How to make a site accessible and avoid fines

The web accessibility refers to the practice of making websites and web applications usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. This includes users with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive difficulties. For website owners, ensuring accessibility is not only an ethical issue, but also a legal one. In Italy and Europe, there are specific regulations that impose accessibility standards.

Benefits of accessibility

In addition to being ethically sound to make our sites accessible to include users with different types of disabilities, this approach brings numerous advantages:

• Audience Expansion: About 20% of the population requires accessibility tools. Reaching this segment means increasing the user base.
• SEO Improvement:Accessible sites tend to rank better in search engines due to more thoughtful design practices.
• Optimized User Experience: An accessible interface improves the user experience, making navigation easier and increasing the time spent on the site.
• Company reputation: Being an accessible site enhances your brand reputation and demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity.

Investing in web accessibility not only helps users with disabilities, it enriches the experience for everyone.

Current regulations

In Italy, the Stanca Law establishes specific requirements to ensure the accessibility of public administration websites. At European level, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) imposes new regulations starting from June 28, 2025.

The EAA was implemented through the Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 and establishes that:

All websites or apps of companies with more than 10 employees and/or a turnover of more than 2 million euros that deal with certain products or services must be fully accessible.

• E-commerce sites
• e-books
• ATMs, ticketing and check-in systems
• Transport related services such as trains, buses, planes
• Banking systems
• Computers and Operating Systems
• Material related to digital TV services
• Telephony and related services
• Streaming services and access to other audiovisual materials

Companies will have to ensure that websites:

• Are compatible with assistive technologies.
• Allow navigation accessible via assistive devices.
• They offer a clear and accessible interface for all users, with options to enlarge the text, adjust the volume, etc.

Microenterprises with fewer than 10 employees and less than 2 million euros in turnover are exempt from these obligations, although they are encouraged to improve accessibility.

Accessibility statement for the PA and for Companies

The accessibility statement is the tool through which Administrations and Companies make the accessibility status public of every website and mobile application they own.
It is mandatory for all the entities indicated by the Law n.4/2004

The Declaration is drafted and published using only the application form.agid.gov.it, created by AGID in compliance with the model established by EU Directive 2016/2102.

The PA must publish an Accessibility Statement for each website and mobile application for which it is responsible.

From 23 September 2025, all companies subject to the regulation will also have to complete the Accessibility Declaration

USEFUL LINKS:
👉 Guide to Compiling Accessibility Statements
👉 Guide to compiling Accessibility Objectives

WCAG Guidelines

The guidelines WCAG 2.0 And WCAG 2.2, developed by the W3C, provide clear standards for improving accessibility. They are based on four fundamental principles:

• Perceptible: Information must be presented in a way that users can perceive it.
• Operable: Interface elements must be operable by everyone.
• Understandable: Information and operations must be understandable.
• Robust: Content must be robust enough to work with different assistive technologies.

Adopting these guidelines not only helps you comply with regulations, but also promotes better navigation for every user. Read our tips for improve the accessibility of your website.

SActions for Non-Compliance with Regulations: Stanca Law and European Accessibility Act

Private companies that offer services to the public through websites or mobile applications, with a average turnover in the last three years exceeding 500 million euros, in case of non-compliance, may be subject to administrative pecuniary sanctions up to 5% of the turnover

For the companies with a turnover of less than 500 million euros, at the moment, according to article 24, paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Legislative Decree 82/2022 Fines range from a minimum of €5,000 to a maximum of €40,000 based on the extent of the non-conformity, the number of non-compliant products or services, as well as the number of users involved.

Take Action Now! Improve Your Website Accessibility

Web accessibility brings significant benefits not only to users with disabilities, but to everyone. If you are looking for a creative and strategic partner to develop your web projects, consider the services of website development offered by the web agency BigFive.

For more information about their services or for any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.