EN 301 549 explained: Europe's accessibility standard

What is EN 301 549?

EN 301 549 is titled "Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services". It lists what a digital product must do to be usable by people with disabilities, and gives a test procedure for each requirement.

It was written for both sides of a sale: the people who build products, and the public bodies and companies that buy them.

What does EN 301 549 cover?

It goes well beyond websites. It applies to web technology, non-web technology and products that mix the two:

• Web pages and web apps.
• Mobile and desktop software.
• Documents that aren't web pages, such as electronic files.
• Hardware, such as smartphones, computers and information kiosks.
• Documentation and support services for a product.

How does EN 301 549 relate to WCAG?

For web content, the standard is built on WCAG. It also applies WCAG's rules to software and documents that aren't on the web.

EN 301 549 is not just WCAG under another name. The European Commission points out that it includes requirements that aren't part of WCAG. So meeting WCAG Level AA covers the web part, but not necessarily everything in the standard.

Which EU laws use EN 301 549?

• The Web Accessibility Directive (EU) 2016/2102 covers public sector websites and mobile apps. A European Commission decision in 2021 made EN 301 549 V3.2.1 its harmonised standard.
• The European Accessibility Act covers many products and services sold to consumers. V4.1.1 is the first version written with this law in mind.

A harmonised standard matters because following the relevant parts of it gives a "presumption of conformity": the product is presumed to meet the law's accessibility requirements. A new version only gives that once it is cited in the Official Journal of the EU.

When we wrote this guide in November 2026, we found no Official Journal citation of V4.1.1 yet. Check the current position before you rely on either version.

What should website owners do?

1. Aim for WCAG 2.2 Level AA. It prepares your website for both versions.
2. Test with a keyboard and a screen reader, not only an automated scan. Our checklist can help you start.
3. Remember your documents. PDFs and other files are covered too.
4. If you sell to public bodies in Europe, expect to be asked how your product performs. The VPAT template has an edition for EN 301 549.

A visitor tool such as Accessonix helps people adjust a page for themselves. It doesn't change your site's code, so it doesn't make a site meet EN 301 549.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. National rules differ between EU countries, so talk to a qualified lawyer about your situation.