, not products. If you make or sell physical products that are covered, size does not grant the same relief. So do not read "small company" as "entirely off the hook" without checking what you actually offer.

Rule of thumb: if you sell online, expect the rules to apply. A pure information site as a micro-enterprise — often not, but accessibility pays off anyway. And check your own situation before drawing a conclusion; I cannot promise a rule of thumb covers every case.

Why you should build accessible even if you are exempt

More customers. Roughly one in five people has some form of disability, and an accessible site is also better for older visitors and for anyone in bright sun on a phone. What you build for accessibility works better for everyone.
Better SEO and AI visibility. The same things that make a site accessible — clear structure, real headings, alt text, machine-readable markup — also make it easier for Google and AI search engines to understand. It is the same foundation that gets you named when customers ask the AI and climbing in local SEO.
Future-proof. Regulation is tightening rather than the reverse. Building it right from the start is cheaper than panic-retrofitting a broken site later — and you skip the worry every time the law is updated.

What WCAG 2.1 AA means in practice

Enough contrast between text and background, so the text is readable even in glare or with reduced vision.
Keyboard navigation — everything must be reachable and usable without a mouse, for those who cannot use a pointer.
Alt text on images and clear labels on form fields, so screen readers can describe the page.
A clear heading structure and no important information conveyed by colour alone. Text must be enlargeable without the page breaking.

The honest part: an "accessibility button" does not fix it

Plenty of widgets and overlay plugins are sold promising to make your site accessible with one button. Be skeptical. Such overlays rarely cover the actual requirements, and they can even interfere with the screen readers real users already have. I cannot promise you that any plugin makes you compliant — genuine accessibility is built into the page itself, not bolted on afterwards. It is a shortcut that usually costs more trust than it gives.

How I build accessible from the ground up

When I build a site, accessibility is built in from the start, not a patch afterwards: semantic code, correct contrast, keyboard support, alt text, and a structure both people and machines understand. The same foundation that makes the site fast and easy to find in search. If you want to see how I think about the technical side, the architecture and what is included are there to read — and it all stays within the EU. It is the same principle throughout my delivery: the site and the data are yours.

Frequently asked questions

Does my business website have to meet the Accessibility Act?
It depends on what the site does. If you sell or book against payment online (e-commerce), the starting point is yes. If it is a pure information site that does not sell anything, it is often not a service the law targets. If you are unsure, check your specific situation with a lawyer — this is an overview, not legal advice.
What is the micro-enterprise exemption?
Companies with fewer than 10 employees and under roughly 2 million euro in turnover or balance sheet that provide services are exempt from the service requirements. Important: the exemption applies to services, not products. If you make or sell covered physical products, size does not grant the same relief.
Is an accessibility widget or overlay enough?
No, do not rely on it. Overlay widgets rarely cover the actual requirements and can interfere with the assistive tech users already have. Real accessibility is built into the page — semantic code, contrast, keyboard, alt text — not bolted on with a button.
What does WCAG 2.1 AA mean?
WCAG is the international standard for web accessibility, and AA is the middle level the law effectively aims at. Concretely it means things like enough contrast, everything reachable by keyboard, alt text, clear structure, and text that can be enlarged. It is entirely doable to build in from the start.
Who checks it, and what happens if I do not comply?
In Sweden several authorities supervise it, including DIGG. They can require corrections and ultimately issue orders to covered companies that fall short. The more everyday risk, though, is simpler: you lose customers who cannot use the site, and you fall behind in search.

Unsure whether your site measures up?

Book a free 30-minute call. I look at your site together with you and tell you honestly where it stands on accessibility — and what is actually worth doing about it, without scare-selling.

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