Since 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) has required many Belgian businesses to make their website and online services usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. In practice: if you sell online or offer banking services to consumers, your site must meet precise accessibility rules, or face penalties.

According to the SPF Economie, the information needed to conclude a contract must be clear, available in two different forms (text and audio, or text and image), and any non-text content must have a perceivable alternative. The reference standard is WCAG 2.1 level AA, built into the European standard EN 301 549.

The problem: according to the WebAIM Million 2025 report, 94.8% of the world's most visited home pages still contain detectable accessibility failures, with an average of 51 errors per page. In other words, the vast majority of Belgian websites are not compliant, often without knowing it.

What exactly is web accessibility?

An accessible site can be used by a visually impaired person with a screen reader, by someone navigating with the keyboard without a mouse, or by a colour-blind person who cannot distinguish certain colours. It is not a technical detail: it is a condition of use for a real share of your customers.

What are the most common errors?

According to WebAIM, six recurring issues alone account for 96% of all accessibility errors. The two most common are low-contrast text and images without alternative text. Then come empty links, unlabelled form fields, buttons without a name, and missing page titles.

The good news: these are simple problems to fix once identified. Sufficient contrast between text and background, alternative text on every meaningful image, explicit labels on forms. Most fall under good website creation practices, not heavy technical work.

Is your business affected?

That is the first question to ask, and the answer depends on your size and your activity.

Are micro-enterprises exempt?

Partly. Micro-enterprises, defined as those with fewer than 10 employees and turnover or a balance sheet total of no more than 2 million euros, are exempt from service-related obligations. In Belgium, micro-enterprises active in e-commerce also benefit from an extension until 2030 to become compliant.

Above this threshold, you are affected. A typical Belgian SME that sells online or offers banking services must therefore comply now. Note: the exemption concerns legal obligations, not commercial interest. An inaccessible site excludes customers, whatever the size of the business.

Which services are targeted?

The EAA targets specific products and services: e-commerce sites, online banking services for consumers, mobile applications, digital books and certain transport services. If your activity falls into one of these categories, the obligation applies to the entire online customer journey, from the first click to payment.

What do you risk if you do not comply?

In Belgium, the SPF Economie handles enforcement. The penalties are not symbolic: according to the available legal analyses, fines can reach 100,000 euros, the amount varying with the severity of the breach, the size of the business, and whether or not the failure is repeated.

Enforcement of the law is expected to intensify in 2026 as the monitoring authorities scale up. Any consumer can also report a breach to the SPF Economie, which makes the risk of inspection very real, even without a systematic audit.

The accessibility statement, an obligation not to forget

Beyond the site itself, every provider must publish an accessibility statement indicating to what extent it meets the requirements, and naming the authority to which a complaint can be filed. Not publishing it, or leaving out known issues, exposes you directly to penalties. It is often the easiest omission to avoid, and the easiest to penalise.

Frequently asked questions

Is my showcase site with no online sales affected?

If you sell nothing online and offer no banking service, the EAA imposes no direct obligation on you. But an inaccessible showcase site is still a site that excludes visitors and harms your image. And the boundaries are shifting: better to anticipate than to catch up.

Does accessibility have an impact on my search ranking?

Yes, indirectly but really. Alternative text on images, a clean heading structure, good contrast and a fast site are signals that Google values. Accessibility and natural search ranking share the same foundation: a clear, structured site, readable by machines as well as by humans.

How long does it take to bring a site into compliance?

It depends on the starting point. An audit usually reveals a handful of recurring problems that can be fixed in a few days. A full rebuild is rarely necessary: it is most often a matter of targeted adjustments to contrast, images and forms.

Do I have to redo my whole site?

Rarely. In most cases, targeted fixes are enough. If your site is old or already fragile on loading speed, this is the chance to address accessibility and performance together, in a single intervention.

Priority action plan

1. Check whether you are affected: size of the business, type of activity, online sales or banking services. When in doubt, assume that you are.

2. Launch an accessibility audit: identify the six frequent problems (contrast, alternative texts, forms, links, buttons, titles) on your main pages.

3. Fix the high-impact failures first: contrast and alternative texts cover the bulk of errors for a limited effort.

4. Publish your accessibility statement: state your level of compliance and how to report a problem. This is a legal obligation distinct from the site itself.

5. Build accessibility into your future projects: on every new page or site rebuild, address accessibility from the design stage rather than after the fact.

Digital accessibility is no longer an option or a goodwill gesture: it has been a legal obligation since June 2025, and a concrete advantage for those who start early. An accessible site reaches more customers, ranks better and inspires more trust. The cost of compliance remains modest compared with the risk of a fine or a share of customers excluded.

Want to know whether your site is compliant? We audit and bring Belgian SME websites into compliance: creation and upgrade of your website.