Webinar
Accessibility isn’t optional – Discover what the European Accessibility Act means for your business.
Prepare your online store for the European Accessibility Act (EAA), coming into effect by mid-2025. In this on-demand webinar, you’ll learn how to meet accessibility requirements and avoid potential legal and financial consequences. Discover how accessibility can boost user experience, SEO, and customer satisfaction. Get practical steps to align with WCAG 2.1 standards and see how Shopware supports you in staying ahead.
The experts
Julian Preissinger
UI/UX Architect
Shopware
Tobias Berge
Principal Software Engineer
Shopware
Dr. Paulina Wiese-Ptak
Senior Legal Counsel
Shopware
And this awaits you
1. Why you need to act now
Understanding WCAG 2.1 standards.
The EAA deadline is approaching—non-compliance could lead to penalties.
Why early preparation is crucial for protecting your business.
2. Accessibility essentials
Key features like screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation.
Optimized content to cater to all users.
3. Compliance made easy
How Shopware ensures your store meets accessibility requirements.
Accessibility as a driver for better SEO, increased conversions, and customer loyalty.
4. Actions for attendees
5. Q&A with experts Did you miss our live webinar on December 12, 2024? That is no problem! Register now for free to watch the recording on-demand!
FAQ - open webinar questions
Legal Disclaimer The information provided in this document is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Outcomes may vary depending on specific circumstances. For case-specific legal guidance, please consult a qualified attorney who can provide advice tailored to the particular facts of your case.
Do these accessibility requirements apply to all e-commerce websites, or only to those launched after June 2025?
All e-commerce sites must eventually comply with the EAA's accessibility requirements, but the timeline depends on whether the site was launched before or after June 28, 2025.
Existing sites are grandfathered in until they undergo substantial modifications, while new sites must comply immediately.
Regardless of the timeline, starting accessibility improvements early is a wise and proactive step.
Are the adjustments also relevant for B2B stores?
Adjustments for accessibility can be relevant for B2B stores if:
The platform is publicly accessible.
The services or products offered indirectly impact end consumers or public-facing businesses.
Is the accessibility law also relevant for closed B2B stores?
For strictly closed B2B shops, the accessibility laws like the EAA and BFSG may not directly mandate compliance unless there is a connection to public services or indirect consumer impact. However, implementing accessibility features is encouraged to avoid risks, enhance usability, and future-proof systems as accessibility standards continue to evolve.
Does the date June 28, 2025, apply only to Germany, or is it valid for all European countries, such as Austria?
The June 28, 2025 compliance deadline applies to all EU member states, including Austria, not just Germany. This date is set by the EAA and is binding for all countries within the European Union.
Are your improvements exclusively available for SW 6.6 and higher, or do you or your partners also provide them for earlier versions, such as SW 5.7?
Yes, the accessibility improvements will be only available on Shopware 6.6 and higher.
Will the community edition be included in the accessibility improvements?
Accessibility improvements are built into the core and are therefore included in the Community Edition (CE). The Shopware plans also benefit from additional accessibility enhancements, specifically designed for their exclusive features, ensuring an optimized experience for all users.
Ensuring accessibility for everyone can be a complex challenge. Are there official guidelines, checklists, or audits available to help verify compliance with accessibility standards?
Yes, the WCAG guidelines. Accessible to everyone is depending on the level of compliance (A, AA, AAA), but for the EAA only AA is required.
Where do we find the feature flag?
The feature flag is called ACCESSIBILITY_TWEAKS. It can be activated in you .env . You can find more examples in our developer documentation: https://developer.shopware.com/docs/resources/accessibility/storefront/#how-to-deal-with-breaking-accessibility-changes General feature flag documentation: https://developer.shopware.com/docs/v6.5/resources/references/adr/2022-01-20-feature-flags-for-major-versions.html
The accessibility feature flag is a technical feature flag that can not be activated by the end-user in the administration.
What steps must customers take after activating ACCESSIBILITY_TWEAKS? Is it sufficient to add ALT text to images, or are there additional actions required?
The ACCESSIBILITY_TWEAKS feature flag is a technical feature that can be activated on project level using an environment variable in your .env. It can not be activated by the end user in the administration because the feature flag activated breaking template changes. When activating the feature flag, it needs to be checked how the feature flag affects Themes and other extensions. If it causes problems in the template the Theme or other extensions need to be adjusted.
It is not only about ALT texts.
Does it make sense to utilize the Shopware Acceptance Test Suite? If yes, how would you recommend to use it?
Yes, you can use the acceptance-test-suite as a foundation to build test cases to verify accessibility. There is already a ValidateAccessibility task that can be used to build your own test cases similar to the core StorefrontAccessibility.spec. Please also take a look at the acceptance-test-suite readme.
For those exploring headless commerce: Will Shopware offer guidelines for composable frontends, or should developers rely solely on their chosen framework and its recommendations?
Yes, we are currently working on it.
What is the URL for the accessibility blog entry Tobias mentioned?
You can find that here - https://www.shopware.com/en/news/accessibility-in-ecommerce/
What is the best way to inform you about issues that are not yet listed in your documentation under „known issues”? Are you open to ideas for specific solutions?
The best way to file issues is to directly create an issue on GitHub: https://github.com/shopware/shopware/issues Please add the label “accessibility”. If you have suggestions or ideas that are not an issue or bug, you can recommend your idea on our product feedback board: https://feedback.shopware.com/forums/942607-shopware-6-product-feedback-ideas
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- On demand
- 50 min
- English
- Webinar (online seminar)
