The European Accessibility Act and design

On 28th June 2025, the EAA comes into force, and this affects anyone selling to an EU member country.

Here’s what it means for eBooks and the production process

• Content should be resized for devices and windows.

• Hidden descriptions of images that assistive technologies can read should be included in the file so non-sighted users can know if an image is relevant.

• Text must contrast with the background colours to enable the book to be accessed by people with different levels of vision.

• The file should include code to give the right structure to ensure that assistive tech can navigate the file on devices.

• The EAA covers e-reading devices, ecommerce platforms, and software.

• If your book is already published, there is a 5-year grace period for publishers. You can read more about the impact on self-publishing authors at The Alliance of Independent Authors.

The EAA covers websites, mobile apps and point of sale too.

• The EAA focuses on inclusive functionality but does not itself provide specific technical standards for accessibility; the EU standard EN 301 549 will be used for conformity. If you want to show that your work meets EAA compliance requirements, it should adhere with EN 301 549.

• I’m seeing lots of guides being used as lead magnets. You may not need these. I started learning from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2. WCAG is an established framework for assessing digital accessibility in the EU at an “AA” level (which includes A and AA criteria).

• To understand how well your digital products meet its criteria, here’s a helpful checklist from W3.

• It’s also important for print too, so that logos and printed products work for everyone. How often have you struggled with white text over a complicated image in a newspaper?

Thoughts

I’m still learning about WCAG and accessibility. Growing up with a relative who had trouble seeing green and red, I’ve used Photoshop’s filters for many years but have noticed that it’s often overlooked. I’ve made errors too. An early social design project was white on black text because it was important for design, but it excluded many people in the audience. The previous Hello Lovely website had areas of exclusion, and I’m going to be updating this website as I learn more about compliance and ensuring it shows design skills, which isn’t an easy balance. We designers love to show creative work that shows possibilities, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the design is accessible.

I take a learning-first approach; which means I’ll check against guidelines and keep learning through the courses below, using tech to support me but always mindful that tools are perfect. My motto with Canva is that it doesn’t teach design and that’s true of plug-ins. That means being open to feedback and constructive criticism, as well as revised iterations. I’ll discuss best practices with clients.

Here’s some data I’ve been reading from Samsung:

● Over two-thirds (68%) have felt excluded from products or services due to accessibility issues.
● Over half of the respondents (55%) don’t believe mainstream brands are invested enough in making products that cater to individual needs.
● 80% of people believe brands could be missing out on millions from consumers with disabilities.
● Brands are missing out on spending power of over £274 billion a year.

More support and training

Jodie Greer at Be People Smart can advise you on best practice.

Recite Me offers training courses.

I’ve taken Ability Net training courses.

Hello Lovely Design and Co’s Gorgeous newsletter on EAA.