Digital accessibility is a top priority for governments across Europe—in fact, it’s a legal mandate. Under EN 301 549, all public-sector organizations in Europe must ensure that their digital technology (including websites, software, electronic devices, and mobile apps) conforms with specific accessibility standards. Additionally, any businesses selling digital products into Europe’s public sector need to meet EN 301 549’s accessibility requirements. EN 301 549 has been adopted in all 28 European Union (EU) member states, three European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland), and two EU candidate countries (Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). Public-sector organizations that fail tocomply with this legislation may face fines or other legal penalties, while private-sector organizations limit procurement opportunities.
As of 2018, EN 301 549 has adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as its baseline for compliance.
WCAG was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) with input from individuals and organizations from around the world. It provides a set of technical standards that make online content accessible for all users, including people with disabilities. Beyond EN 301 549, WCAG has become the global benchmark for validating a website or digital product’s state of accessibility.
WCAG guidelines are based on four principles, often referred to with the acronym “POUR”:
There are three levels of WCAG conformance: A, AA, and AAA. Level A refers to the lowest level of conformance (minimum) and Level AAA is the highest (maximum). Compliance with EN 301 549 requires conformance with WCAG version 2.1 AA standards.
Level Access has over two decades of experience helping organizations across sectors and industries achieve compliance with accessibility laws, including EN 301 549. Our unified solution combines advanced technology with manual testing, training, and legal expertise to help you swiftly meet compliance requirements and provideequitable experiences for all users.
Our risk assessment will help you understand your digital accessibility health score and your current level of EN 301 549 compliance.
What is EN 301 549?
EN 301 549 is a European accessibility law. Much like Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in the United States, it requires that websites, software, electronic devices, and mobile apps be accessible to all users, including people with disabilities. It applies directly to public-sector organizations in Europe, and impacts private-sector organizations selling into Europe’s public sector.
What is EN 301 549 compliance?
In 2018, EN 301 549 adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA as the standard for accessibility. Compliance with EN 301 549 means conformance with WCAG 2.1 AA.