European Accessibility Act (EAA)
What Is Accessibility?
Accessibility means making your website usable for everyone—including people with disabilities. This includes those who are blind, deaf, or have limited mobility, as well as people with cognitive challenges or temporary impairments.
For example:
• A screen reader helps a blind person navigate your site by reading text aloud.
• Captions help people who are deaf understand your videos.
• Clear, keyboard-friendly navigation supports users who can’t use a mouse.
Accessible websites are not just better for some—they’re better for everyone.
Why Accessibility Matters
1. It’s Often Encouraged—And Sometimes Required
In many countries, web accessibility is a legal or policy requirement—especially for public sector organizations and larger commercial sites. Countries like the US, Canada and common markets like the EU set guidelines and in some cases mandate that websites are made accessible.
On June 28 the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will come into effect mandating companies with more than 10 employees and minimum of 2 million in yearly revenue to ensure their sites are accessible. (SMEs with less than 10 employees and less than 2 million in revenue are exempt).
If you’re unsure whether regulations apply to your business, it’s a good idea to check your website with free tools like WebAIM WAVE tool and for really detailed guidelines you can refer to the Web Consortium quick reference.
2. Better for SEO and Discoverability
Search engines benefit from the same clean structure and meaningful content that helps users with assistive technologies. Accessibility can improve your rankings, click-through rates, and visibility.
3. Builds an Inclusive Experience
Over one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. Making your content accessible shows that your brand values inclusivity and user experience for all visitors—not just the majority.
4. Good for Business
Accessible websites tend to:
• Load faster and work better across devices
• Reduce user frustration and bounce rates
• Improve conversion rates
• Scale more easily as your site grows
Best Practices for Accessible Content
1. Use Clear Headings (H1, H2, etc.)
Structure your content with proper heading levels instead of just bolding text. Headings help screen readers and improve readability for everyone.
2. Always Add Descriptive Alt Text to Images
Every image should have alternative text that describes its purpose. This helps screen reader users and also improves SEO. In Metro Publisher, when you add a new image, always include a title, as that will be reused as the alt text for the image.
Example:
✅ “A teacher helping a student in front of a whiteboard”
🚫 “Image123.jpg” or leaving it blank
3. Use Meaningful Link Text
Links like “Click here” aren’t helpful out of context. Instead, describe what the link does.
• ✅ “Download the course catalog (PDF)”
• 🚫 “More info”
In response to this, as you may have noticed, your Metro Publisher site no longer has “Read More” links.
4. Provide Captions or Transcripts
For videos or podcasts, include:
• Captions for spoken content
• Text transcripts for audio-only files
Your CMS may allow caption uploads or integrations with video platforms that support accessibility.
5. Choose Accessible Colors
Ensure your text has strong contrast against the background. When using the Metro Publisher design tools keep this in mind and avoid light colors on white or very dark colors on dark backgrounds.
6. Support Keyboard Navigation
Users should be able to navigate your site using the Tab key alone. Avoid layouts that rely on mouse-only interactions.
7. Avoid Auto-Playing or Flashing Content
If you use animations or video, make sure users can pause or stop them. Avoid rapid flashing, which can trigger seizures in sensitive users.
How Our Cloud CMS Supports You
We have rewritten parts of our code to make Metro Publisher sites more accessible.
• WCAG-Compliant Templates: Our themes follow best practices for structure, contrast, and responsiveness
• You can easily write ALT text whenever you create a piece of content in our system.
Whether you’re running a local business or growing your digital presence globally, we’re here to help you make your content accessible and engaging for everyone.
Final Thought: Start Small, Think Big
You don’t need to overhaul your entire website at once. Improving accessibility is a process—and even small steps make a big difference.
By making your content easier to use for more people, you’re improving usability, expanding your reach, and future-proofing your brand.
Contact our support if you want to see where your site stands.
