The verdict in three sentences
Since 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act applies to companies outside the EU too, as soon as they sell covered services to EU consumers: e-commerce, banking, passenger transport, e-books, electronic communications. For a 300-employee company exporting from London or New York, reaching WCAG 2.1 AA / EN 301 549 typically costs EUR 8,000 to 33,000 in total (USD 8,800 to 36,300), audit included, over 2 to 4 months. The cost of doing nothing: fines that in France reach EUR 50,000, rising to EUR 75,000 for repeat offences, plus a missing accessibility statement that any customer or advocacy group can report.
Who is covered in 2026
The logic has changed. What matters now is the type of service you offer to EU consumers, not where your company is registered.
| Company profile | 2026 obligation | Standard | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2C e-commerce selling into the EU, 10+ staff or EUR 2M+ turnover | yes, since June 2025 | EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA | compliance, statement, feedback mechanism |
| Online banking, insurance, financial services | yes | EN 301 549 | same + mobile apps |
| Passenger transport (ticketing, travel info) | yes | EN 301 549 | same |
| Large company in France (EUR 250M+ turnover) | yes (amended 2005 law) | RGAA 4.1 | multi-year plan, annual action plan |
| Micro-enterprise (under 10 staff and under EUR 2M) | exempt for services | recommended | no penalty |
| B2B brochure site with no transactions | not directly covered | WCAG 2.1 AA advised | required by many tenders |
*Summary to be confirmed with your legal counsel for your exact activity and target EU markets.*
What compliance costs
An audit covers a representative sample of 10 to 25 pages, tested against the WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria (106 criteria in the French RGAA method). The starting compliance rate of an untreated corporate site is often 30 to 55%.
| Item | 2026 range (EUR) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| WCAG / RGAA audit (10 to 25 pages) | 3,000 to 8,000 | full criteria grid, prioritised report |
| Theme and component fixes | 3,000 to 15,000 | keyboard navigation, contrast, forms, ARIA |
| Content fixes (images, PDFs, videos) | 1,000 to 6,000 | alt text, captions, tagged PDFs |
| Re-audit after fixes | 1,000 to 3,000 | new compliance rate measured |
| Accessibility statement and roadmap | 500 to 1,500 | mandatory publication |
| Editor training | 800 to 2,000 | prevent regressions |
| Total remediation and deliverables | 5,000 to 25,000 | excluding initial audit |
*USD ≈ EUR × 1.10; GBP ≈ EUR × 0.86.* The line that swings the bill: custom components (search filters, configurators, carousels, checkout flows), often responsible for half of all failures.
A realistic timeline
Month 1: audit, then immediate publication of an accessibility statement showing the real rate and an action plan, which already reduces exposure. Months 2 and 3: fixes by severity, starting with key journeys (account creation, basket, payment, contact form). Month 4: re-audit, updated statement and team training. A rate of 75% or more is achievable in 3 months on most sites; 100% often requires rebuilding certain components.
Mini case study
Rachel, general counsel of a 300-employee London company selling medical equipment online to France and Germany (GBP 15.5M turnover), finds her site has neither an accessibility statement nor an audit. She orders an audit at EUR 5,500: initial compliance rate 41%.
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Fixes are priced at EUR 14,000, plus EUR 2,000 for the re-audit and EUR 1,200 for training. Total: EUR 22,700 (about GBP 19,500). After 3 months, the rate reaches 82%. Against a potential EUR 50,000 fine, and above all the risk of losing hospital contracts whose tenders now require compliance (a single annual contract is worth EUR 180,000 to the company), the investment equals 12.6% of one contract. As a bonus, mobile conversion rises 6% thanks to clearer forms.
FAQ
What does a non-compliant company actually risk?
Fines that can reach EUR 50,000 in France, or 75,000 for repeat offences, after formal notice. Other member states set their own penalties. The commercial risk (exclusion from tenders) is often heavier than the fine.
Is an accessibility statement enough?
No, but it is mandatory and must reflect the real rate from an audit. Publishing a 41% rate with a dated action plan beats having no statement.
Do accessibility overlays (widgets) solve the problem?
No. These widgets at EUR 50 to 500 a month do not fix the source code and are criticised by disability groups. They replace neither the audit nor the fixes.
What is the difference between RGAA and WCAG?
RGAA 4.1 is the French method translating WCAG 2.1 level AA into 106 testable criteria. A site compliant with RGAA is compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA.
Do we need to rebuild the whole site?
Rarely. In 75% of cases, targeted fixes are enough. A rebuild makes sense if the starting rate is below 25% or the site is already end-of-life.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site URL and critical user journeys: we will price the audit, the remediation (indicative budget EUR 8,000 to 33,000) and a 2-to-4-month timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
