[Athen] The European Accessibility Act goes into effect today (6/28/2025)

[via athen-list]

Hello All,
 
Included in the EAA that went into effect today is the requirement that all
digital books sold or made available through libraries must be accessible.
Furthermore, information about the accessibility of the digital books must
be made available at point of distribution.
 
Understanding Accessibility Metadata in Digital Publishing: A Guide for
Students and Educators
<https://inclusivepublishing.org/blog/understanding-accessibility-metadata-i
n-digital-publishing-a-guide-for-students-and-educators/> 
 
Best
George
 
From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman22.u.washington.edu> On Behalf
Of Lissner, L. Scott via athen-list
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2025 9:29 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: [Athen] The European Accessibility Act goes into effect today
(6/28/2025)
 
The
<https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32019L0882>
European Accessibility Act (EAA) goes into effect today (6/28/2025); should
you care?  
 
The act applies to all economic providers (public or private) providing
products or services, or offering to provide products or services, in the
European Union - including organizations based outside the EU when
conducting business within the EU market. 
 
Beyond considering if your organization offers covered services or products
in the EU the - tools and strategies being used to implement the EAA can be
a valuable resource to support and inform our efforts outside the EU. 
 
The EAA establishes and harmonizes standards for a wide range of products
and services including consumer electronics (TVs, smartphones, computers,
gaming consoles, etc.), ticketing and vending machines as well as websites
and mobile apps. 
 
The EAA's web accessibility standard anchors to WCAG 2.2  instead of 2.1 but
overall the approach is similar to the ADA Title II regulations here in the
US.   For example, third-party digital content and software.  Embedded tools
or plugins used on organizations' website are in scope. "We recommend that
organizations make accessibility a requirement during the procurement
process and request documented proof of accessibility (e.g., a completed
VPAT report) from vendors prior to making a purchase." Jon Avila 
 
An interesting and promising difference is the mandate for accessibility
statements that go well beyond the notice statements typically found on US
websites used to mitigate risk.  In essence, the accessibility statement
serves as both a public declaration of an organization's engagement with
accessibility and a map of access features and barriers (see summary
description below)
 
Since Accessibility Statments must be public-facing documents detailing how
services meet accessibility requirements Given the global economy, I am
hopeful that this requirement for companies doing business in the EU will
accelerate the trend in vendors providing reliable conformance reports
(VPATs). 
###
 
 "The legal framework gives us permission to dream" Lizzie Kiama
 
---------------------------------
Key aspects of an EAA accessibility statement: 
Compliance Status: Clearly state whether the service is fully, partially, or
not compliant with accessibility standards. 
 
Non-accessible Content: If there are any parts of the service that are not
accessible, these should be listed for transparency.
 
Preparation and Review: Include information about when the statement was
prepared, how accessibility was assessed. 
 
Feedback Mechanism: Provide a way for users to report accessibility issues
or request accessible alternatives, along with contact information for
responsible personnel. 
 
 
 
 
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