Website accessibility is about making sure every visitor can use your site, regardless of ability, circumstance, or device. This might include someone with a long-term visual or hearing impairment, or someone relying on assistive technology to navigate online.
Why is complying with website accessibility rules so important?
There’s much more to accessibility than meets the eye. It also benefits people facing temporary barriers, like trying to access your site on a weak internet connection, or in a noisy environment where audio can’t be heard.
When websites aren’t accessible, people get shut out of content, conversations, and opportunities. That’s not just bad for users; it’s bad for the credibility, reach, and long-term impact of your work.
Fortunately, the UK has had website accessibility regulations in place for several years. But now, with new EU legislation having been rolled out on the continent, we need to ask ourselves a difficult question: are these stronger European requirements putting our own standards to shame?
Understanding UK regulations
Since 2018, public sector websites in the UK have been expected to follow the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations. These include two obligations:
- Meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard
- Publishing an accessibility statement explaining how accessible the site is
Under the WCAG 2.2 regulations, all websites must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR). However, while there are well-established recommendations and effective suggestions for how to meet these criteria, there’s flexibility in how adjustments can be applied.
What’s important to note is that the WCAG guidelines themselves aren’t a legal requirement. They’re designed to help reduce the risk of websites breaching broader UK legislation – namely the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This makes it unlawful to discriminate against disabled users by failing to make reasonable adjustments. There is not, however, a direct legal obligation to meet the criteria.
Failing to meet EAA requirements could lead to compliance issues, reputational damage, or even legal action.
What’s different about the EU Accessibility Act?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) officially became law across all EU member states on June 28th 2025. Like WCAG, it’s built around the same POUR principles, but there are a few key differences.ev-
One is a slight difference in the guidelines you need to comply to: in this case European standard number EN 301 549, which currently incorporates the previous version of the WCAG standards, WCAG 2.1 AA. We’d expect it to catch up to the WCAG 2.2 AA standard in time, so it’s worth using the most recent standard anyway, as WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 are backwards compatible.
The most significant change lies in how specific and enforceable the act is. Where WCAG might recommend providing alt text for images, for example, the EAA makes it a legal obligation. It introduces clear, sector-specific requirements for a wide range of digital products and services, and failure to comply can result in penalties. It moves accessibility from best practice to legal necessity.
Why this matters
Following Brexit, the UK is no longer part of the European Union, so the EAA isn’t part of UK law. However, it still affects many UK-based organisations. If your website is accessed by EU consumers – or if your research project involves EU partners – you’ll need to comply with the EAA.
Those affected include:
- UK research teams collaborating with EU institutions
- UK-based spin-outs in Europe
- Consultants offering services in the EU
- Any UK website targeting an international audience that includes EU users
In these cases, failing to meet EAA requirements could lead to compliance issues, reputational damage, or even legal action, so it’s important to be aware of these recently introduced rules.
Even if your research or organisation has no direct EU connections, the EAA sets an important benchmark. Accessibility isn’t just about protecting yourself legally; it’s about building digital spaces that work for everyone. It’s easy to treat accessibility as a checklist or compliance exercise, but that misses the point. Inclusive design ensures no one is left feeling alienated, frustrated, or unable to engage with your work. It’s not just about avoiding barriers – it’s about actively inviting people in.
If your goal is to reach and impact as many people as possible, accessibility should be a priority.
Making accessibility meaningful
At Pixelshrink, we help research teams and organisations build websites that go beyond the bare minimum. Our website accessibility services are designed to support real users, not just to meet technical checklists. We’re here to help you understand the standards and make practical improvements. We can assist you in creating an inclusive online space that works for everyone, whether they’re accessing your site from a screen reader, struggling with a slow connection, or just trying to find clear information, fast.
When it comes to accessibility, doing the bare minimum isn’t good enough. Let’s level up, together.
