The verdict in three sentences
Since 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA), transposed into each EU member state's law, makes accessibility mandatory for a large share of digital services offered to consumers, with fines reaching EUR 50,000 in France and higher in some other countries. A WCAG 2.1 AA audit (EN 301 549 in procurement, RGAA 4.1 with its 106 criteria in France) costs EUR 2,500 to 8,000, and fixing an existing site EUR 5,000 to 20,000 depending on accumulated debt. When the site is more than five years old or runs on a bloated theme, an accessible-by-design rebuild is often cheaper than successive patches.
Does it apply to you?
The CFO of a 250-person services firm usually discovers the topic through a letter from a disability association or a question from a key account. Scope depends on your activity and size, not merely on having a website.
| Situation | Main obligation | Standard | Risk if non-compliant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online sales to consumers in the EU | EAA since June 2025 | WCAG 2.1 AA / EN 301 549 | Fines (up to EUR 50,000 in France), formal notice |
| Banking, transport, ticketing services | EAA | EN 301 549 | Fines and possible withdrawal of the service |
| UK business serving consumers | Equality Act 2010 (reasonable adjustments) | WCAG 2.2 AA in practice | Civil claims, reputational damage |
| Microenterprise providing services (under 10 staff and EUR 2M turnover) | Exempt from EAA service rules | Recommended | Reputation, lost tenders |
| B2B brochure site with no transactions | Usually no direct obligation | Recommended | Purchasing criterion for large accounts |
| Supplier to large groups or the public sector | Frequent contract clause | EN 301 549 | Exclusion from tenders |
Even when the law does not apply directly, procurement teams at large groups increasingly score suppliers on accessibility. For a services firm, that is often the most concrete argument.
What compliance costs in 2026
| Item | Budget (2026 estimate) | Timeline | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| WCAG audit on a 10 to 20 page sample | EUR 2,500 to 8,000 | 2 to 4 weeks | Conformance rate, prioritised action plan |
| Fixing an existing site | EUR 5,000 to 20,000 | 4 to 12 weeks | Contrast, keyboard navigation, forms, ARIA |
| Fixing PDF documents | EUR 30 to 120 per document | Variable | Tagging, reading order, alternatives |
| Content editor training | EUR 800 to 2,000 | 1 to 2 days | Alt text, headings, descriptive links |
| Accessibility statement and roadmap | EUR 500 to 1,500 | 1 week | Documents published on the site |
| New accessible-by-design site at Kolonell | 800,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA (EUR 1,220 to 5,340) depending on Starter, Growth or Premium | 5 to 12 weeks | Design and build to WCAG 2.1 AA |
The most expensive defects are structural: dropdown menus unusable with a keyboard, unlabelled forms, JavaScript widgets without ARIA roles, brand colours with insufficient contrast. When these issues sit in every template, each fix ripples across hundreds of pages.
Fix or rebuild: the decision rule
If the audit shows more than 60% conformance on a recent CMS, remediation is the right call. Below 40%, with a low-contrast brand palette and an unmaintained off-the-shelf theme, a rebuild becomes rational: fixing costs as much as or more than a new site, without the performance and SEO gains. Kolonell designs to WCAG 2.1 AA from the first mock-up, with keyboard and screen-reader testing before launch.
Mini case study
Laura, CFO of a 250-person IT services firm in Rotterdam, has her site audited: 38% WCAG conformance. The incumbent agency quotes EUR 16,000 for remediation, plus EUR 4,200 for 70 PDFs at EUR 60 each.
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- Remediation option: 16,000 + 4,200 = EUR 20,200, on a 7-year-old site due for a rebuild within two years anyway.
- Accessible rebuild at Premium level: 3,500,000 FCFA (EUR 5,340), plus the 70 PDFs (EUR 4,200) and editor training (EUR 1,200), about EUR 10,740 in total.
- Immediate saving: about EUR 9,460, plus a new site that meets the accessibility criteria in her public-sector clients' tenders.
FAQ
Who enforces and who fines?
Each member state designates market surveillance authorities, and associations can report breaches. In France the fine reaches EUR 50,000 per non-compliant digital service and can be repeated while the breach continues; other countries set their own scales.
Is an accessibility overlay plugin enough?
No. Automated overlays fix at best 20 to 30% of criteria and can get in the way of screen-reader users. Regulators and associations do not accept them as proof of compliance.
Do we need 100% conformance?
The legal target is full AA conformance, but a site at 85% with an honest statement and a dated action plan is far more defensible than a site at 30% with no documentation.
How many pages should be audited?
A sample of 10 to 20 pages covering each template is usually enough: home, contact, form, service page, article, legal notice. Template defects repeat across the whole site.
Are PDFs in scope?
Yes, downloadable documents are part of the service. An untagged PDF costs EUR 30 to 120 to fix; for recurring documents, an accessible HTML page is often simpler.
Let's scope your project. Send us your audit report or your site address: we will assess whether remediation or an accessible rebuild makes more sense and propose a schedule that fits your obligations. 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.
