Accessibility Myths (for Growth Teams), Updated for Today: EAA + WCAG as Competitive Advantage
As of 28 June 2025, EU Member States can enforce the European Accessibility Act (EAA), shifting accessibility from a “nice-to-have” into core market infrastructure across the Union. WCAG 2.2 has been the current W3C standard since October 2023 and underpins digital accessibility expectations for sites and apps that drive traffic and conversion.
Myth 1: “Accessibility is just a compliance cost—there’s no upside”
Reality now: The EAA harmonizes requirements across the EU, reducing fragmentation and enabling cross‑border scale for products and services that meet accessibility expectations—turning compliance into market access and a competitive moat.
Get it right: Treat accessibility as a go‑to‑market enabler—align with WCAG 2.2 and EU-aligned standards (e.g., EN 301 549 via national transpositions), publish accessible information and documentation and expands EU reach.
Myth 2: “We can push this to next quarter—deadlines are flexible”
Reality now: Enforcement can begin across Member States from 28 June 2025, with penalties and corrective orders set nationally; some transitional arrangements exist but are limited and context-specific.
Get it right: Prioritize in‑scope services and products immediately; document any transitional use or undue burden/microenterprise claims with evidence to satisfy national authorities.
Myth 3: “WCAG is a developer framework; it won’t move growth metrics”
Reality now: WCAG‑aligned structure (headings, alt text, link purpose) and rich media support (captions, transcripts) improve crawlability, discoverability, and UX signals that correlate with SEO and conversion performance.
Get it right: Bake WCAG 2.2 AA checks into content and campaign workflows so every page shipped strengthens organic performance and funnel completion.
Myth 4: “EAA only applies to EU‑based companies”
Reality now: The EAA applies to operators placing covered products and services on the EU market (public or private), focusing on whether the consumer is in the EU—not where the firm is headquartered.
Get it right: If serving EU consumers, assume applicability; map EU‑facing offerings to EAA scope (including e‑commerce, consumer banking, audiovisual access services, and transport elements).
Myth 5: “We’re small, so we’re exempt”
Reality now: Microenterprise and disproportionate burden provisions are narrow, nationally administered, and require justification; many digital businesses remain in scope.
Get it right: Verify status under national rules and maintain records; even when limited exceptions apply, accessible UX expands audience reach and reduces support costs.
Myth 6: “Compliance is a one‑time project”
Reality now: Enforcement is ongoing after 28 June 2025; WCAG 2.2 adds new criteria affecting everyday UX; updates to products/services can trigger immediate obligations under transitional rules.
Get it right: Operate accessibility like a sustained program—align content ops, and release cadences—and use continuous monitoring and reporting to catch regressions, track trends over time, and keep proof audit‑ready; dashboards and scheduled reports keep leaders aligned as sites, apps, and campaigns evolve.
Myth 7: “Accessibility only reduces legal risk; it doesn’t drive revenue”
Reality now: Harmonized obligations simplify selling across EU markets, and accessible information plus conformance proof strengthens buyer confidence—especially in regulated and enterprise procurement.
Get it right: Publish current accessibility statements and conformance documentation mapped to EU expectations to unlock deals and reduce due‑diligence friction.
Myth 8: “WCAG 2.1 is enough; nothing material has changed”
Reality now: WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation on 5 October 2023 and adds nine success criteria that impact conversion and support flows, including Target Size (Minimum), Dragging Movements, Consistent Help, and Accessible Authentication.
Get it right: Re‑evaluate critical journeys (search, account, checkout, onboarding) under WCAG 2.2 AA to eliminate friction for keyboard, low‑vision, and cognitive users.
What’s in Scope under the EAA (Quick View for Business Teams)
- Covered services include e‑commerce, electronic communications, access to audiovisual media services, elements related to passenger transport, consumer banking services, and e‑books/dedicated software.
- Covered products include general‑purpose computer hardware/OS, self‑service terminals (e.g., ATMs, ticketing), devices for electronic communications, devices for AV media access, and e‑readers.
Where Wawsome Fits—in Practice
Wawsome supports a business‑first accessibility program by combining AI, an on‑page widget, proactive monitoring, dashboards, and reporting into a single workflow that growth, marketing, and compliance teams can run together—accelerating EAA/WCAG outcomes without slowing go‑to‑market.
- AI‑powered assistance: In‑context AI audit guidance highlights likely WCAG 2.2 issues and proposes plain‑language fixes; AI helps generate high‑quality alt text, labels, captions, and transcripts that bolster SEO and accessibility at once.
- Accessibility widget: An optional user‑facing widget provides controls for text size, contrast modes, motion reduction, and keyboard aids that improve comfort and task completion on high‑value pages like sign‑in, checkout, and onboarding—without re‑architecting core templates.
- Continuous monitoring and alerts: Automated crawls watch priority pages and templates for regressions, alerting owners when critical issues appear; real‑time checks confirm the presence of captions/transcripts and visible focus, catching issues between releases.
- Dashboards and reporting: Executive dashboards tie accessibility posture to growth metrics (impacted pages, SEO exposure, funnel risk by journey); scheduled, buyer‑grade statements and conformance summaries streamline enterprise and regulated‑sector procurement across EU markets.
- Evidence and governance: Centralized evidence logging aligns with EAA expectations (including transitional use or undue burden rationales), while policies, training, role‑based ownership, SLAs, and remediation queues keep programs audit‑ready and sustainable post‑June 2025.
- Content and campaign workflows: Pre‑publish checks for headings, link purpose, alt text, captions, and transcripts integrate directly into content operations—protecting organic performance and conversions before launch.
Partner with Wawsome
For agencies, consultants, and solution providers supporting clients with EAA and WCAG alignment, Wawsome offers a partner program to co-deliver accessible growth outcomes across EU markets.
Get started in minutes: 7‑day free trial
Launching an accessibility program with Wawsome is fast and simple: sign up, connect a site or app, run the first scan, and see prioritized opportunities tied to growth and risk within minutes—and explore all premium features during a 7‑day free trial.
Conclusion
Post‑28 June 2025, accessibility is both a regulatory baseline and a growth lever in the EU. Teams that dispel these myths and align with WCAG 2.2 can expand market access and strengthen SEO and conversion. Wawsome operationalizes this approach—combining AI, a user‑facing widget, continuous monitoring, dashboards, and robust reporting—so accessibility becomes a durable competitive advantage rather than a periodic compliance scramble.