The verdict in three sentences
The European Accessibility Act, applicable since 28 June 2025, makes accessibility mandatory for many digital services sold to consumers, with WCAG 2.1 AA and the harmonised standard EN 301 549 as the technical reference. For a mid-sized company, a realistic budget is EUR 3,000 to 7,000 for the audit then EUR 5,000 to 25,000 for fixes, over 6 to 12 weeks. Even a pure B2B site benefits: public buyers and large accounts increasingly require an accessibility statement in their tenders.
Is your site covered in 2026?
The answer depends on your activity, size and customers. The table sums up the most common situations for European and UK businesses.
| Situation | Main obligation | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce selling to consumers in the EU | European Accessibility Act, WCAG 2.1 AA expected | High: market surveillance checks |
| Banking, insurance, passenger transport | EAA, services explicitly listed | High |
| UK company selling to UK consumers | Equality Act 2010, reasonable adjustments | Medium to high: litigation risk |
| B2B corporate site of a mid-sized firm | No direct obligation in most cases | Medium: contractual demands from clients |
| Bidding for public contracts | Accessibility criterion in the specifications | Medium to high |
| Service microenterprise (under 10 staff, under EUR 2 m) | Exempt from the EAA for services | Low |
Penalties are set by each member state: in France they can reach EUR 50,000 per non-compliant service, renewable every 6 months, and disability organisations can file complaints. For a B2B site outside the scope, the risk is mainly commercial: losing a tender because the accessibility statement is missing or reports 40% compliance.
Audit and fixes: what you pay for
A WCAG 2.1 AA audit (or RGAA 4.1 in France) covers a representative sample of 15 to 20 pages (home, contact, forms, product pages, client area) and tests every success criterion. The output is a compliance rate and a prioritised list of issues.
| Service | Scope | Price (2026 estimate) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automated pre-audit | Tools such as axe or WAVE, 50 pages, summary report | EUR 800 to 1,500 | 1 week |
| Full WCAG 2.1 AA audit | 15 to 20 pages, all criteria, screen reader testing | EUR 3,000 to 7,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Low-debt fixes | Contrast, alt text, headings, labels | EUR 5,000 to 9,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Medium-debt fixes | Keyboard navigation, forms, interactive components | EUR 9,000 to 16,000 | 5 to 7 weeks |
| High-debt fixes | Rebuilt templates, menus, carousels, PDFs | EUR 16,000 to 25,000 | 8 to 10 weeks |
| Re-audit and statement | Verification, published statement, multi-year plan | EUR 1,500 to 3,000 | 1 week |
| Annual follow-up | Check audit on 10 pages after changes | EUR 1,500 to 3,000/year | Annual |
Technical debt makes all the difference. A site built on a recent theme often scores 60 to 70% before work, while a 2016 site with carousels, homemade dropdowns and scanned PDFs starts at 20 to 35%. Beyond EUR 25,000 of fixes, an accessible-by-design rebuild usually makes more sense.
Mini case study
Anna, head of digital at an industrial mid-sized company in Lyon (420 employees, EUR 95 m revenue), notices that 3 out of 10 public tenders in 2026 ask for an accessibility statement. The pre-audit shows 38% compliance.
She orders a full audit at EUR 5,200, then medium-debt fixes at EUR 13,500 and a re-audit at EUR 2,000, for EUR 20,700 over 10 weeks. The site reaches 86% compliance. If the company wins just one extra public contract worth EUR 400,000 at a 12% margin, or EUR 48,000, the investment is covered more than twice.
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FAQ
What is the difference between WCAG, EN 301 549 and RGAA?
WCAG 2.1 AA defines the success criteria, EN 301 549 is the European standard that references them, and RGAA 4.1 is the French test method with 106 criteria. A site that meets one level AA reference is broadly compliant with the others.
Should we aim for 100% compliance?
Rarely realistic in one go. Aiming for 85 to 90% within 3 months, then fixing the rest under a published multi-year plan, is a defensible approach.
Are PDFs in scope?
Yes, downloadable documents are part of the sample. Making a 20-page PDF accessible costs EUR 150 to 400, which is why publishing content as HTML is preferable.
Is an accessibility overlay plugin enough?
No. Overlays sold for EUR 300 to 1,000 a year do not fix the source code and are criticised by disability organisations. Auditors treat them as having no effect on compliance.
Who should run the audit?
An auditor independent from the team that built the site, ideally certified. Expect EUR 600 to 900 per day, for 5 to 8 days on a typical B2B site.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site address and your clients' requirements, and we will price the audit and fixes, from EUR 3,000 for the audit to EUR 25,000 for full compliance work. 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.
