Two-Thirds of Europe's Top Websites Fail Basic Accessibility Rules Already in Force
A scan of 149 of the most-visited websites on EU country domains found that 64% fail clause 9.4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value), a Level A accessibility requirement that has been part of every WCAG version since 2008. The failures are largely simple, recurring issues such as icon links with no accessible name, images missing alt text, and insufficient colour contrast — not complex architectural problems. The findings come as the industry prepares for EN 301 549 V4.1.1, due for citation on 30 November 2026, which will upgrade the standard from WCAG 2.1 to WCAG 2.2. However, the current version of EN 301 549 has already been in force past the European Accessibility Act deadline of June 2025, meaning many sites are non-compliant right now. The analysis highlights that widespread attention is being paid to an upcoming standard while existing, more basic obligations remain broadly unmet.
This is an AI-generated summary. ShortSingh links to the original source for the complete article.
Discussion (0)
Log in to join the discussion and vote.
Log in