European Accessibility Act and WCAG: what your website must do
Does your website have to meet WCAG? Who it applies to, what it means and what you can check yourself in ten minutes.
You heard that websites have to be accessible and you are not sure whether that applies to you. This article explains what WCAG is, who has to meet it, and what you can check yourself in ten minutes.
Does my website have to comply?
It depends on who you are.
Are you a public body? Then yes, and you have been for years: since 2019 to 2021 depending on the site. You also have to publish an accessibility statement.
Do you run an online shop or offer banking services to consumers? Then yes, since 28 June 2025, under the European Accessibility Act. There is one exception: micro enterprises are exempt. That means businesses with fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of no more than 2 million euros.
Do you have an ordinary business website that gives information and has a contact form? Then it falls outside the European rules. It still pays off: a site that everyone can use gets used by more people. And a form that not everyone can fill in brings in fewer enquiries. Our article on websites with visitors but no enquiries covers the other barriers that stop people getting in touch. If you are unsure where you stand, have your situation checked by a lawyer. This article is not legal advice.
What is WCAG?
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and the W3C writes them. It is not a law but a technical standard that the law points to. Every point in WCAG sits at level A, AA or AAA. The law asks for level AA.
Which version counts? For an audit today, WCAG 2.1 level AA is the minimum. WCAG 2.2 has existed since October 2023 and adds nine points, mostly about using a phone and about cookie banners. The new European standard EN 301 549 version 4.1.1 has pointed to 2.2 since September 2026, but it has not yet been cited in the Official Journal. If you are building something new, build for 2.2 straight away.
The four principles in plain English
- Perceivable. People must be able to take in your content. A photo has alt text, a video has captions, and text has enough contrast.
- Operable. They must be able to use everything, even without a mouse. You can move through the menu with the tab key and you can see where you are.
- Understandable. They must be able to follow it. A form says what went wrong and how to fix it.
- Robust. It must work with assistive tools such as a screen reader. A dropdown menu says whether it is open or closed.
The mistakes we see most often
- Contrast that is too low. Grey text on white, or white text on a light photo. Check the ratio: at least 4.5 to 1. Make the text darker or put an overlay under it.
- Images without alt text, or with the file name as alt text. Write what the image adds. If it is purely decorative, leave the alt text empty.
- A menu you cannot open with the keyboard. Use real buttons and make enter and escape work.
- The focus outline removed in the CSS. Without it you cannot see where you are when you tab. Give the focus its own clear style.
- PDFs without a text layer. A scanned PDF is a blank page to a screen reader. Export it again from the source file, or publish the content as a normal page.
- Video without captions. Automatic captions are a starting point, not the finish. Read them through.
- Form fields with only a placeholder. It disappears as soon as you type. Give every field a real label.
- A cookie banner that stays over the content or traps the focus. Make it really disappear once a choice is made.
- Headings chosen for their size. Use one h1 per page and then h2 and h3 in a logical order. Do the styling with CSS.
Check it yourself in ten minutes
Put your mouse away and go through your site with only the keyboard. Can you reach everything, can you always see where you are, and can you get out of every menu?
Then zoom to 200 percent and see whether anything drops out. Make your browser window 320 pixels wide, the narrowest phone. If you have to scroll sideways, there is a problem.
Finally, fill in a form wrongly. Does the error message say what is wrong?
An automatic tool finds roughly half of the problems, such as missing alt text and poor contrast. What it cannot see is whether an alt text is accurate or whether the order makes sense. A green report does not mean your site is accessible.
The accessibility statement
Public bodies have to publish one. It says which standard you follow and how far you meet it, what does not work yet and why, where someone can report a problem, and when you last checked. Be honest. A statement that says everything is fine while half a day of testing proves otherwise is worse than an honest list of what still needs doing.
What we do
A standard site from us comes with a clean structure and logical headings, labels on form fields, alt text, enough contrast, a visible focus, and a layout that works on a narrow phone and at 200 percent zoom.
What does not come automatically is a promise that your site conforms to WCAG AA. We cannot promise that without an audit. Anyone who promises it without one is selling you something that will fall apart at the first check.
Not sure where your site stands? Request a free website audit or get in touch. If you are building something new, take a look at web design.
Frequently asked questions
Is WCAG mandatory in Belgium?
Not as a standard in itself, but through the law. Level AA applies to public bodies and to certain private services such as online shops.
Which level do I need to reach?
Level AA. If you are building now, aim for WCAG 2.2 AA.
Is an automatic test enough?
No. Keyboard and screen reader testing is still needed.
Sources
- W3C, WCAG 2 Overview: w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag
- W3C, WCAG 2.2: w3.org/TR/WCAG22
- Directive (EU) 2016/2102: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Directive (EU) 2019/882: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Vlaanderen.be, Digital accessibility: vlaanderen.be
- FOD BOSA, Belgian Web Accessibility: accessibility.belgium.be
- AccessibleEU, EN 301 549 version 4.1.1: accessible-eu-centre.ec.europa.eu
This article reflects the situation on 6 October 2026. Legislation changes, so always check the primary source before making a decision. This piece is not legal advice.
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