Does my website have to be accessible?

Who does the law apply to?

Since 28 June 2025, webshops and other online services for consumers in the Netherlands must be accessible. This follows from the European Accessibility Act. The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) supervises it.¹

It is not a formality. In March 2026 the ACM reported that 61 per cent of the largest Dutch webshops are not digitally accessible. At some of them, customers could not even check out without a mouse.²

Even if the law does not apply to you

In the Netherlands, 2 million people live with a disability.³ On top of that, everyone has a temporary limitation now and then: a phone in the sun, one hand free, a broken wrist or forgotten reading glasses.

An accessible site is above all a site that works for more people. If people cannot read your button, they do not order.

What needs to be right?

These are the points that go wrong most often in practice. Each one shows how to check it yourself.

1. Contrast

   Normal text needs a contrast of at least 4.5 : 1 with the background, large text at least 3 : 1.⁴

   Check it yourself: Read your site on your phone, outside in the sun.

2. Keyboard

   Everything you can do with a mouse must also work with the keyboard: menu, forms, shopping basket and checkout.

   Check it yourself: Put the mouse aside and press Tab. Can you always see where you are?

3. Not just colour

   Information must not be given by colour alone, such as red for sold out and green for in stock.

   Check it yourself: View your site in black and white. Is everything still clear?

4. Images

   An image that conveys something has a short description (alt text) for people who cannot see it.

   Check it yourself: A free scan such as our website check finds images without a description.

5. Forms

   Every field has a label that says what goes in it, and an error message says what is wrong and how to fix it.

   Check it yourself: Fill in a form incorrectly on purpose. Do you understand the message?

6. Structure

   Headings in a logical order make it possible to navigate the page with a screen reader.

   Check it yourself: A scan shows whether headings are missing or skipped.

7. Motion

   Moving elements can cause discomfort for people with balance disorders. A phone can signal that someone prefers less motion, and a site should take that into account.⁵

   Check it yourself: Turn on "reduce motion" on your phone and look at your site again.

Check your site in ten minutes

1. Press Tab and move through your homepage and your most important form with the keyboard.
2. Zoom in to 200 per cent. Does any text disappear, or do you have to scroll sideways?
3. Run the free website check. It tests contrast, labels, headings and alt text with axe-core.
4. Have a full test done if you have a webshop or booking site and the exemption does not apply to you.

How Ekkora handles it

Every site we build is tested against WCAG 2.2 level AA before launch. We also check that everything works with the keyboard and that the site stays calm for people who prefer less motion. This is one of the eight checks every site has to pass.