Deadlines & law changes · 2 min
The Accessibility Act is being enforced now. Here's the honest diagnosis.
European accessibility law stopped being theoretical: it has applied since June 2025 and regulators have begun acting. Most UK small businesses are NOT in scope — and accessibility is worth doing anyway. Both halves of that sentence deserve honesty.
Deadlines & law changes · Updated 24 September 2026
What the law actually is
The European Accessibility Act requires a wide range of products and services sold to consumers in the EU — e-commerce prominently included — to be accessible to disabled people. It has applied to new services since 28 June 2025, and enforcement is no longer hypothetical: French regulators' action against major retailers in 2026 signalled that member states are checking, not just publishing guidance. The UK didn't adopt the EAA domestically — but the law follows the customer, not the company: a UK business selling to EU consumers is selling into its scope.
Are you actually in scope? The honest sort
Likely in scope
You run an online shop that knowingly serves EU consumers — ships there, prices in euros, markets to those customers. Micro-enterprises (under 10 staff and under €2m turnover) have a services carve-out, but relying on a carve-out is a decision to make knowingly, not by default.
Likely NOT in scope
Your customers are UK households (the EAA doesn't reach you), you sell to businesses rather than consumers, or you're a local service business whose website is a brochure rather than a sales channel.
In the maybe
UK shops with incidental EU orders. The honest position is proportionate: understand the exposure, don't panic-purchase compliance.
The honest-diagnosis approach — versus the theatre
Accessibility can often feel like compliance theatre. You get a scary email, subscribe to an overlay widget, display a badge, and think you're done. But this helps no one, especially not disabled customers. Overlays are widely criticised by the accessibility community. The honest approach is less flashy: find real issues and fix them. Use text alternatives on images. Make sure forms announce their errors. Ensure contrast is effective. Keyboard navigation should be smooth and not trap anyone. These are standard web-development tasks, easy to diagnose and fix at normal prices.
The real reason to care isn't just about the law. Fixes that meet accessibility standards make your site better for more people, including search engines. Clear structure and real text help both screen readers and AI. We'd rather offer you this honest perspective than sell fear. If you want a straightforward assessment, just ask. If everything's fine, we'll tell you that too.
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Describe what you sell and to whom, and Katalis will give you the honest first read — in scope, out of scope, or worth doing regardless — before anyone talks about money.
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