What companies need to comply with EAA

The standards are delayed! The requirements are unclear! Surveillance has not yet begun in all member states … If you really want to find reasons to sit on your hands for a while longer, you can of course find them. But the European Accessibility Act applies, and what exactly will be improved by waiting even longer?

According to a study we helped Digital Europe with, it seems to be mainly a lack of knowledge and expertise that is causing organisations covered by the EAA to fail to comply with it. This uncertainty is shared by many others as well.

A learning process for everyone involved.

The EAA covers several areas in which many accessibility specialists have limited experience. Historically, most have focused on either web accessibility or the built environment, but now it’s about self-service terminals, computers, TV, non-digital information, e-books, support services, packaging and a whole lot more.

A large number of companies are currently embarking on their journey towards increased accessibility, but even the experts in demand need further training. Several of the market surveillance authorities tasked with monitoring compliance with the EAA lack expertise in this area. It will take time for everyone to broaden their expertise to cover all the requirements and aspects of the act. This places extra demands on the industry.

Be careful when choosing

The Funka Foundation has unique expertise in the EAA and European standards. We offer a wide range of services, advice and training to support different roles at different levels.

The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) offers professional development and certification, specific services related to the act and support, as well as extensive membership benefits.

When choosing a supplier, we recommend that you ask for:

• professional certification or equivalent,
• European expertise in legal requirements and standards, and
• user-centred processes.

If you are unsure, ask your nearest competent authority! It is part of their remit to provide support and advice. A very concrete example of why it is a bad idea to duck the issue:

When the Dutch supervisory authority ACM began sending letters to companies with information about reporting requirements, some did not respond at all. The authority then chose to prioritise surveillance on these particular companies. Quite logical, really.

You are of course also welcome to send your question to us. We answer everything under the sun that has to do with the EAA – free of charge.