Foreword.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a law known as Directive (EU) 2019/882. It sets rules for making products and services accessible across the European Union. The law helps people with disabilities take part fully in society and use important services.

This law creates clear guidelines for businesses to make accessible products and services. By setting the same rules across the EU, the EAA makes it easier for companies to follow the rules while helping all people access what they need.

Following accessibility rules can be hard. Many organizations struggle to understand multiple rules, technical standards, and how to put them in place. The EAA adds new rules to learn.

Accessibility is not just about following rules or meeting legal needs. It is about real people. Each rule exists to remove a barrier and include more people in your products and services.

Remember that making things accessible is an ongoing process. It needs constant commitment, learning, and change as technology grows and we better understand what people need.

This guide makes the European Accessibility Act easier to understand and use for all sizes of organizations. We have turned complex legal rules into practical advice, examples, and steps to help you make things accessible.

Our approach focuses on:

• Simple language explanations that make legal requirements easy to understand without losing their meaning.
• Practical advice based on real experience and best ways to do things.
• Clear steps to follow the law that organizations can follow one by one.
• Connecting rules to human needs to keep focus on the people you design for.

While this guide gives helpful information, it is not legal advice. Organizations should talk to legal experts to make sure they fully follow the EAA and other laws.

You can use this guide in different ways, based on what you need and how much you know about accessibility:

• Reading from start to finish gives you a full understanding of the EAA from basics to specific rules.
• Jumping to specific topics lets you go right to sections that matter to you now.
• Role-specific guidance helps different team members understand what they need to do.

We suggest starting with the overview sections to build basic knowledge before looking at specific rules. The sidebar menu gives quick access to sections as you work on accessibility in your organization.

Remember that accessibility works best when it's part of your normal processes, not a separate task. Use this guide to inform your approach, but adapt it to fit your organization's unique needs and workflows.