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Did you know that your website must be accessible to the blind, visually impaired, and other people with disabilities starting in 2025? From June 28, 2025, digital accessibility will become mandatory for many commercial services and products in Belgium, including webshops and e-commerce platforms. This stems from the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which has been transposed into Belgian law.

You will then be legally required to comply with the WCAG 2.1 AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). This means, among other things, that the site must be fully usable using a keyboard (including navigation using the Tab and Shift keys), offer alternative text for images, and be compatible with assistive devices for people with disabilities.

But even if it is not mandatory for you, this is a smart move to make: you reach more customers, improve your SEO, and strengthen your image.
More than 20% of the population has a disability. An inaccessible website therefore means you are potentially missing out on thousands of visitors.

Time to take action!

What does this mean in concrete terms?
From 2025, websites and apps must be fully usable for everyone. If you do not comply with the guidelines, you risk sanctions and may lose potential customers. Fortunately, you can already make a big difference with a few simple adjustments.

What can you do yourself?

• Use alt text for images so that screen readers can read the content aloud.
• Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background for better readability.
• Make navigation logical and simple so that everyone can quickly find what they are looking for.
• Use clear headings and structured content for an organized website.
• Add clear labels; this improves accessibility and your SEO.
• Ensure your website can be operated via the keyboard, without a mouse.
• Avoid automatic audio or video playback, as this can be disruptive to many users.
• Test your website with a screen reader to experience how accessible it really is.
• Label your buttons and forms correctly. Many websites fail to do this, which means screen readers cannot identify what a button does.

How can you check wether your website is accessible?
🔍 Use free tools such as the WAVE Web Accessibility Tool or Google Lighthouse to quickly identify areas for improvement.
🛠 Have an expert perform an audit to map out all areas where improvement is needed.