Websites and graphic design
Accessibility requirements for business websites: does the European Accessibility Act apply to you?
· 4 min read
In short: The European Accessibility Act extended Finland’s Digital Services Act to private-sector consumer services from 28 June 2025: online shops, e-books and parts of banking, transport and communication services. An ordinary company website is not covered, and microenterprises are exempt. The requirements are level AA of WCAG 2.1, an accessibility statement and a feedback channel; Traficom supervises.
In summer 2025 many small business owners received messages warning about accessibility requirements and fines. Some were warranted, others exaggerated. This article walks through what the law actually requires, whom it covers and why accessibility is worth it even when the law does not require it.
Key figures
- 28 Jun 2025 requirements in force in the private sector
- WCAG 2.1 AA the required level
- under 10 people and turnover or balance sheet at most €2 million: microenterprises are exempt
- 3 requirements AA level, accessibility statement, feedback channel
What is the law about?
Link to section: What is the law about?The European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) harmonises accessibility requirements for products and services across the EU. In Finland it was implemented by amending the , which previously mainly covered the public sector. The changes entered into force on 28 June 2025, and supervision lies with Traficom, to which the tasks moved from the Regional State Administrative Agency at the start of 2025. The site saavutettavuusvaatimukset.fi, maintained by Traficom, is the official guidance.
Digital Services Act (Finland)
Finland’s Act on the Provision of Digital Services. It previously mainly covered the public sector and, from 28 June 2025, also some private-sector consumer services. Not to be confused with the EU’s Digital Services Act.
Whom do the requirements cover?
Link to section: Whom do the requirements cover?On the private-sector side the law covers services offered to consumers: online shops, e-books, parts of passenger transport and banking services, services that give access to audiovisual content, and communication services. In practice the deciding question for an SME is this: do you sell online to consumers? If the site has a shopping cart and a checkout, it is an online shop, and the law applies.
A company website that presents services and asks visitors to get in touch is not a service within the meaning of the law. The same goes for business-to-business trade: the requirements are written for consumer services.
In addition, the law exempts microenterprises from the service requirements. A microenterprise employs fewer than 10 people and has an annual turnover or balance sheet total of no more than 2 million euros. A small online shop may therefore fall outside the requirements, but the threshold is worth checking every year, because growth brings the obligation with it.
What does the law require?
Link to section: What does the law require?Three things.
- at level AA. The service must meet level AA of the guidelines: text contrast, keyboard operation, text alternatives for images, clear form labels, an understandable structure and content that also works with a screen reader.
- An accessibility statement. The service must have a statement that says how well the requirements are met and what shortcomings there are.
- A feedback channel. An electronic feedback channel is needed through which a user can report an accessibility problem.
WCAG 2.1
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Level AA covers, among other things, contrast, keyboard use, text alternatives for images and form labels.
The first is the most laborious, but most of it is ordinary good web work: contrast, heading structure and forms turn out well when they are done right from the start.
Why is accessibility worth it even when the law does not require it?
Link to section: Why is accessibility worth it even when the law does not require it?An accessible site is a better site for everyone. A clear heading structure and text alternatives are the same things search engines and AI search read, so accessibility work improves visibility. Good contrast and large enough buttons help anyone reading a phone in the sun. Keyboard operation also means the site works when the mouse does not.
And the customer base is broader than people think: sight, hearing, motor skills and reading vary, and ageing brings changes to all of us.
A site that shuts some people out shuts out customers.
What is worth doing now?
Link to section: What is worth doing now?First, find out whether the service falls within the law: is it a service offered to consumers, and does the company exceed the microenterprise threshold? Traficom’s scope guidance is a good tool for this. If it does, carry out an accessibility assessment, fix the findings, write the statement and open the feedback channel.
If it does not, accessibility is still worth adopting as a quality requirement for the site: check it automatically with every release and settle the big things, such as contrast and structure, in the design. It is cheapest while the site is being built and expensive when it is fixed afterwards.
This site is built to WCAG 2.1 level AA, and accessibility is checked with every release. How it is done and what limitations exist are described in our accessibility statement.
Wondering whether the requirement applies to your site? See how our website services work, or tell us about your situation and we’ll go through the site and the law’s requirements together.
