The verdict in three sentences
Since 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act requires most companies with more than 10 employees that sell consumer services online to make their website accessible, with fines that can reach tens of thousands of euros for persistent breaches. For a mid-sized firm in Dublin, a realistic budget combines a WCAG 2.1 AA audit at EUR 2,000 to 5,000 and remediation at EUR 5,000 to 20,000 depending on the site's condition. The best time to act is a redesign: accessibility built in from day one costs 2 to 3 times less than fixing it afterwards.
Who is affected in 2026
Ireland transposed the Act through the 2023 accessibility requirements regulations, in line with France and other member states. It covers private providers of certain consumer services: e-commerce, banking, transport, electronic communications, e-books. Microenterprises with fewer than 10 staff and under EUR 2 million turnover are exempt for services. A pure B2B brochure site is not always covered, but large public and private buyers increasingly require compliance in their tenders.
| Company profile | 2026 obligation | Standard | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microenterprise, under 10 staff | Exempt for services | WCAG recommended | Lost contracts |
| E-commerce SME, 10 to 249 staff | Mandatory | WCAG 2.1 AA / EN 301 549 | Fines and enforcement notices |
| B2B brochure site, no sales | Not directly covered | WCAG required by some clients | Tender exclusion |
| Large company | Mandatory + multi-year plan | WCAG 2.1 AA | Fines and formal notice |
| Supplier to a public body | Mandatory by contract | EN 301 549 | Contract penalties |
| Service mobile app | Mandatory if service is covered | WCAG + EN 301 549 | Penalty per service |
WCAG 2.1 AA contains 50 success criteria (the French RGAA translates them into 106 test criteria). The accessibility statement, published on the site, gives the compliance level, exemptions and a contact point to report issues.
What remediation costs
Cost depends on the number of page templates, not the total page count. A 200-page site built on 12 templates is audited on a sample of 15 to 20 pages.
| Item | Brochure site, 15 to 30 pages | E-commerce, 500 products | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full audit on a sample | EUR 2,000 to 3,000 | EUR 3,500 to 5,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Technical fixes (code, forms, keyboard navigation) | EUR 3,000 to 7,000 | EUR 8,000 to 15,000 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Contrast and design adjustments | EUR 800 to 2,000 | EUR 1,500 to 3,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Alt text and video captions | EUR 500 to 1,500 | EUR 1,000 to 2,500 | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Re-audit and accessibility statement | EUR 800 to 1,500 | EUR 1,200 to 2,000 | 1 week |
| Editor training, 1 day | EUR 900 to 1,400 | EUR 900 to 1,400 | 1 day |
Overall range: roughly EUR 7,000 to 12,000 for a brochure site and EUR 15,000 to 25,000 for an older online store (excluding VAT). During a redesign, the accessibility premium drops to 10 to 15% of the budget.
Why it is also a commercial investment
About 1.1 million people in Ireland reported a disability in the 2022 census (12 million in France), and nearly one senior in three has a visual or motor impairment. An accessible site reads better on mobile, loads faster and ranks better: structured headings, alt text and properly labelled forms are also SEO signals. Companies that fix their forms often see abandonment fall by 10 to 20%.
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Claire, managing director of a 40-person medical equipment distributor in Dublin, sells online to consumers. Audit: EUR 3,800, initial compliance 42%. Fixes: EUR 11,500, re-audit and statement: EUR 1,500. Total: EUR 16,800. The site generates EUR 600,000 in annual sales. If the fixed forms cut cart abandonment by just 2 points, about EUR 18,000 of extra sales, the project pays for itself in under a year, before counting the avoided penalty risk.
FAQ
Must my B2B brochure site be WCAG compliant?
Not necessarily under the law if you sell no consumer service. However, roughly 1 public tender in 2 now asks suppliers for an accessibility statement in 2026.
What compliance level should we target?
Full WCAG 2.1 AA means 100% of applicable criteria are met. Above 75%, you can declare partial compliance provided you publish an action plan.
Is an accessibility overlay plugin enough?
No. Overlays at EUR 30 to 50 per month do not fix the code and do not make a site compliant. They can even interfere with screen readers.
How long does the project take?
Allow 8 to 14 weeks from audit to statement for an existing site. Within a redesign, accessibility adds only 1 to 2 weeks to the schedule.
Who enforces it?
Designated market surveillance authorities in each member state, with penalties that can be repeated while non-compliance persists. In France, the fine reaches EUR 50,000 per breach, renewable every 6 months.
Let's scope your project. We audit your site and price the fixes or an accessible redesign from EUR 7,000 to 25,000 depending on scope, within 8 to 14 weeks. 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.
