A new law is changing the rules of the game — is your site ready for it?

From June 2025 a new law, no. 351/2022 Coll., comes into force, emphasising making digital services simpler to use for everyone, including people with disabilities. It is the Slovak implementation of the European Accessibility Act (EAA). This law introduces obligations for providers of digital services such as e-shops, mobile applications or websites. The aim is to remove digital barriers and open the digital world to the widest possible circle of users.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) 

The EAA's aim is to remove digital obstacles that complicate the use of online services for people with disabilities. This regulation applies not only to entities based within the European Union but to those offering their services or products on the European market too. Organisations employing 10 or more people or whose annual turnover exceeds 2 million euros are obliged to adapt their digital platforms to accessibility requirements. For these requirements to be met, websites, mobile applications and digital services must follow the rules under the WCAG 2.1 guidelines at level AA. These standards ensure content is legible, operable and usable for the widest possible group of users. Including those with visual, hearing, mobility or cognitive impairments.

What will change?

Operators of websites and digital services in the EU will have to ensure their platforms meet the new criteria for digital accessibility for people with disabilities too. Specifically it focuses on:

• Removing barriers in the digital environment.
• Improving the availability of information on websites and in mobile applications.
• Supporting equality of access to services for people with disabilities.

Who will the new law affect?

The law applies to all firms operating online within the EU. For instance:

Passenger transport. The law applies to services connected with passenger transport by air, bus, train and boat 

Financial services. The law also applies to banking and other financial services provided to consumers digitally, for instance through internet banking or banks' mobile applications.

E-books and software. Digital accessibility also concerns e-books and the software used to read or provide them. 

Information society services. This covers various online services we use daily, such as e-shops, streaming platforms, booking systems or web portals. 

Only micro and small enterprises can gain exemptions, and only in cases where implementation would represent a disproportionate burden. Even they should not ignore the possibilities of improving accessibility, though, because it is not only a matter of complying with legislation but of improving the user experience too. 

The risks of not complying with the law

Ignoring law no. 351/2022 Coll. can have several negative consequences for e-shop operators, whether legal, commercial or reputational:

1. Sanctions from the Slovak Trade Inspection (SOI)

The Slovak Trade Inspection has the power to supervise compliance with this law. Should it find shortcomings, it can impose fines or take other measures that can negatively affect your e-shop's operation. The level of sanctions can differ depending on the seriousness and scope of the breach.

2. A loss of trust on customers' part

Customers who run into technical or usability obstacles may leave the website and move to the competition, which offers more accessible, more comfortable solutions. 

3. Negative publicity and public complaints

Users' dissatisfaction is ever more often aired publicly, through social media, reviews or consumer portals. Any complaints that reach the media can damage a brand's image and attract regulators' interest.

Should a company fail to meet the accessibility law's requirements, it faces financial sanctions. That can mean a fine from 200 euros up to 3% of annual turnover (from the preceding accounting period).

What exactly do you have to meet?

The law clearly states what an accessible site or mobile application should look like. The aim is for everyone to be able to use them comfortably – including people with disabilities. Here are the main requirements:

1. Content available to everyone

Every website and mobile application must meet the international standards WCAG 2.1 at level AA. It must be designed so that the greatest possible number of people can find their way around it and work with it.

2. Alternative solutions

If for some reason full accessibility cannot be ensured, other ways of reaching the information must be available, for instance through telephone support or chat.

3. Forms everyone can manage

The whole process from registration through the shopping basket to payment must be simple to operate for people with visual or mobility impairments too.

4. Support for assistive technologies

A website must work with the aids people use, such as screen readers, the option of enlarging text or voice control.

5. Navigation without a mouse

The user must be able to move around the page using only the keyboard, without having to use a mouse.

6. Comprehensible information for everyone

Texts on the page, such as terms and conditions, contacts or product descriptions, must be written simply and comprehensibly, so that people with cognitive difficulties grasp them too.

Digital services - examples from practice

Example 1: control by keyboard

Let us imagine an e-shop selling clothes. To be genuinely accessible, it must be designed so that a customer can choose a product, put it in the basket and complete the purchase without using a mouse too.

Example 2: comprehensible, legible product descriptions

If an e-shop sells electronics, for instance, it should ensure product descriptions are available as ordinary text, not only as images or visuals. Such texts can be read by screen readers, which people with visual impairments use.

Example 3: good contrast and legibility

For text on a page to be easily legible for everyone, it must have sufficient contrast against the background. For instance white text on a light grey background can be hard for some users to read. 

5 steps that will ensure your e-shop meets the new rules

1. Start with an accessibility audit

Map your website's and mobile applications' current state. Using specialised tools or experts you will find out which parts of your digital solution do not comply with accessibility standards, above all with the WCAG 2.1 (level AA) recommendations.

2. Educate your team

Your team of developers, designers, marketers and project managers should grasp the basic principles of UX design and digital inclusion. The better they understand the needs of users with disabilities, the better the solutions they can create.

3. Work with experts

Use experts in accessibility, UX/UI and web development who have experience of implementing legislative requirements. That way you will avoid mistakes and ensure the changes are not only functional but compliant with the law too.

4. Gain feedback from users with disabilities

Test your site with the help of real users facing various types of disability (visual, mobility, cognitive). Their experiences will give you irreplaceable insights and help you fine-tune the user experience in detail.

5. Whoever starts sooner wins sooner

Do not put the changes off to the last moment. The sooner you start making changes, the more time you will have for thorough implementation, testing and any adjustments. You will avoid stress and at the same time gain a competitive advantage.

Do not wait for a fine – start making changes today!
Do not delay implementing the necessary changes and make sure your site will be available to everyone. If you want to be certain your site meets all the new law's requirements, we are here for you. We will help you with the audit, the changes and the implementation so that your digital space is accessible, modern and fully compliant with the legislation.

Are you interested in adapting your site to the new law? Get in touch through our web form and we will be glad to take care of it. Our partner https://www.hriadelheger.eu/ will help you with the legal aspects