Overview of the accessibility directive
Regarding digital accessibility, Sweden already has the Digital Public Services Accessibility Act" (DOS law), which primarily concerns the public sector. Now, the legal requirements are being extended to include private entities as well.
The new accessibility directive, officially known as the Act on the Accessibility of Certain Services and Products, will come into force on 28 June 2025. This law is the Swedish equivalent of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which aims to create a unified standard for accessibility across the EU – benefiting both consumers and product developers. If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to review how this new law will impact your business.
About the accessibility directive on Riksdagen's website (in Swedish)
Who is affected by the new accessibility directive?
The accessibility directive affects companies based in the EU and those targeting the EU market, but there are exceptions. If your company is a microenterprise, with an annual turnover of less than 2 million euros or fewer than 10 employees, you are not covered by the law. If the requirements would cause a significant change to the fundamental nature of your product or service, you are also exempt. Similarly, if compliance would impose a disproportionately large burden on your business, you may be excluded from the requirements. However, even if you are not currently subject to these legal requirements, working on accessibility is always a good idea as accessibility can improve your business.
Which products and services are covered?
The law applies to new consumer services and products from 28 June 2025, with existing ones required to be adapted by 2030. Digital services covered include:
- electronic communication services: email, SMS, chat, video calls, and specialised communication services
- e-commerce services: news, sales, marketing, professional services (e.g., medical services), entertainment, basic intermediary services, and sponsored free services
- media services: streaming services and TV
- certain passenger transport services (excluding local and regional transport)
- banking services
- e-books.
The law does not apply to pre-recorded content that is not updated after the law comes into effect. It also does not apply to web maps, provided essential information is presented in an accessible manner, or third-party content that you do not pay for or control.
Requirements for e-commerce operators on EUR-Lex website
What is required to meet accessibility standards?
To comply with the accessibility directive, you need to adhere to two standards:
EN 301 549
A European standard for accessibility and inclusive design. This standard is largely based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
WCAG
A global standard for making web content accessible. WCAG is regularly updated, and the current version is 2.2. The standard has three levels of conformance: A, AA, and AAA. A is the lowest level, while AAA is the highest. According to the accessibility directive, we need to comply with the AA level, which provides good accessibility without excessive costs.
By following both standards, you can ensure that your product or service is accessible in terms of design, code, and content.
Non-compliance can be costly
What happens if you fail to meet the requirements when the new law comes into effect? Firstly, your business will need to report how accessible (or inaccessible) your service or product is. It can also be expensive. Companies that do not meet the requirements may face fines ranging from 10,000 to 10,000,000 SEK. In the worst case, the product may be removed from the market within the EU. This can be unnecessarily costly for something that has a solution.
Stay ahead by being inclusive
The legal requirements are minimum standards for digital accessibility. At Esatto, we recommend designing for everyone through universal design. This means incorporating accessibility into all aspects of planning and implementation to ensure no one is excluded and that the products developed can be used by everyone. This way, you avoid costly adjustments later on.
Ready to Get Started?
We can help you create accessible digital services and products from the outset or conduct an accessibility audit of existing ones. Contact us to find out more.
