EAA compliance check: how to get your website tested for accessibility

What an accessibility check looks at

A check tells you whether your website, online shop or web app meets the accessibility requirements. The yardstick is technical: in practice it is the European standard EN 301 549. Services that meet harmonised standards whose references are published in the Official Journal are presumed to meet the requirements those standards cover (Article 15 of Directive (EU) 2019/882). The web chapter of EN 301 549 V3.2.1 is based on WCAG 2.1 level AA; version V4.1.1 from 2026 is aligned with WCAG 2.2 (status and references on the law page).

We test against WCAG 2.2 level AA: 55 success criteria that include every WCAG 2.1 AA criterion plus six newer ones. They cover things like text alternatives, contrast, keyboard access, visible focus, forms and error messages, and zoom and reflow on small screens.

Whether the Act applies to you at all is a separate, legal question, and each EU country answers it in its own law. Our quick check gives a first indication; the law page lists every country.

Is an audit or a certificate required?

For services such as online shops, the Act does not prescribe a particular test procedure or a certificate. The service provider is responsible: it has to meet the requirements and explain how it does so in the information it publishes (Annex V; see our guide to the accessibility statement).

A check is still the most reliable way to know rather than hope. It shows where the barriers are, turns them into concrete tasks and documents the state of the site. A certificate records the result with scope, standard and test date. It is not a decision by an authority and not legal advice.

Self-test, scan or audit: three ways compared

• Self-test: tab through the page, measure contrast, try a screen reader. It costs only time and catches obvious problems. Our checklists, keyboard test and contrast checker help.
• Automated scan: software checks many pages quickly and finds measurable errors such as missing labels or weak contrast. Many criteria cannot be measured, though: whether an alt text fits, or whether an error message makes sense. The W3C puts it plainly: evaluation tools cannot determine accessibility, they can only assist in doing so.
• Human audit: an expert checks every criterion with keyboard, zoom and screen reader and decides. Only this gives a reliable answer for all 55 criteria.

A sensible order is a free check of your home page, then a scan or straight to an audit.

How our audit works

1. Scope: which pages, templates and user journeys (for example search, basket, checkout) are in.
2. Sample selected with WCAG-EM: the W3C evaluation methodology, so the sample covers every template and key function.
3. Automated tests: our scanner gathers findings and evidence: screenshots, focus order, zoom, text spacing, forms.
4. Human review: each of the 55 criteria is decided individually. No criterion passes just because software found nothing.
5. Screen-reader test: the user journeys are walked through with a screen reader.
6. Report: every decision with locations, screenshots and guidance on fixing it.
7. Re-test and certificate: after your fixes we test the failed criteria again. When none fails, we issue the certificate.

Every step is described in our test method.

What a check costs

The price depends mostly on how many pages and user journeys are tested. Ours (net, for businesses):

• Auto-Scan: EUR 149 for up to 10 pages, report with a score, no certificate.
• Audit with certificate: EUR 1,490 for up to 15 pages and one user journey, EUR 2,990 for up to 40 pages and 3 user journeys. Larger scopes on request.
• Re-test: not included in the audit. We quote it beforehand, based on how many criteria failed.

The price calculator shows the price for your scope. PDF documents and areas behind a login are agreed before the audit.

What to prepare

• A public address. Our scanner never logs in and never submits forms.
• Your key user journeys, for example find a product, add it to the basket, check out.
• A list of important PDF documents, if they should be tested.
• One contact person in your team who passes the results on.
• Proof that you own the site, by meta tag or DNS record, before a paid scan starts.

After the check

The report lets your team fix issues in a targeted way, sorted by design, development and content. The result also feeds your accessibility statement; our generator helps you write it. The certificate describes the tested state on the test date. If your site changes often, monitoring re-checks it on a schedule.

Checklist

Related WCAG criteria

• 1.1.1 Non-text Content
• 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)
• 2.1.1 Keyboard
• 2.4.7 Focus Visible
• 3.3.1 Error Identification
• 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

Tools and patterns for this

• Free checkTest your home page automatically in two minutes
• Am I affected?EAA check in five questions
• Price calculatorYour quote in a minute
• MethodAll 55 criteria, openly described
• PricingFixed prices, no surprises
• What an accessibility certificate means — and what it doesn’tA badge in a footer looks reassuring, but it tells you nothing on its own. Here is what our certificate actually states, where its limits are, and how anyone can check it.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Directive (EU) 2019/882, European Accessibility Act (EUR-Lex)
• Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1339: EN 301 549 V3.2.1 as harmonised standard for public bodies (EUR-Lex)
• W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2
• W3C: WCAG-EM evaluation methodology
• W3C: Selecting web accessibility evaluation tools