WCAG 2.2 and the European Accessibility Act: Accessibility Rules for Websites Selling Abroad

If your website sells to customers in Europe, a European law about accessibility may apply to your online shop. If it sells only in India, a separate Indian process is moving forward. In both cases the practical steps are almost the same, and most of them also make the site easier for every customer. This article is general information, not legal advice. Please check your own situation with a lawyer.

What the European Accessibility Act is

The European Accessibility Act is a directive of the European Union. EUR-Lex, the EU's legal portal, summarises it this way: countries had to make it law by 28 June 2022, and the measures apply from 28 June 2025. The official Your Europe business pages list online shops among the services in scope, alongside ticketing platforms and banking services. Requirements include compatibility with screen readers, several ways to give input and easy navigation.

The same Your Europe page says service providers that are microenterprises, meaning fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million turnover, are exempt. A business can also argue that compliance is a disproportionate burden, but it must give evidence for that. The sources I checked do not spell out how the Act applies to a seller based outside the EU, so an Indian exporter should take advice before assuming it is exempt.

What WCAG 2.2 is, and what it added

WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the widely used checklist for accessible websites. Version 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation on 5 October 2023. Several of its new rules matter to ordinary business sites:

• Target size: tap targets such as buttons and links must be big enough to press accurately (criterion 2.5.8, Level AA).
• Focus not obscured: when someone moves through the page with a keyboard, the highlighted item must not be hidden under a sticky header or cookie banner (2.4.11, AA).
• Dragging movements: anything done by dragging, such as a slider, needs a simple alternative like buttons (2.5.7, AA).
• Accessible authentication: logging in must not rely only on remembering or retyping something difficult (3.3.8, AA).
• Redundant entry: do not make people type the same details twice in one process (3.3.7, A).
• Consistent help: keep your help or contact link in the same place on every page (3.2.6, A).

W3C also removed an old parsing rule that had become obsolete. Everything from earlier versions still applies, including text contrast.

India: the position as of November 2026

India's Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 requires service providers to follow notified accessibility standards. In a November 2024 decision, the Supreme Court held that the existing rule lacked enforceable norms and told the government to frame mandatory standards, according to a law firm's analysis. Separately, India's disability commissioner has previously directed private companies to make their sites accessible, as the same analysis records.

Draft amendment rules were published in July 2026 and, as reported by a legal publisher, would require establishments to meet the Indian standard IS 17802, which follows WCAG, and to publish an accessibility conformance report. They were a draft open for comment, and We found no confirmation that they have been finalised. Treat them as a signal of direction. Ask a lawyer or chartered accountant to confirm the current status before relying on this.

A practical checklist

1. Test every important journey, such as browsing, checkout and enquiry, using only a keyboard.
2. Check that body text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1, and large text at least 3 to 1.
3. Give every meaningful image a text description, and make decorative images silent.
4. Label every form field in words, not only with placeholder text that vanishes.
5. Make sure error messages say what is wrong and how to fix it.
6. Keep buttons and links comfortably large on a phone.
7. Make videos captioned, and do not let anything flash.
8. Publish a contact route for accessibility problems, and answer it.

Who should act now, and who can wait

An Indian store that ships to European customers, runs ads there or takes euro payments should find out where it stands soon. A small clinic or coaching centre serving only its own town faces no European duty, though a clear, readable site still earns more enquiries. Keep a short record of what you tested and fixed. If a regulator or customer ever asks, a dated list of improvements is far better than silence.

Cost and honesty about limits

Building accessibility into a new site costs far less than repairing an old one. When we plan e-commerce websites, we include keyboard navigation, readable colours and proper form labels from the first design, and we avoid promising legal compliance, which only a lawyer or auditor can judge. If you already have a site, contact VS Tech Builders for a plain-language review, and see our guide on redesigning without losing rankings if changes are large. Our responsive design glossary entry explains the phone side of the same effort.

Sources

Checked on 3 November 2026. Technology changes quickly; always confirm details with the official source before you act on them.

• Accessibility of products and services — EUR-Lex, European Union
• Services, goods and their digital accessibility — Your Europe, European Commission
• What's New in WCAG 2.2 — W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
• Bridging the Digital Divide: India's Evolving Accessibility Framework — AZB & Partners
• The New Accessibility Conformance Regime: Key Takeaways from the Draft RPwD (Amendment) Rules, 2026 — IndiaLaw

Frequently asked questions

Does the European Accessibility Act apply to my Indian website?

It applies to online shops and other listed services offered in the EU, from 28 June 2025. The sources I checked do not explain how it treats sellers based outside the EU, so an Indian exporter selling to European customers should ask a lawyer. Microenterprises providing services, under 10 staff and €2 million turnover, are exempt.

What is new in WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2, a W3C Recommendation since 5 October 2023, adds nine success criteria. They cover things like minimum tap-target size, focus not hidden behind sticky bars, alternatives to dragging, accessible login, not asking for the same information twice and consistent placement of help. It also removes the obsolete parsing rule.

Is website accessibility mandatory in India?

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 expects service providers to follow accessibility standards, and regulators have directed private companies to comply. Detailed rules were still in draft form in July 2026, as reported by a legal publisher. Check the latest position with a lawyer, and treat WCAG-based accessibility as sensible practice either way.

How do I check whether my website is accessible?

Start with a keyboard-only walk through your main journeys, then check text contrast, image descriptions, form labels and error messages. Automated tools find only some problems, so add a manual review on a phone and, if possible, testing by people who use screen readers. Ask your developer for a written list of fixes.