Website accessibility in Ireland and the UK: the European Accessibility Act and UK law explained

As of 11 October 2026. This guide describes the law as published on that date. It is not legal advice. If you are unsure whether a rule applies to your business, speak to a solicitor or the relevant authority.

The short version

Criterion	Ireland	United Kingdom
Main law for private businesses	S.I. No. 636/2023, implementing the European Accessibility Act	Equality Act 2010 (England, Wales and Scotland)
Applies from	28 June 2025	in force since 2010
Which websites	specific services to consumers, including e-commerce	any service provided to the public
What it requires	detailed accessibility requirements set out in the regulations	reasonable adjustments so disabled people are not at a substantial disadvantage
Small business exemption	services provided by microenterprises	none, but “reasonable” depends on the business
Who enforces	for e-commerce: the CCPC	individuals bring claims; the courts decide

The two systems work differently. Ireland’s rules set out requirements for specific services. The UK law sets a general duty that applies to everyone who serves the public, without a technical checklist.

Ireland: the European Accessibility Act in Irish law

The European Accessibility Act is EU Directive 2019/882. Member states had to apply it from 28 June 2025. Ireland did so through the European Union (Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services) Regulations 2023, S.I. No. 636 of 2023, which came into operation on 28 June 2025.

Which services are covered

The regulations apply to these services provided to consumers on or after 28 June 2025:

• e-commerce services;
• consumer banking services;
• e-books and dedicated software;
• electronic communications services;
• services giving access to audiovisual media;
• websites, apps, e-tickets and travel information for air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport.

For most small businesses, the first item is the one that matters. The regulations define e-commerce services as services provided at a distance, through websites and mobile apps, at the individual request of a consumer, with a view to concluding a consumer contract. In plain terms: an online shop or a website where consumers buy or book is likely covered. A brochure website without online purchases is generally not an e-commerce service in this sense.

The regulations also cover some products, such as computers, smartphones, payment terminals and e-readers. That matters to manufacturers and importers, not to most website owners.

The microenterprise exemption

Regulation 5(4) says the service accessibility requirements do not apply to a service provided by a microenterprise. The regulations define a microenterprise as an enterprise that:

• employs fewer than 10 people, and
• has an annual turnover not exceeding €2 million or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €2 million.

Both conditions apply together. A shop with 12 staff is not a microenterprise, however small its turnover. If you are close to the threshold, check your figures with your accountant.

The exemption is a reason not to panic, not a reason to ignore accessibility. Your customers include people with disabilities, and many larger business customers will ask suppliers about it.

What covered businesses must do

For services in scope, the regulations require:

• meeting the accessibility requirements in Schedule 1 to the regulations;
• publishing information on how the service meets those requirements, in the general terms and conditions or an equivalent document (Schedule 3);
• keeping the service compliant as it changes, and cooperating with the compliance authority.

Fundamental alteration and disproportionate burden

Regulation 15 allows a business to rely on an exception where meeting a requirement would fundamentally alter the basic nature of the service or impose a disproportionate burden. It comes with conditions: the business must carry out and document an assessment using the criteria in Schedule 4, and keep the record for five years after the service was last provided. It is not a blanket opt-out.

Transition periods

Regulation 38 sets two transition rules for service providers:

• until 28 June 2030, a service provider may continue to provide services using products it lawfully used to provide similar services before;
• service contracts agreed before 28 June 2025 may continue unchanged until they expire, but for no longer than five years from that date.

These relate to the products and contracts behind a service. They don’t give a new website or online shop five extra years.

Enforcement and penalties

For e-commerce services, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the compliance authority. Other services have their own: ComReg for electronic communications, Coimisiún na Meán for audiovisual media access, the Central Bank for consumer banking, and the transport authorities for travel. The National Disability Authority advises them.

A compliance authority checks services, follows up complaints and can direct a business to take corrective action within a set period. Failing to meet the requirements, or to follow a direction, can be an offence. On conviction on indictment, the penalty can be a fine of up to €60,000, imprisonment of up to 18 months, or both.

United Kingdom: the Equality Act 2010

The European Accessibility Act is not part of UK law, and the UK has no equivalent regulations for private businesses. That does not mean there are no rules.

The duty to make reasonable adjustments

Under section 29 of the Equality Act 2010, a service provider must not discriminate against disabled people, and it has a duty to make reasonable adjustments. Section 20 sets out what that duty means. A business must take reasonable steps to avoid disabled people being put at a substantial disadvantage, including by providing auxiliary aids. Where this concerns information, the reasonable steps include providing it in an accessible format.

Two points matter for websites:

• The duty is anticipatory. Schedule 2 says that, for services, the duty is owed to disabled people generally. You are expected to think ahead, not only react when a customer complains.
• “Reasonable” depends on the business. The law does not set a technical standard or a size threshold. What is reasonable for a national retailer may differ from what is reasonable for a sole trader.

The Equality Act covers England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own disability discrimination law.

Public sector rules are separate

The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 set specific requirements, including an accessibility statement. They apply to public sector bodies, not to private businesses. You may see them quoted in guides; check whether they actually apply to you.

Selling to EU customers from the UK

If a UK business provides services such as e-commerce to consumers in the EU, the EU rules may apply to those services. Whether they do depends on the details, so take advice if the EU is an important market for you.

What a small business can do

Whichever country you are in, the practical work is the same. The law sets the duty; the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the common way to meet it. The current version is WCAG 2.2, with three levels: A, AA and AAA. Level AA is a sensible target for most business websites and online shops.

Start with the parts of your site where customers spend money or contact you:

• Keyboard use. Can you go through the whole checkout or booking without a mouse?
• Contrast and text size. Is text readable, and does the page still work when zoomed to 200%?
• Images. Do meaningful images have a text alternative?
• Forms. Does every field have a visible label, and do error messages say what went wrong and how to fix it?
• Video. Do videos with speech have captions?
• Structure. Are headings, lists and buttons marked up as headings, lists and buttons, so screen readers can follow them?
• Time limits and pop-ups. Can people dismiss pop-ups and extend timeouts?

Then make accessibility part of how you work:

• publish a short page on how your site meets accessibility requirements and how to contact you if something doesn’t work;
• check new pages and features before they go live, not after a complaint;
• ask any web supplier which WCAG level they build to and how they test it.

How we can help

Our accessibility audit checks your site against WCAG 2.2 and gives you a prioritised list of fixes, starting with checkout, booking and contact forms. We work remotely with businesses in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

We don’t give legal advice on whether the regulations apply to you; that is a question for a solicitor or the relevant authority. You’ll get a free, fixed-price quote within 24 hours, weekends and public holidays included.