Self-Publishing and the EAA — What Actually Applies to You
Plenty of marketing scares indie authors about the European Accessibility Act. The honest picture: the EAA exempts micro-enterprises (under 10 staff and €2M turnover) providing services — which describes most self-publishers. But that isn't the whole story: retailers and aggregators selling into the EU are themselves covered, so accessible files with proper metadata are increasingly what stores expect to receive. Making your EPUB accessible is cheap insurance and better for readers.
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Fixing a whole catalogue?
Publishers with a backlist can remediate in bulk via the batch API — corrected files plus a per-title report for your records. See the accessibility service page.
Frequently asked questions
So am I legally required to comply?
If you're a micro-enterprise (fewer than 10 people, under €2M annual turnover), the EAA's service obligations generally don't apply to you directly. This page is general information, not legal advice — national transpositions vary, and if real money rides on the answer, ask a professional.
If I'm exempt, why bother?
Because the stores you sell through aren't exempt. Retailers and distributors serving the EU read accessibility metadata and can favor — or eventually require — accessible files. Accessible books also simply reach more readers: screen-reader users, dyslexic readers, low-vision readers.
What's the minimum sensible thing to do?
Ship EPUBs with accessibility metadata, a declared language, alt-text on images and a proper navigation document. Those are exactly the machine-fixable items the tool on this page corrects automatically — upload your EPUB and you get the corrected file back in seconds.