Accessibility becomes mandatory: what the European Accessibility Act means for Swiss companies
Since June 2025, binding rules for accessible digital services apply in the EU. Anyone selling into the EU is affected. An overview with concrete steps.
Around one in six people lives with a disability. Add older people, someone with a broken arm or anyone using their smartphone in bright sunlight. An accessible website reaches all of them. Since 28 June 2025, it has also been a legal requirement for many services in the EU.
What the European Accessibility Act requires
The European Accessibility Act, or EAA, obliges companies to offer certain products and services in an accessible way. Particularly relevant for websites:
- online shops and other e-commerce services
- banking services for consumers
- booking and ticketing systems in passenger transport
- e-books and the software used to read them
The member states have transposed the rules into their own laws, Germany for example through its Accessibility Strengthening Act. Enforcement and fines therefore vary from country to country.
Why Swiss companies are affected
What counts is where your customers are. If you sell from Switzerland to consumers in Germany, Austria or France, you must meet the requirements. A head office in Amriswil, Zurich or Geneva makes no difference.
How accessibility is measured
The technical benchmark is the European standard EN 301 549. It is based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG. The key points in practice:
- Keyboard operable: every function must be reachable without a mouse, with a visible focus.
- Sufficient contrast: text must stand out clearly from the background.
- Clean structure: headings, lists and forms are marked up correctly so screen readers can read them aloud.
- Alternative text: meaningful images get a short description.
- Understandable forms: fields are labelled, errors are clearly named.
- Respect for motion: animations can be paused or are reduced when the system asks for it.
A gain beyond the law
Accessible websites are almost always faster and better structured too. Search engines read the same structure as a screen reader. Investing today improves reach, rankings and user experience in one step.
Our own website scores 100 percent in Google Lighthouse’s accessibility checks. We are happy to review your site as well and show where action is needed. Get in touch now.
This article does not constitute legal advice. If in doubt, ask a specialist whether and to what extent your offer is affected.
Frequently asked questions
Does the European Accessibility Act also apply to companies in Switzerland?
Yes, as soon as you offer covered products or services to consumers in the EU, for example through an online shop. What matters is the market, not where the company is based.
Are small companies exempt?
Microenterprises with fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of no more than two million euros are exempt for services. Accessibility still pays off, because it reaches more people and strengthens rankings.
Is an accessibility plugin enough?
No. So-called overlay plugins do not fix the underlying problems in the code, and many affected users even find them disruptive. Accessibility comes from clean structure, design and content.