You need to know what the European Accessibility Act asks of your site.
WCAG accessibility audits for the European Accessibility Act
An accessible website is one that everyone can use: people who navigate by keyboard only, use a screen reader, have low vision or struggle to tell colours apart. Since 28 June 2025, for many private websites, it is also a legal requirement.
Under the European Accessibility Act (EU Directive 2019/882, transposed in Italy by Legislative Decree 82/2022), the obligation, which used to fall mainly on the public sector under the Stanca Law (L. 4/2004), now covers many private digital services, starting with e-commerce. As its technical reference AgID uses EN 301 549 v3.2.1, which for web pages maps to WCAG 2.1 level AA. The newer version 4.1.1, adopted in August 2026 and based on WCAG 2.2, has not yet been cited in the EU Official Journal.
The audit tells you where you stand, what to fix and in which order, with the technical guidance to do it.
How I approach it
The first thing I check is whether the site works with the keyboard alone: whether the Tab key reaches every link, button and field, whether I can always see where I am, and whether I can complete a purchase or a request without a mouse. Right after that I look at colour, meaning the contrast between text and background and any information conveyed by colour alone.
These are the main problems I find on the sites I audit. The rest of the audit (screen readers, page structure, forms, images) comes after, and the report follows the same order of priority.
When it helps
- You run an online shop or a digital service for consumers and need to understand what the European Accessibility Act requires.
- You are a public body or supply one, and need to publish or update your accessibility statement.
- A user wrote to say they can't use your site.
- You are rebuilding your site and want it accessible from the start, rather than fixing it later.
What's included
- Manual testing with keyboard and screen reader, on top of automated tools.
- Checks against WCAG 2.1 level AA, as referenced by EN 301 549.
- A report listing every issue, where it is, the criterion it fails and its priority.
- Fix guidance for developers, with code examples.
- Help drafting the accessibility statement (public sector) or the service accessibility information required by the EAA (private sector).
How it works
- Scope
We agree which pages and flows to test. For an online shop, for example, search, product page, cart and checkout.
- Testing
Manual and automated tests on every page and flow in scope.
- Report
Issues ranked by priority with suggested fixes, walked through on a call.
- Fixes
Your team makes them with my guidance, or I make them as part of the engagement.
- Re-test
I re-check the fixed items and update the report.
An example
Food company
A company website made accessible
An audit against WCAG 2.1 level AA and fixes for the main problems, keyboard navigation and colour contrast, until the site conformed.
What you get
- Audit report with issues, WCAG criteria and priorities.
- Fix guidance for every issue.
- A draft accessibility statement or service accessibility information, as applicable.
FAQ
Does the European Accessibility Act apply to me?
Since 28 June 2025 it applies in Italy (Legislative Decree 82/2022) to a range of consumer products and services, including e-commerce, consumer banking and passenger transport services, with a limited transition regime (for example for service contracts with consumers concluded before 28 June 2025 and left unchanged). Microenterprises providing services (fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover or balance sheet total not exceeding €2 million) are exempt. For a legal assessment of your case you need a lawyer; I handle the technical side.
Is an accessibility plugin or widget enough?
No. AgID states that an overlay does not automatically guarantee conformance, and widgets layered on top of a site leave the code as it is. Accessibility comes from fixing structure, contrast, labels and navigation.
How long does an audit take?
It depends on how many pages and flows are in scope. After the first call I send you a precise estimate.
Further reading
European Accessibility Act: who it applies to and what an e-commerce site must do
The EAA and online shops, with Italy as the worked example: who is in scope, who is exempt, which standard to use, enforcement, fines, where to start.
Let’s talk
info@giusepperusso-dev.itWant to know if it fits your case? Send me a couple of lines about the problem: I reply within 24 business hours.