First European Accessibility Act Lawsuits Hit French Retailers: What E-Commerce Needs to Know

Key Takeaways

• November 12, 2025: First EAA lawsuits filed — Disability rights organizations ApiDV and Droit Pluriel filed emergency injunctions against Auchan, Carrefour, E. Leclerc, and Picard Surgelés in French court
• This follows a July formal complaint with a September 1 deadline — the retailers showed "little meaningful progress and even some indifference"
• Emergency procedure (assignation en référé) means courts can demand immediate fixes, not vague promises
• Only 3.4% of major French company websites are accessible despite accessibility being a legal requirement since 2016
• E.Leclerc's compliance improved from 32% to just 50% — still illegal under French law and EU directive
• This sets precedent for all EU member states — advocacy groups now have clear legal standing to sue under EAA
• E-commerce is in the crosshairs — if you sell to EU customers, you're subject to the European Accessibility Act regardless of where you're headquartered

On November 12, 2025, accessibility enforcement in Europe entered a new era.

Two French disability rights organizations—ApiDV and Droit Pluriel—supported by the legal collective Intérêt à Agir, filed emergency injunctions (assignation en référé) against four of France's largest grocery retailers: Auchan, Carrefour, E. Leclerc, and Picard Surgelés.

The charge: digital discrimination against the 2 million visually impaired people in France who cannot use these retailers' websites and mobile apps to shop independently.

This isn't a regulatory warning or a symbolic complaint. It's a lawsuit asking a French judge to order these companies to stop discriminating—immediately.

For e-commerce businesses operating in or selling to the European Union, this case represents a fundamental shift. The European Accessibility Act (EAA), which became enforceable on June 28, 2025, is no longer theoretical. It's being enforced through the courts. And France is just the beginning.

What Happened? The Timeline of the First EAA Lawsuits

The French lawsuits didn't come out of nowhere. The organizations followed a deliberate escalation process that mirrors how accessibility enforcement is likely to work across the EU.

┌───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Date          │                                   Event                                    │
├───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│    June 28, 2025      │ European Accessibility Act becomes enforceable across all EU member states │
├───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│    July 7, 2025       │ ApiDV, Droit Pluriel, and Intérêt à Agir send formal legal notices to      │
│                       │ Auchan, Carrefour, E. Leclerc, and Picard Surgelés                         │
├───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  September 1, 2025    │ Deadline given to retailers to achieve accessibility compliance            │
├───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ September-Nov 2025    │ Testing committee of blind and visually impaired technology experts        │
│                       │ audits retailer websites and apps                                          │
├───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  November 12, 2025    │ Emergency injunctions filed in French court after retailers show           │
│                       │ "little meaningful progress"                                               │
└───────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

According to the official press release from Intérêt à Agir, the organizations gave these retailers a formal complaint in July with a clear deadline. The retailers were offered time to fix their accessibility issues or at least demonstrate meaningful progress.

Instead, the testing committee found:

• Missing alternative text for images, making product identification impossible for screen reader users
• Insufficient color contrast, creating barriers for users with low vision
• Links and buttons inaccessible via keyboard, blocking users who cannot use a mouse
• Incoherent page structure, preventing screen readers from navigating logically

The result: visually impaired customers still cannot complete a grocery order independently on these platforms.

As we've documented extensively, these are not exotic technical failures. They're the same WCAG violations that trigger ADA lawsuits in the United States every day. The difference is that Europe now has unified enforcement mechanisms—and advocacy groups are using them.

Why These Specific Retailers Were Targeted

The four retailers weren't chosen randomly. They represent some of France's largest grocery chains, and their digital platforms serve millions of customers:

┌───────────────────┬─────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┐
│     Retailer      │   Properties Targeted   │       France Market Position         │
├───────────────────┼─────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┤
│      Auchan       │   Website + Mobile App  │         4th largest retailer         │
├───────────────────┼─────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┤
│     Carrefour     │        Website          │  2nd largest retailer, global presence│
├───────────────────┼─────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┤
│    E. Leclerc     │        Website          │   Largest retailer by market share   │
├───────────────────┼─────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Picard Surgelés  │   Website + Mobile App  │    Leading frozen food specialist    │
└───────────────────┴─────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────┘

The advocacy groups specifically targeted online grocery services because grocery shopping represents an essential daily activity. For someone who is blind or has low vision, an inaccessible grocery website doesn't just create inconvenience—it removes the ability to perform a basic life function independently.

The Fédération des Aveugles et Amblyopes de France (Federation of Blind and Partially Sighted People of France) reported in June 2025 that only 3.4% of major French company websites are accessible. These four retailers were identified through public testimony as particularly problematic.

E. Leclerc's compliance status tells the story: according to French audit data, the retailer's website went from 32% RGAA compliance in May 2023 to 50% compliance in August 2025. That's progress, technically—but 50% compliance is still illegal under both French law and the EU directive. Half-accessible is not accessible.

What Makes This Lawsuit Different: Emergency Injunction Procedure

The organizations filed an "assignation en référé"—an emergency injunction procedure under French civil law. This is significant for several reasons:

Speed. Unlike standard civil litigation that can take years, emergency injunctions are designed for urgent situations requiring immediate judicial intervention. The court can order immediate remediation measures.

Injunctive relief, not just damages. The goal isn't primarily to extract money from these retailers (though penalties may follow). It's to force them to stop discriminating—to make their websites and apps accessible now.

Public accountability. The lawsuit names these companies publicly. Their brand reputation is now directly tied to their accessibility failures. Every news article, every social media discussion, every customer who learns about this case will associate these brands with discrimination against disabled people.

Precedent-setting. This is the first lawsuit of its kind in France under the EAA framework. The court's decision will establish how aggressively the EAA will be enforced and what "compliance" actually means in practice.

For e-commerce businesses watching from outside France, this matters enormously. The EAA is a directive—each EU member state implements it through national law. France is now demonstrating what enforcement looks like. Other countries will follow.

The Legal Framework: European Accessibility Act and EN 301 549

To understand what these retailers are accused of violating, you need to understand the EU's accessibility legal framework.

European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882)

The European Accessibility Act was adopted in 2019 and became enforceable on June 28, 2025. It requires that products and services sold in the EU be accessible to people with disabilities.

For e-commerce, the EAA covers:

• Websites and mobile applications used to sell products or services
• E-commerce platforms and marketplaces
• Online payment systems
• Customer service interfaces (chatbots, contact forms, help centers)
• Digital receipts and order confirmations
• Self-service terminals (kiosks, ATMs)

The scope is broad: any business selling to EU consumers is subject to the EAA, regardless of where that business is headquartered. If you're a U.S. e-commerce brand shipping to Germany or France, you're covered.

EN 301 549: The Technical Standard

The EAA doesn't define technical accessibility requirements itself. Instead, it references EN 301 549, the harmonized European standard for ICT accessibility.

EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA as its foundation for web and mobile accessibility. This means:

┌─────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ WCAG Principle  │              EN 301 549 Requirement               │                Example                  │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│   Perceivable   │ All content must be presentable to users          │ Images need alt text; videos need       │
│                 │ regardless of sensory abilities                   │ captions                                │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│    Operable     │ All functionality must be available to users      │ Everything must work with keyboard only │
│                 │ regardless of how they interact                   │                                         │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Understandable │ Content and interface must be comprehensible      │ Clear labels, consistent navigation     │
├─────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│     Robust      │ Content must work with assistive technologies     │ Compatible with screen readers          │
└─────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────────┘

For businesses already pursuing WCAG 2.2 AA compliance, the transition to EN 301 549 compliance is relatively straightforward—WCAG 2.2 is backwards-compatible with 2.1, and meeting WCAG 2.2 AA exceeds the current EN 301 549 requirements.

France's RGAA Standard

France has its own national accessibility standard, the RGAA (Référentiel Général d'Amélioration de l'Accessibilité), which implements the EU directive. The RGAA aligns with WCAG 2.1 and includes additional documentation requirements like accessibility statements and multi-year compliance plans.

French law has required large companies to make their websites accessible since 2016—nearly a decade before these lawsuits. The EAA didn't create new obligations; it strengthened existing ones and provided clearer enforcement mechanisms.

This is a critical point: these retailers had years to comply. The EAA gave them until June 2025. France's national law gave them until 2016. Their non-compliance isn't a failure to meet a new surprise requirement—it's a decade of ignoring legal obligations.

What This Means for E-Commerce Businesses Selling to the EU

If you're running e-commerce operations that serve EU customers, the French lawsuits should change your risk calculus immediately.

The EAA Applies to You

The European Accessibility Act has extraterritorial reach. If your business:

• Sells products or services to customers in any EU member state
• Has an EU subsidiary or establishment
• Markets to EU consumers through websites accessible in the EU

You're subject to the EAA. It doesn't matter if you're headquartered in New York, Los Angeles, or Singapore.

This is similar to how GDPR works—and we've seen how seriously the EU takes enforcement of that regulation. The EAA should be treated with the same level of attention.

Advocacy Groups Have Standing to Sue

One of the most significant aspects of the EAA is that it explicitly grants disability advocacy organizations and, in many member states, individuals the right to file complaints and lawsuits.

In the United States, most ADA website lawsuits are filed by individual plaintiffs (often represented by a small number of specialized law firms). In Europe, the EAA empowers disability rights organizations with resources, legal expertise, and public platforms.

These organizations are watching. They're documenting accessibility barriers. They're giving formal notice. And when businesses don't respond—as these French retailers didn't—they're going to court.

Enforcement Will Vary by Member State

Each EU country implements the EAA through its own national law and enforcement mechanisms. This creates complexity:

┌──────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Member State │       Enforcement Authority         │                  Notable Approach                  │
├──────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│    France    │       ARCOM + Civil Courts          │ First to see private lawsuit under EAA            │
├──────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│   Germany    │  Federal Office for Accessibility   │ Focus on product compliance                       │
├──────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Netherlands  │ Authority for Digital Infrastructure│ Active monitoring                                 │
├──────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│    Spain     │    Ministry of Social Rights        │ Already fined Vueling €90,000 pre-EAA             │
├──────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│   Sweden     │  PTS (Post and Telecom Authority)   │ Market surveillance of devices                    │
└──────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The French lawsuits set a precedent that advocacy groups in other member states will likely follow. Expect similar legal actions in Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain in the coming months.

The "Indifference" Problem

Perhaps the most damning detail from the French case: the advocacy groups noted that the retailers showed "little meaningful progress and even some indifference" to their accessibility obligations.

This indifference is now a legal liability.

In accessibility enforcement, demonstrated good faith matters. If you receive a formal complaint and respond with a concrete remediation plan, documented progress, and genuine engagement—you're in a different position than if you ignore it.

The French retailers apparently chose indifference. Now they're in court.

The Parallels to U.S. ADA Litigation

For businesses familiar with ADA website accessibility lawsuits in the United States, the French case has familiar elements—but also critical differences.

Similarities

Same underlying violations. Missing alt text, poor contrast, keyboard inaccessibility, broken form labels—these are the same WCAG violations that trigger lawsuits in both jurisdictions. If your site fails WCAG 2.1 AA, it fails both ADA case law standards and EN 301 549.

Formal notice before litigation. The French organizations sent formal complaints in July before filing suit in November. This mirrors the demand letter process common in U.S. ADA litigation—though the timeline and formality differ.

E-commerce as primary target. 77% of ADA website lawsuits target e-commerce sites. The French case targets online grocery—a subset of e-commerce. Retail and e-commerce are high-visibility, high-transaction-volume targets in both regions.

Advocacy groups driving enforcement. While most U.S. ADA lawsuits are filed by individual plaintiffs, the organizations behind those plaintiffs (and the law firms representing them) operate with coordination and strategy. The European model makes organizational enforcement more explicit.

Key Differences

Unified technical standard. The EU has EN 301 549 as a legally referenced technical standard. The U.S. still has no formally adopted federal standard for private sector websites—WCAG is referenced in case law and DOJ guidance but isn't codified in ADA regulations for private businesses.

Emergency injunction focus. The French lawsuit seeks immediate injunctive relief through an emergency procedure. U.S. ADA Title III also only provides injunctive relief (not damages), but the procedural speed differs significantly.

Explicit organizational standing. The EAA explicitly grants advocacy organizations the right to bring enforcement actions. U.S. law focuses on individual standing, though advocacy groups often support individual plaintiffs.

Regulatory coordination. The EAA integrates with broader EU regulatory frameworks. Member state enforcement authorities work alongside private litigation. The U.S. relies primarily on private litigation with limited DOJ enforcement.

┌────────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┐
│            Aspect              │           ADA (U.S.)            │           EAA (EU)              │
├────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Technical Standard             │ No codified standard;           │ EN 301 549 (incorporates        │
│                                │ WCAG referenced in case law     │ WCAG 2.1 AA) legally required   │
├────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Who Can Sue                    │ Individuals (often with         │ Individuals AND advocacy        │
│                                │ specialized law firms)          │ organizations explicitly        │
├────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Regulatory Enforcement         │ Limited DOJ enforcement         │ Designated authorities in       │
│                                │                                 │ each member state               │
├────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Damages Available              │ Title III: Injunctive only      │ Varies by member state;         │
│                                │ (State laws may add damages)    │ fines + injunctive relief       │
├────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┤
│ Primary Targets                │ 77% e-commerce                  │ E-commerce, banking,            │
│                                │                                 │ transport, telecom              │
└────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────┘

What the French Retailers Should Have Done

The tragedy of this lawsuit is that it was entirely preventable. Here's what these retailers could have done differently:

1. Responded to the July Formal Notice

When ApiDV, Droit Pluriel, and Intérêt à Agir sent formal legal notices in July 2025, these retailers had an opportunity. They could have:

• Acknowledged the complaint and committed to remediation
• Engaged with the organizations to understand specific barriers
• Developed and published a concrete remediation timeline
• Demonstrated progress before the September deadline

Instead, according to the plaintiffs, they showed "indifference."

2. Achieved More Than 50% Compliance After Years of Notice

E. Leclerc's progression from 32% to 50% RGAA compliance between 2023 and 2025 represents two years of work—and they're still only halfway there. For a company with E. Leclerc's resources (France's largest retailer by market share), this pace is indefensible.

Accessibility remediation doesn't have to take years. With the right approach—automated remediation tools, expert guidance, and organizational commitment—significant improvements can happen in weeks, not years.

3. Made Their Accessibility Statement Honest

French law requires companies to publish accessibility statements. These statements must honestly report compliance status. A 50% compliance rate isn't a technical detail to bury—it's a public admission that half of users with disabilities cannot use your service.

4. Prioritized Accessibility in Development

These retailers have had since 2016 to build accessibility into their development processes. The shift-left approach to accessibility—integrating accessibility testing into CI/CD pipelines, training developers, making accessibility a release criterion—would have prevented this situation entirely.

What E-Commerce Businesses Should Do Now

Whether you're subject to the EAA, the ADA, or both, the French lawsuits offer a clear action plan:

1. Understand Your Regulatory Exposure

If you sell to EU customers, you're subject to the EAA. If you sell to U.S. customers, you're subject to ADA risk. Many businesses face both. Map your exposure:

• Which EU member states do you serve?
• What percentage of revenue comes from EU customers?
• What digital properties (websites, apps, customer portals) are customer-facing?

2. Conduct a Real Accessibility Audit

Not a checkbox exercise—a genuine assessment against EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA standards. This means:

• Automated scanning to identify obvious violations
• Manual testing by accessibility experts
• User testing with people who use assistive technologies
• Documentation of all findings with remediation priorities

See our Website Accessibility Testing Checklist for a comprehensive approach.

3. Build a Remediation Plan with Real Timelines

An audit without remediation is just documentation of your liability. Create a concrete plan:

• Prioritize issues by severity (critical barriers first)
• Assign ownership to specific teams
• Set milestone deadlines
• Budget for external expertise if needed

For realistic expectations, see How Long Does Website Accessibility Take to Fix?

4. Don't Rely on Overlays

If you're tempted to install an accessibility widget or overlay as a quick fix—don't.

The FTC fined accessiBe $1 million in January 2025 for false advertising about their overlay's ability to achieve compliance. Over 1,000 businesses were sued in 2024 despite having accessibility widgets installed.

Overlays don't fix underlying code issues. They create an illusion of accessibility while leaving actual barriers in place. European regulators, like U.S. courts, will see through this.

Real compliance requires source-code remediation—fixing the actual HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that creates barriers.

5. Prepare for Formal Complaints

If an advocacy group or individual sends a formal accessibility complaint, treat it seriously:

• Acknowledge receipt immediately
• Engage constructively (don't ignore or dismiss)
• Provide a concrete response timeline
• Document all communications
• Begin remediation immediately

The French retailers' "indifference" turned a solvable problem into a lawsuit. Don't make the same mistake.

6. Publish an Honest Accessibility Statement

The EAA requires accessibility statements. Make yours honest:

• State your current conformance level accurately
• List known accessibility issues
• Describe your remediation plan
• Provide contact information for accessibility feedback

An honest statement that acknowledges gaps and describes a remediation plan is better than a dishonest statement claiming full compliance.

The Business Case Beyond Compliance

Legal risk is a powerful motivator—but it's not the only reason to prioritize accessibility.

Market Size

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.3 billion people globally—16% of the world's population—experience significant disability. In France alone, 12 million people are affected by accessibility issues.

These aren't edge cases. They're a substantial market segment that inaccessible competitors cannot serve.

SEO Benefits

Many accessibility best practices align with SEO best practices. Proper heading structure, descriptive alt text, semantic HTML, fast page loads—these help both screen reader users and search engine crawlers understand your content.

We've documented this relationship in The Strategic Guide to Accessibility-First SEO Success.

Brand Reputation

The French retailers are now publicly associated with discrimination against disabled people. Every news article about these lawsuits—including this one—mentions their names.

Conversely, brands that lead on accessibility build reputation among disability communities and allies. Accessibility becomes a competitive differentiator.

Future-Proofing

Accessibility requirements are only expanding. The EAA, ADA enforcement, DOJ's Title II web accessibility rule for government entities—the regulatory trend is clear. Building accessibility into your processes now avoids repeated remediation as requirements tighten.

What Comes Next: Predictions for EAA Enforcement

The French lawsuits are the beginning, not the end. Here's what to expect:

More Lawsuits in France

The organizations behind these lawsuits have demonstrated a successful model: formal notice, reasonable deadline, documentation of non-compliance, emergency injunction. Expect them to apply this model to other industries and companies.

Expansion to Other Member States

Disability rights organizations across the EU are watching the French case closely. Successful enforcement in France will encourage similar actions in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and other member states with active disability advocacy communities.

Regulatory Authority Actions

Beyond private litigation, EU member states have designated regulatory authorities to enforce the EAA. These authorities can conduct market surveillance, require accessibility demonstrations, and impose administrative penalties.

Sweden's PTS (Post and Telecom Authority) has already announced market surveillance of devices under the EAA. Similar regulatory actions for websites and apps will follow.

Cross-Border Enforcement Coordination

The EAA includes mechanisms for cross-border enforcement. A Spanish consumer with a complaint against a French company can work with Spanish enforcement authorities, who coordinate with French counterparts.

This creates complexity for businesses but also means you can't avoid enforcement by targeting certain markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the European Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) is an EU law that requires products and services—including websites, mobile apps, e-commerce platforms, and digital services—to be accessible to people with disabilities. It became enforceable on June 28, 2025, and applies to businesses selling to EU consumers regardless of where they're headquartered.

What happened in the French EAA lawsuits?

On November 12, 2025, disability rights organizations ApiDV and Droit Pluriel, supported by legal collective Intérêt à Agir, filed emergency injunctions against French grocery retailers Auchan, Carrefour, E. Leclerc, and Picard Surgelés. The lawsuits allege the retailers' websites and apps discriminate against visually impaired users by failing to meet accessibility requirements under the EAA.

Does the EAA apply to U.S. companies?

Yes. The EAA applies to any business selling products or services to EU consumers, regardless of where the business is headquartered. If your U.S. e-commerce site accepts orders from EU customers, you're subject to EAA requirements.

What accessibility standard does the EAA require?

The EAA references EN 301 549, the harmonized European standard for ICT accessibility. EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA as its foundation for web and mobile accessibility. Businesses that achieve WCAG 2.1 AA conformance are generally compliant with EN 301 549's digital accessibility requirements.

How is EAA enforcement different from ADA enforcement?

Key differences include: (1) the EAA explicitly grants advocacy organizations standing to file complaints and lawsuits; (2) EN 301 549 is a legally referenced technical standard, while the ADA has no codified web standard; (3) EU member states have designated regulatory authorities for enforcement alongside private litigation; (4) the French emergency injunction procedure emphasizes speed and injunctive relief.

Can an accessibility overlay make my site EAA compliant?

No. Accessibility overlays don't fix underlying code issues and don't provide genuine compliance with EN 301 549 or WCAG standards. The FTC fined accessiBe $1 million for false advertising about overlay capabilities. European regulators will evaluate actual accessibility, not the presence of a widget. Source-code remediation is required for genuine compliance.

What should I do if I receive an accessibility complaint about my EU-facing website?

Treat it seriously: acknowledge receipt immediately, engage constructively with the complainant, provide a concrete timeline for remediation, document all communications, and begin fixing identified issues immediately. The French retailers' "indifference" turned manageable complaints into litigation—don't make the same mistake.

Related TestParty Resources

Understanding EAA and International Compliance

• Website Accessibility Remediation: What You Need to Know Now That EAA Enforcement Is Underway
• WCAG 2.2 Is Now ISO 40500:2025: What This Historic Milestone Means
• What Are the Legal Requirements for Website Accessibility?
• What's the Difference Between ADA and WCAG?

WCAG Compliance Guides

• WCAG 2.2 AA Compliance Guide
• What WCAG Conformance Level Do I Need?
• The Technical Hunting Ground: WCAG Violations That Trigger Lawsuits
• Technical Remediation Checklist: The 50-Point WCAG Compliance Audit

Testing and Remediation

• Website Accessibility Testing Checklist: Complete QA Guide
• Automated Accessibility Remediation: Everything You Need to Know
• How Long Does Website Accessibility Take to Fix?
• How to Actually Shift-Left Accessibility

Why Overlays Don't Work

• Can I Install an Accessibility Widget to Avoid Lawsuits?
• The Death of Accessibility Overlays: Why the Industry Is Moving to Source Code

E-Commerce Specific

• Retail E-Commerce Accessibility
• Is My Shopify Store ADA Compliant?
• The Business Case for Digital Accessibility

Sources

• Intérêt à Agir: Assignation en référé des entreprises Auchan, Carrefour, E. Leclerc et Picard Surgelés (Primary source, November 2025)
• EcommerceMag: Distribution - 4 géants assignés en justice pour manquement à l'accessibilité (November 12, 2025)
• European Commission: European Accessibility Act Overview
• EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2019/882 - European Accessibility Act
• ETSI: EN 301 549 V3.2.1 - Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services
• W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
• Lainey Feingold: European Accessibility Act Enforcement and Implementation
• Lainey Feingold: France Digital Accessibility Law
• FTC: Order Requires accessiBe to Pay $1 Million for Deceptive Claims
• World Health Organization: Disability Overview
• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: WCAG Overview

Last updated: December 9, 2025

The EAA is now being enforced through the courts. Don't wait for a formal complaint to land in your inbox. Get a free accessibility audit and see how TestParty's automated remediation can bring your e-commerce site into EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.2 AA compliance—before advocacy groups come knocking.