From June 2025, new, extended digital accessibility regulations (WCAG 2.2 and EAA) will come into force, which will cover most companies operating online.
Many organizations wonder whether the implementation of WCAG can be done on their own or whether it is necessary to involve specialists. This article dispels these doubts.
Can you implement WCAG yourself?
Technical
YES
In practice
in most cases it is not easy or profitable.
To independently implement WCAG 2.2 on a website or application, a company must have access to:
- current knowledge of WCAG 2.2 standards,
- advanced frontend knowledge (HTML, CSS, ARIA, code semantics),
- experience in working with assistive technologies (screen readers, keyboards, alternative navigation),
- practical UX knowledge in the field of accessibility,
- ability to test and detect problems for various user groups,
- knowledge of EAA regulations and legal exceptions.
According to the European Commission, over 80 million EU citizens live with various forms of disabilities – it is for them that the WCAG and EAA regulations are created.
Source: European Commission, 2023.
When is it profitable to hire specialists?
Hiring an experienced accessibility team pays off especially in situations:
when the company does not have dedicated accessibility specialists on its team,
when the website or store has an extensive structure and non-standard functionalities,
for systems with a large number of forms, orders, online payments,
in mobile websites and applications, where accessibility also applies to UI/UX on small screens,
when we want certainty of compliance in terms of office inspections and EAA regulations.
Do you want to check if your website meets the requirements?
View our WCAG 2.2 and EAA audit service
The most common errors in WCAG implementations
Implementing digital accessibility requires not only knowledge of regulations, but also an in-depth understanding of web technologies, UX and practice of working with real assistive tools.
The most common errors are:
- lack of proper marking of headings (h1-h6),
- no ARIA labels in forms,
- unreadable error messages,
- insufficient color contrast (especially in UI elements),
- no full keyboard navigation support,
- problems with operation on screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver),
- no alternative texts (alt) for graphics and icons,
- no subtitles for video materials and transcription for audio,
- incorrect button labels, especially in dynamic JavaScript interfaces.
Implementing accessibility yourself rarely results in full compliance with WCAG 2.2.
Most often, errors appear in technical details and in tests on real assistive devices.
Piotr Rompca
owner of evostudio.pl
How much does it cost to implement WCAG? What does the price depend on?
The earlier we start the analysis, the lower the final implementation cost.
The cost of implementing digital accessibility varies depending on the specifics and scale of the project – there is no single, universal rate for all websites or applications.
The cost of implementation depends on several factors:
size and complexity of the website (simple company website vs. extensive e-commerce store),
the number and severity of errors detected during the audit,
technology used (CMS, dedicated backend, mobile applications),
available multimedia materials (do they require subtitles, transcription, audio description),
previous quality of code and frontend layer.
For example:
simple implementations can take only a few weeks of team work,
complex services sometimes require several months of specialized work.
Do you need a comprehensive implementation of digital accessibility?
Check out our WCAG implementation offer
Summary
Implementing digital accessibility compliant with WCAG 2.2 is a complicated, multi-stage process that requires a combination of technological, legal and UX knowledge. Carrying out an accessibility implementation internally by a company on its own is possible, but risky in terms of full compliance and legal consequences.
Evostudio comprehensively supports companies in the analysis, implementation and audits of digital accessibility compliant with WCAG 2.2 and EAA.
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