On June 28, 2025, a new regulation came into force across Europe, affecting thousands of businesses, and setting clear rules on website accessibility.
Website accessibility has therefore become both a legal and strategic necessity—one that every responsible company must urgently address.
Having an accessible website is not only essential for digital inclusion, but it also allows companies to reach a much wider audience, including users who would otherwise be unable to navigate the site.
To ensure that a website is accessible, it is necessary to conduct a thorough analysis, verifying for each individual page that its content can be used by all users, including those with permanent or temporary disabilities.
What does it mean for a website to be accessible?
According to the European Accessibility Act (EAA – Directive EU 2019/882), accessibility is defined as “the ability of IT products to deliver services and provide information without creating discrimination among vulnerable citizens, promoting their full participation in society and eliminating the digital divide.”
An accessible website is designed and developed to be usable by everyone, regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities.
This includes people with:
- Visual impairments, who use screen readers or require high contrast
- Hearing impairments, who need subtitles or transcripts for audio and video content
- Motor impairments, who navigate websites using only the keyboard
- Cognitive disabilities, who benefit from clear text, simple layouts, and understandable instructions
An accessible website should therefore include descriptive alternative text for images, a logical content hierarchy, sufficient contrast between text and background, adjustable font sizes, intuitive and consistent navigation, full keyboard navigation support, compatibility with major screen readers and browsers, and clear, simple language.
Designing a website that is accessible to everyone means creating a universal digital experience, where design enables all users to interact independently and easily.
What does Italian law say about accessibility?
The “Legge Stanca” (Law no. 4/2004) was the first Italian law to systematically address digital accessibility. Before its introduction, there were no specific regulations requiring organizations to make their websites accessible to people with disabilities.
This law made accessibility mandatory for public administrations. Later, Decree-Law 76/2020 extended the requirement to large private companies—those with annual revenues exceeding €500 million.
This remained the case until the introduction of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which marked a turning point in digital inclusion.
The EAA aims to remove barriers created by differing national regulations across the EU, with the goal of creating a single European market for accessible products and services.
In Italy, the EAA has been incorporated into Legislative Decree no. 82 of May 27, 2022, extending accessibility obligations to a wide range of both public and private entities.
The regulation establishes that all digital products and services placed on the market after June 28, 2025 must meet accessibility requirements—and applies to all companies offering such products and services, with the only exception being micro-enterprises.
It also covers websites created before that date if they undergo substantial modifications afterward. For instance, adding a contact form would make the site subject to EAA compliance.
Which companies are affected by the regulation?
The regulation clearly defines which organizations must comply with the new accessibility standards.
In addition to public administrations and large enterprises, the rule applies to all companies that meet at least one of these criteria:
- More than 10 employees
- Annual turnover exceeding €2 million
If a company does not meet either of these thresholds, it is considered a micro-enterprise and is therefore exempt.
Conversely, if it meets at least one of the criteria, it must comply with the European Accessibility Act.
In short:
- If your company has more than 10 employees, it is subject to the regulation—even if its revenue is below €2 million.
- Similarly, if it has fewer than 10 employees but annual revenue above €2 million, it must comply as well.
What are the main accessibility guidelines?
The main technical references are WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), the international standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
These define the technical and design requirements that a website must meet to be usable by people with visual, hearing, motor, and cognitive impairments.
The WCAG 2.1 standards are based on four key principles:
- Perceivable – Users must be able to perceive the content.
Example: images must have alternative text, videos must include subtitles, and text-to-background contrast must be adequate. - Operable – Users must be able to navigate.
Example: the site must be navigable by keyboard, buttons must be easily accessible, and no content should flash rapidly (a risk for people with epilepsy). - Understandable – Users must understand both the content and how the site works.
Example: language should be simple, the page layout logical, and forms intuitive. - Robust – The site must work well across devices, browsers, and assistive technologies (like screen readers).
The HTML code must be written correctly to ensure compatibility.
WCAG defines three levels of compliance:
- Level A – Minimum requirements
- Level AA – Intermediate, balancing accessibility and practicality. This is the level required by Italian and European law.
- Level AAA – Maximum level, more demanding and costly, typically for public institutions or organizations in the social or healthcare sectors.
Both Italian and EU regulations require compliance at Level AA, considered the most practical and balanced standard for companies.
What are the benefits of having an accessible website?
For some, having a website that complies with accessibility regulations might seem like a mere cost or obligation. However, ensuring your website is accessible actually provides a wide range of strategic and commercial advantages.
First of all, an accessible website represents a concrete opportunity to expand your market.
In Italy, there are nearly 13 million people with disabilities, and if we also consider those with temporary disabilities and the elderly population, the percentage of people who benefit from accessibility increases significantly.
Having an accessible website means opening your company’s doors to millions of potential customers who would otherwise be excluded.
Moreover, an accessible website creates a lasting impression of inclusiveness and social responsibility, strengthening the brand’s perception.
From a business standpoint, an accessible website generates a better overall user experience.
An interface designed according to accessibility principles is generally more intuitive, easier to navigate, and clearer for all users—not only for people with disabilities.
A website that is easier to navigate allows users to find the information they need more quickly, which translates into longer visits, smoother navigation, and consequently, higher conversion rates.
Users who find a website easy to use are, in fact, more likely to complete a purchase or fill out a contact form.
In addition, users who enjoy a positive and inclusive experience while browsing are more likely to return, recommend the website to others, and become loyal customers.
A website specifically designed to be accessible also improves SEO performance.
Accessibility techniques—such as using alternative text for images, maintaining clean code structure, organizing content clearly, and ensuring logical navigation—are the same factors that Google’s algorithms consider essential for SEO.
An accessible website is automatically a more SEO-friendly site, which means better visibility in search results and potentially higher organic traffic.
From a brand reputation perspective, companies that implement accessibility position themselves as modern, socially conscious, and inclusive organizations.
This aspect is increasingly important to consumers, especially younger generations and socially aware audiences.
An accessible website sends a clear message that the company cares about all its customers—no one excluded—and this enhances positive brand perception and strengthens brand value.
What are the consequences if a website is not compliant?
Complying with accessibility regulations helps avoid the risk of administrative penalties, which in Italy can range from €5,000 to €40,000 per violation, with the possibility of even harsher fines—up to 5% of annual turnover—for companies already subject to the “Legge Stanca”.
Moreover, compliance with accessibility standards is becoming an increasingly common requirement for participation in public tenders, EU funding opportunities, and business support programs.
Conclusions
In conclusion, June 28, 2025, marks an important milestone for digital inclusion and provides companies with an opportunity to reach a wider audience and enhance their brand reputation.
The accessibility regulation for websites represents a real opportunity for companies to transform their business.
Removing barriers opens the door to new customers, and every improvement in website usability leads to higher conversion rates.
Making a website accessible is not just about complying with a regulation—it is a strategic mindset.
It reflects a company’s ability to show that it doesn’t just sell products or services but genuinely cares about the people who use them.
Adapting to the regulation as quickly as possible can become a competitive advantage over competitors, in addition to being a legal requirement.
Aglatech14 ContenTalkers
Luca Perlo – CEO Flyup
Passionate about the internet, he has worked for over 20 years as a Product Manager and Sales Manager in multinational companies. An expert in SEO and Google Ads, he has been the owner of Flyup for 15 years—a company that helps businesses and professional firms increase sales and revenue through data-driven digital marketing strategies.
