{"id":658093,"date":"2025-03-20T22:45:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T19:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/european-accessibility-act-risks-becoming-a-box-ticking-exercise\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T22:45:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T19:45:15","slug":"european-accessibility-act-risks-becoming-a-box-ticking-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/european-accessibility-act-risks-becoming-a-box-ticking-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"#European Accessibility Act risks becoming a box-ticking exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a326b7beba0b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a326b7beba0b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/european-accessibility-act-risks-becoming-a-box-ticking-exercise\/#What_does_the_European_Accessibility_Act_mean_for_developers\" >What does the European Accessibility Act mean for developers?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/european-accessibility-act-risks-becoming-a-box-ticking-exercise\/#Why_widgets_are_seen_as_a_suitable_solution\" >Why widgets are seen as a suitable solution<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/european-accessibility-act-risks-becoming-a-box-ticking-exercise\/#Widgets_can_cause_more_issues_than_they_solve\" >Widgets can cause more issues than they solve<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/european-accessibility-act-risks-becoming-a-box-ticking-exercise\/#Building_accessibility_from_the_ground_up\" >Building accessibility from the ground up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image?fit=796%2C417&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2025%2F02%2FUntitled-design-9-1.jpg&amp;signature=102969d3ff7a653882a39fac5f43d5e7\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the compliance deadline for the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/social\/main.jsp?catId=1202\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">European Accessibility Act (EAA)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> fast <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roaching, companies are urgently trying to ensure their websites meet the requirements of the EU directive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One appealing solution is accessibility widgets \u2014 small add-ons with features like text resizing, contrast adjustments, and text-to-speech functions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, while these widgets promise fast and inexpensive compliance, they often fail to address the real issues of accessibility. In fact, they can even make websites <em>harder<\/em> for people with disabilities to navigate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s why relying on widgets is a short-sighted solution and what web developers should focus on instead to create truly accessible digital spaces.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_the_European_Accessibility_Act_mean_for_developers\"><\/span>What does the European Accessibility Act mean for developers?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\">\n<p class=\"ica-text__title\">TNW Conference &#8211; The 2025 Agenda has just touched down<\/p>\n<p>Discover the insightful and dare we say controversial sessions that will take place June 19-20.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The EAA, enacted in 2019, requires major e-commerce sites and private businesses to comply with a range of accessibility standards by June 28, 2025 (the deadline for public sector institutions has already passed). The rules apply to any company<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\/>\u00a0that conducts business in the EU, except for microenterprises with fewer than <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 employees or under \u20ac2mn in annual turnover.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These regulations are designed to make websites more accessible to users with disabilities, covering aspects such as text alternatives for images, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility. While the EAA primarily impacts large enterprises, it has also raised <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> awareness of accessibility, encouraging smaller businesses to review the accessibility of their sites.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the deadline nears, the pressure to comply with the EAA has led some companies to pursue quick solutions. Accessibility widgets appear to offer an easy way to check the boxes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, these tools often lead companies down the wrong path, creating a false sense of security and missing the opportunity to fix the underlying accessibility issues of their sites.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_widgets_are_seen_as_a_suitable_solution\"><\/span>Why widgets are seen as a suitable solution<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This is not to say that accessibility widgets are bad by default. Their appeal is easy to understand. They are low-cost, fast to implement, and, in many cases, do address common accessibility needs, such as the options to adjust font sizes and contrast settings.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, these tools can often be enough for websites that feature relatively few elements, don\u2019t handle high traffic volumes, or don\u2019t require visitors to perform important actions \u2014 entering your bank account information, for example. For such websites, widgets can provide a layer of accessibility without requiring significant overhauls to existing design and code.<\/p>\n<p>For some businesses, especially those with limited resources, the promise of a widget is hard to resist. Adding a widget to your site will be considerably less expensive than ongoing testing, fixing, and maintenance processes. However, the reliance on widgets can not only delay fixing underlying issues with the site but can even lead to additional accessibility issues caused by the widgets themselves.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Widgets_can_cause_more_issues_than_they_solve\"><\/span>Widgets can cause more issues than they solve<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A significant issue with widgets is that they tend to operate as overlays \u2013 they function as layers on top of the original website content rather than making structural improvements to the code. This layering can interfere with existing site functionality, causing problems with navigation, interactive features, or screen readers, which many users with disabilities rely on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, my team at TestDevLab looked at the major fashion retailer Zara, which uses accessibility widgets on its website. We identified several issues caused by these tools. To name a few:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Site visitors who only use their keyboard for navigation cannot move to all elements after tapping the \u201cLogin\u201d button because the focus jumps to the accessibility widget shortcut links.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you select the dark, high-contrast option in the accessibility widget, the hamburger menu button and page logo are no longer visible.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A number of issues were detected with text adjustment and visibility when increasing the font size through the widget.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because widgets typically only address surface-level issues, they fail to engage with underlying accessibility requirements like keyboard navigation and properly labelled images. Instead of solving these deeper problems, widgets often become long-term crutches that prevent real progress, allowing companies to overlook the foundational changes needed for meaningful accessibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether a widget works is often determined by how the original site has been built and structured. If there are issues in the site\u2019s HTML code, layering a widget on top of that may not make a difference in terms of accessibility or, even worse, break other elements that make the site more challenging to navigate than it is without the widget. Other factors affecting widget performance include each site visitor\u2019s browser and operating system. While the widget may work for some, it may fail for others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Building_accessibility_from_the_ground_up\"><\/span>Building accessibility from the ground up<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">True web accessibility requires investing in long-term, site-wide improvements rather than superficial fixes. Developers should consider accessibility a core part of the design and development process, not an afterthought. This means building accessibility into every stage of a website\u2019s lifecycle, from design to testing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elements like keyboard navigation, text alternatives, logical heading structures, and responsive design should be considered from the start, making the website accessible at its foundation rather than through add-ons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testing is essential in this process. Accessibility is a continuous effort \u2014 it requires periodic audits and adjustments to ensure ongoing compliance as <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> and accessibility standards evolve. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/european-accessibility-act-becoming-box-ticking-exercise\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the compliance deadline for the European Accessibility Act (EAA) fast approaching, companies are urgently trying to ensure their websites meet the requirements of the EU directive.\u00a0 One appealing solution is accessibility widgets \u2014 small add-ons with features like text resizing, contrast adjustments, and text-to-speech functions. However, while these widgets promise fast and inexpensive compliance,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":658094,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280%2C640&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2025%2F02%2FUntitled-design-9-1.jpg&signature=9ce737c0c7b1a1272b40e757663540d9","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-658093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=658093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658093\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/658094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=658093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=658093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=658093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}