1. Overview

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is Directive (EU) 2019/882. It does not ask for a certificate or a one-off project. For services it asks for four continuing things:

An EAA compliance workflow in seven steps Seven steps in a loop. 1 Scope: record what Article 2 covers and the Annex I sections, note any Article 32 transition period, and list the EN 301 549 clause A.2 tables that apply. 2 Audit: audit a sample that covers every template and task, plus the manual checks. 3 Fix and re-test: fix the rule, not the page; a new audit round shows verified fixes and regressions. 4 Publish: publish the Annex V information in the terms and conditions, in written and oral format. 5 Respond: log and answer complaints, correct non-conformity and inform the authorities. 6 Article 14: only if you rely on it, assess each unmet requirement against Annex VI, keep it for five years, renew it and notify. 7 Keep evidence: keep dated test records in Annex C form. Then run the loop again every release. 1ScopeARTICLE 2, ANNEX IRecord what Article 2covers and the Annex Isections. Note anyArticle 32 transitionperiod. List the clauseA.2 tables that apply.2AuditARTICLE 13(1)Audit a sample thatcovers every templateand task. Add themanual checksautomation cannot do.3Fix and re-testARTICLES 13(3), 13(4)Fix the rule, not the page.A new audit round showsverified fixes andregressions.4PublishARTICLE 13(2), ANNEX VPublish the Annex Vinformation in the termsand conditions, inwritten and oral format.5RespondARTICLES 13(4), 23, 29Log and answercomplaints. Correct anynon-conformity andinform the authorities.6Article 14ONLY IF YOU RELY ON ITAssess each unmetrequirement againstAnnex VI. Keep it for fiveyears, renew it andnotify.7Keep evidenceARTICLES 7, 12, 13, 14Keep dated test recordsin Annex C form, for theperiods the Directivesets.Then run the loop againevery release.Accessibility Checker helps at each step: audits, focus order, contrast, audit rounds, reports and the accessibility statement. An EAA compliance workflow in seven steps Seven steps in a loop. 1 Scope: record what Article 2 covers and the Annex I sections, note any Article 32 transition period, and list the EN 301 549 clause A.2 tables that apply. 2 Audit: audit a sample that covers every template and task, plus the manual checks. 3 Fix and re-test: fix the rule, not the page; a new audit round shows verified fixes and regressions. 4 Publish: publish the Annex V information in the terms and conditions, in written and oral format. 5 Respond: log and answer complaints, correct non-conformity and inform the authorities. 6 Article 14: only if you rely on it, assess each unmet requirement against Annex VI, keep it for five years, renew it and notify. 7 Keep evidence: keep dated test records in Annex C form. Then run the loop again every release. 1ScopeARTICLE 2, ANNEX IRecord what Article 2 covers and the AnnexI sections. Note any Article 32 transitionperiod. List the clause A.2 tables that apply.2AuditARTICLE 13(1)Audit a sample that covers every templateand task. Add the manual checksautomation cannot do.3Fix and re-testARTICLES 13(3), 13(4)Fix the rule, not the page. A new audit roundshows verified fixes and regressions.4PublishARTICLE 13(2), ANNEX VPublish the Annex V information in the termsand conditions, in written and oral format.5RespondARTICLES 13(4), 23, 29Log and answer complaints. Correct anynon-conformity and inform the authorities.6Article 14ONLY IF YOU RELY ON ITAssess each unmet requirement againstAnnex VI. Keep it for five years, renew it andnotify.7Keep evidenceARTICLES 7, 12, 13, 14Keep dated test records in Annex C form, forthe periods the Directive sets.Then run the loop again every release.Accessibility Checker helps at each step: audits,focus order, contrast, audit rounds, reports and theaccessibility statement.
The seven-step loop this lesson walks through.
  • a service designed and provided to the requirements (Article 13(1))
  • public information that explains how the service meets them (13(2))
  • "procedures in place so that the provision of services remains in conformity" (13(3))
  • corrective measures and notification when it does not (13(4)), with evidence on request (13(5)).

Article 7 asks the equivalent of manufacturers. Either way, the law describes a loop. The only way to run a loop reliably is to write it down.

This lesson turns the previous four lessons into seven steps:

  1. scope
  2. audit
  3. fix and re-test
  4. publish
  5. respond
  6. assess any Article 14 reliance
  7. keep evidence.

Each step names the Article it serves, the deliverable it produces and where Accessibility Checker helps. The lesson ends with a table of what to keep and for how long. The periods come from what the Directive actually states.

Standards covered: Directive (EU) 2019/882 Articles 2, 4, 7, 12, 13, 14, 23 and 29, with Annexes I, V and VI · EN 301 549 V4.1.1 clause A.2 (Tables A.1 to A.5) as the checklist and Annex C as the form of the test record · WCAG 2.2 Levels A and AA as carried by EN 301 549 clauses 9, 10 and 11.

Automated testing has a defined place in this loop and no more. Accessibility Checker's report says which WCAG success criteria it checked automatically. It also says which criteria need human review. For that reason, its statement reports a partial, self-assessed status. The loop treats the audit as the repeatable baseline. It puts the manual checks beside the audit.

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