Most teams I speak to are still treating accessibility like a “we’ll get to it later” problem. That worked a few years ago, but not anymore.

The obvious question: are there fines?

Yes — but focusing on fines is actually missing the point a bit.

There isn’t a single EU-wide number. Each country handles enforcement differently, so you’ll see a range:

• smaller issues might land somewhere around €5k–€20k

• more serious cases can climb into six figures

• some countries have provisions that go much higher

There are also cases where fines can scale based on revenue, not just a fixed amount.

But honestly — if you’re making product decisions based on “what’s the fine?”, you’re probably looking at this the wrong way.

Where it starts to get uncomfortable

The bit that catches people out is that it’s not always a one-off penalty.

In some situations, fines can continue daily until the issue is fixed.

So something that looks fairly minor — like poor screen reader support or broken scaling — can quietly turn into a much bigger problem if it sits unresolved.

It’s not just regulatory anymore

Accessibility is shifting into something that can trigger actual legal processes.

That means:

• complaints can be raised and investigated

• you can be required to fix issues within a defined window

• in some jurisdictions, it goes beyond just administrative penalties

This is the part that feels different to how accessibility has been treated historically.

It’s no longer just “best practice” or “good UX”.

The bigger risk no one talks about

The real risk isn’t the fine.

It’s whether your app is allowed to operate as normal.

Regulators have the ability to:

• restrict access to the market

• require changes before you can continue distributing

• in some cases, effectively block the product until it’s fixed

So you’re not just looking at a cost problem — you’re looking at a continuity problem.

And then there’s the commercial reality

Even before enforcement ramps up fully, this is already showing up in quieter ways.

• larger organisations are starting to ask accessibility questions earlier

• procurement processes increasingly include it

• deals can slow down or stall because of it

And then there’s the obvious bit — if people struggle to use your app, they don’t stick around.

“But no one’s been fined yet…”

That’s mostly true — for now.

The EAA only came into force in 2025, and enforcement is still finding its feet.

But if you’ve been around long enough to remember early GDPR, this should feel familiar.

There’s a window where:

• awareness is low

• enforcement is light

• and teams assume it’s not urgent

That window doesn’t stay open very long.

The way I think about it

If you strip it back, this isn’t really about compliance.

It’s about three things:

• risk (legal and regulatory)

• product quality (can people actually use it properly)

• market access (can you operate without friction)

The fine is just the most visible part — not the most important one.