The European organizations are putting their best foot forward to ensure accessibility because European Accessibility Act (EAA) marks a major shift in how these organizations design, build, and maintain their digital products and services. From websites and mobile apps to ecommerce platforms, banking interfaces, and self-service technologies, the EAA expands accessibility from a best practice into a legal requirement across the EU.
As the scope of compliance grows, so does the complexity of managing accessibility at scale. This is where automated accessibility scanning plays a critical role. While automation cannot replace expert audits or user testing, it provides organizations with the foundation they need to systematically prepare for EAA compliance - early, continuously, and efficiently.
Understanding EAA compliance in a digital context
The EAA aligns closely with WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which serves as the technical benchmark for digital accessibility under the Act. However, EAA compliance is not limited to a one-time checklist. It requires organizations to:
- Identify accessibility barriers proactively.
- Monitor digital touchpoints continuously.
- Demonstrate due diligence and remediation efforts.
- Maintain accessibility across updates, redesigns, and third-party integrations to ensure a seamless user experience.
Given the number of pages, components, templates, and content variations involved in modern digital ecosystems, manual testing alone is neither scalable nor sustainable.
Automated accessibility scanning - what it does?
Automated accessibility scanning & monitoring solution like SkynetAccessibility Scanner evaluate digital interfaces, such as websites, web applications, and mobile views, against predefined accessibility rules mapped to WCAG success criteria. These tools can detect code-level and structural issues that commonly lead to accessibility failures.
Typical automated checks include:
- Missing or incorrect alternative text
- Insufficient color contrast
- Improper heading structure
- Empty or ambiguous links and buttons
- Missing form labels and instructions.
- ARIA misuse or invalid roles.
- Keyboard focus visibility issues.
By running checks repeatedly and consistently, organizations gain a clear picture of their baseline accessibility posture.
Early risk identification for EAA readiness
One of the most significant benefits of automated scanning is early detection of compliance risks. Many accessibility issues are not introduced intentionally - they emerge gradually through content updates, design changes, or new feature releases.
Automated scans help organizations:
- Identify high-risk WCAG failures that may impact EAA compliance.
- Flag accessibility regressions before they reach production.
- Prioritise remediation efforts based on severity and frequency.
This proactive approach reduces the likelihood of last-minute fixes when EAA enforcement deadlines approach.
Scaling accessibility across large digital portfolios
Organizations operating across regions, brands, or platforms often manage:
- Hundreds or thousands of web pages
- Multiple microsites or portals
- Multilingual content
- Dynamic user interfaces
Automated accessibility monitoring makes large-scale coverage possible by scanning entire domains, templates, or workflows in a fraction of the time required for manual testing. This scalability is essential for organizations that must demonstrate accessibility consistency across all consumer-facing services under the EAA.
Supporting continuous compliance, not just one-time audit!
EAA compliance is an ongoing obligation. Accessibility can degrade over time due to:
- Content updates
- Third-party plugin changes
- UI redesigns
- New feature deployments
Automated scanning tools support continuous monitoring by integrating with development pipelines, CMS platforms, or scheduled scans. This enables organizations to:
- Track accessibility trends over time.
- Receive alerts when new violations are introduced.
- Maintain accessibility even after initial remediation.
Continuous scanning keeps EAA readiness ongoing, not limited to one audit.
Driving accessibility decisions through data
Automated scanning tools generate structured, repeatable data that helps organizations move from assumptions to evidence. This data can be used to:
- Identify recurring accessibility issues across teams or platforms.
- Compare accessibility performance before and after remediation.
- Set measurable accessibility KPIs.
- Support internal reporting and governance processes.
For EAA compliance, this data becomes valuable proof of reasonable effort and due diligence, which is especially important during regulatory reviews or legal scrutiny.
Automated scanning helps create shared accessibility practices across teams by:
- Mapping issues directly to WCAG criteria.
- Providing clear technical references for developers.
- Highlighting content-related issues for editors.
- Supporting prioritisation for product and compliance teams.
This shared visibility helps organizations embed accessibility into workflows rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Complementing manual accessibility audits
It is important to recognize that automated scanning does not cover all EAA requirements. Many critical accessibility aspects such as logical reading order, meaningful alternative text, usability for assistive technology users, and cognitive accessibility - require human evaluation.
However, automation plays a powerful supporting role by:
- Reducing the volume of basic issues before manual accessibility audit.
- Allowing experts to focus on complex, high-impact barriers.
- Making manual testing more efficient and targeted.
When used correctly, automated scanning strengthens human-led accessibility efforts.
Reducing long-term accessibility compliance costs
Fixing accessibility issues late in the development lifecycle is expensive. Automated scanning helps organizations:
- Catch issues early, when fixes are simpler.
- Prevent repeated violations through monitoring.
- Reduce dependency on frequent large-scale audit.
From a business perspective, this reduces the total cost of EAA compliance while improving digital quality overall.
You may also like: UI Motion and accessibility for inclusive digital experience
Building a strong foundation for EAA compliance
Automated accessibility scanning is not a shortcut to EAA compliance, but it is a strategic enabler. It helps organizations to understand their current state, monitor ongoing risks, and build accessibility into everyday digital operations.
By combining automated scanning with expert accessibility audits, user testing, and inclusive design practices and remediation, organizations can move beyond reactive fixes and toward a sustainable, defensible approach to EAA compliance - one that benefits both users and the business.
Our automated accessibility scanning solution like help you detect issues early, streamline remediation, and maintain ongoing compliance.
Get a quick automated accessibility scanning report now! Start 10 Days Free Trial!
Take the next step toward full accessibility compliance with us. Start by leveraging continuous scanning and real-time monitoring to stay ahead of issues before they impact users. Then strengthen accessibility compliance with our AI accessibility widget for instant usability enhancements, backed by expert accessibility remediation services that fix issues at the source. Together, these solutions create a seamless path to long-term accessibility, compliance, and an inclusive digital experience. Reach out hello@skynettechnologies.com for more information.
