Over 87 million people in the European Union live with some form of disability, making digital accessibility not just a legal mandate but a societal necessity. With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) coming into effect in June 2025, organizations that fail to make their digital products and services accessible risk losing a significant portion of their user base—not to mention facing penalties and reputational setbacks.
As organizations rush to ensure compliance, web accessibility remediation emerges as a critical strategy. This process involves identifying and correcting accessibility barriers in existing digital content—such as websites, mobile apps, e-books, and customer portals—to meet both technical standards and legal expectations.
This blog explores the importance of EAA compliance, breaks down the technical aspects of web accessibility remediation, and offers a structured roadmap to help organizations meet their obligations and deliver inclusive digital experiences.
Understanding EAA and Its Accessibility Mandates
The EAA is designed to harmonize accessibility requirements across EU member states, enhancing the free movement of accessible products and services. It mandates that certain digital goods and services must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, aligning closely with the WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Covered services include:
- E-commerce platforms
- Banking and financial services
- E-books and reading software
- Public transportation ticketing websites and mobile apps
- Communication services like email and messaging platforms
Failure to comply with the EAA may result in penalties, loss of market access, and reputational damage. This has pushed accessibility to the forefront of digital development efforts.
What is Web Accessibility Remediation?
Web accessibility remediation refers to the process of correcting digital accessibility issues in existing web applications or content. It ensures compliance with accessibility standards like WCAG and regulatory frameworks such as the EAA, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), and EN 301 549.
Remediation can involve a range of activities, including:
- Fixing semantic HTML errors
- Enhancing keyboard navigation
- Providing descriptive alt text for images
- Captioning and transcribing multimedia content
- Ensuring ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles are correctly used
- Making form fields and interactive components accessible
While accessibility testing identifies issues, remediation solves them, bridging the gap between compliance and inclusivity.
Why Remediation is Crucial for EAA Compliance
Many organizations make the mistake of assuming that building new accessible features is enough. However, EAA compliance is retrospective—it applies to existing digital products and services as well. Thus, auditing and remediating legacy content is not optional.
Here’s why remediation is indispensable:
- Legacy systems are widespread: Older websites or codebases often lack accessibility best practices.
- Third-party content needs fixes: Plugins, embedded content, and integrations can introduce accessibility barriers.
- Dynamic and media-heavy content: Interactive content like carousels, videos, and modals are frequent sources of accessibility issues.
- Ongoing updates: Every new deployment or update could reintroduce accessibility problems if not handled properly.
A robust web accessibility remediation strategy ensures that your digital infrastructure is EAA-compliant, resilient, and user-friendly for everyone.
Key Phases of Web Accessibility Remediation
To comply with the EAA, businesses should follow a structured remediation approach. Here’s a breakdown of a typical remediation process:
1. Accessibility Audit
Start by conducting a comprehensive accessibility audit using both automated tools and manual testing. This includes:
- Reviewing code for semantic accuracy
- Testing with screen readers and keyboard-only navigation
- Checking color contrast, focus states, and heading structure
- Validating ARIA roles and attributes
- Ensuring compatibility across assistive technologies
2. Issue Prioritization
Not all issues are equal. Prioritize based on:
- Severity of impact on users with disabilities
- Frequency of occurrence
- Pages with high traffic or business impact (checkout flows, login forms)
Group issues into categories: high, medium, and low priority for efficient triaging.
3. Code Remediation
This is the most technically intensive stage, involving:
- Refactoring front-end code to align with WCAG standards
- Ensuring components (like modals, dropdowns, and sliders) are accessible
- Implementing skip links, focus indicators, and ARIA attributes
- Using accessible libraries or updating UI components to their accessible versions
4. Validation and Testing
After fixes, re-test thoroughly. Use:
- Screen readers like NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver
- Accessibility testing tools like Axe, WAVE, and Lighthouse
- Real-user testing with assistive technology users
5. Documentation and Reporting
Create documentation for all fixes, noting:
- What was changed
- Why it was changed
- Remaining known issues and planned timelines for fixing them
This supports transparency, training, and future audits.
6. Continuous Monitoring
Accessibility is not a one-time effort. Integrate accessibility checks into CI/CD pipelines and development workflows. Train teams to write accessible code from the start.
Choosing the Right Partner for Remediation
Successful web accessibility remediation often requires external expertise. Choose partners who offer:
- Experience with EAA and WCAG 2.1 compliance
- Manual and automated testing capabilities
- Cross-functional teams (developers, auditors, usability experts)
- Scalable remediation plans tailored to your platform
- Training and consultation services to enable internal teams
Look for vendors who offer end-to-end accessibility services, from evaluation and remediation to user testing and policy development.
Final Thoughts
Web accessibility remediation is not just a compliance checkbox—it’s a digital equity imperative. As the EAA deadline looms, organizations have a unique opportunity to future-proof their digital assets while improving user experience for millions.
Investing in robust remediation now means:
- Avoiding legal risks and penalties
- Unlocking a larger, more diverse user base
- Enhancing brand reputation and digital inclusion
By taking a systematic approach to web accessibility remediation, businesses can not only meet the EAA requirements but also lead in building a truly accessible digital future.
