WCAG 2.2 + EU Accessibility Act: What changed June 2025

The European Accessibility Act (EAA, Directive 2019/882) came into force on 28 June 2025. It applies to most B2C digital services including e-commerce, banking, e-books, transport, and consumer hardware. Non-compliance fines are set individually by each member state under national law, so the amount depends on where you're targeted.

What WCAG 2.2 added (Oct 2023)

1. 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) — focus indicator must not be hidden by sticky headers.
2. 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) — fully visible (AAA).
3. 2.4.13 Focus Appearance — focus contrast ≥3:1, area ≥perimeter (AAA).
4. 2.5.7 Dragging Movements — drag actions must have a single-pointer alternative.
5. 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) — 24×24 CSS px minimum click target.
6. 3.2.6 Consistent Help — help link/button consistent across pages.
7. 3.3.7 Redundant Entry — don't ask user for previously entered info in same flow.
8. 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) — no cognitive function tests required (e.g., remembering passwords).
9. 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) — same, plus no exception for auth.

What EAA requires (high level)

• WCAG 2.1 AA conformance for digital interfaces.
• EN 301 549 standard compliance.
• Accessibility statement published on the site.
• Feedback mechanism for users to report issues.
• Conformity assessment + technical documentation.

Quick wins (audit-driven)

1. Run axe-core on every page. Auditope does this in the playwright phase.
2. Target size: ensure all clickable elements are ≥24×24 px. Most "pretty" close icons fail this.
3. Add visible focus rings — never disable outline without replacement.
4. Test keyboard navigation. Tab through every interactive flow without mouse.
5. Color contrast ≥4.5:1 for body text, ≥3:1 for large text. Use a tool like contrast-ratio.com.
6. Publish an accessibility statement at /accessibility documenting WCAG conformance level + known issues + contact.