Under the European Accessibility Act (EAA), accessibility and localization are legally intertwined, meaning that your compliance strategy is only as strong as your translation strategy.

To meet EAA translation requirements, businesses must look beyond a “one-size-fits-all” English version and ensure that accessibility features like captions, navigation labels, and support documentation are fully localized for every market they serve within the EU.

For businesses operating within the European Union (EU), you must determine which specific languages are legally necessary to meet the act’s standards for accessibility.

The Intersection of Accessibility and Localization

Take a Proactive Approach

A core principle of the EAA is the emphasis on proactive accessibility. Organizations are expected to integrate accessibility considerations from the initial design phase rather than retroactively tacking them on. Non-compliance can result in serious penalties, underscoring the importance of strategic implementation.

It’s also critical to note that in the EU and UK, the terms “captions” and “subtitles” are often used interchangeably; however, the EAA requirement is for Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH), which includes speaker identification and essential non-speech information. 

The Accessibility Guidelines That Support EAA Compliance

While the EAA sets the legal requirement to make digital products and services accessible, it relies on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the technical standard for how that accessibility is achieved.

WCAG provides a shared framework that organizations across the EU can follow to ensure their websites, apps, and digital content work for people with disabilities. In practice, this means designing and building experiences that are perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR) for all users, including those who rely on assistive technologies.

For most EAA-covered digital services, WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the benchmark used to demonstrate compliance. This includes requirements such as:

• Providing captions for video
• Ensuring sufficient color contrast
• Making all functionality available via keyboard
• Labeling form fields clearly for screen readers
• Structuring content so it can be navigated logically

When these WCAG criteria are applied consistently across every language version of a product, they form the backbone of an EAA-compliant accessibility strategy.

EAA Translation Requirements: Key Areas

To meet the legal standards of the European Accessibility Act, certain elements of your digital ecosystem must be translated to ensure they are perceivable and understandable for all users.

Here are the key areas where translation is mandatory:

Multimedia Accessibility (Video and Audio)

The EAA emphasizes that synchronized media must be accessible to everyone. If you localize the audio or text of a video, the accessibility assets must follow suit.

• Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH): Unlike standard subtitles, SDH includes descriptions of significant sound effects and speaker identification. These must be translated to ensure the full context of the video is available to the local audience.
• Audio Description (AD): The language of the audio description track, which narrates the visual action for blind users, must match the language of the rest of the video.
• Transcripts: Any text-based alternatives for audio content must be available in the same language as the primary media.

User Interface (UI) and Navigation Elements

The structural “skeleton” of your website or app must be accessible in the local language to allow for independent navigation.

• ARIA Labels and Roles: Screen readers rely on these labels to tell a user what a button does (e.g., “Submit” vs. “Envoyer”). These must match the language the user has selected.
• Error Messages and Form Hints: If a user fills out a form incorrectly, the guidance provided must be in their native language to ensure the service is “understandable”, a core pillar of the EAA.
• Menus and Footers: All navigational landmarks must be translated so that users with visual or cognitive disabilities can orient themselves within the site.

Support Services and Help Desks

If you offer assistance to your customers, that assistance must be accessible in the language of the service.

• Help Center Articles: Your knowledge base must be both translated and formatted for screen-reader compatibility.
• Communications: Any support provided via chat, email, or phone must have accessible alternatives (such as text-based chat for the hearing impaired) available in the local language.

Navigating Backlogs and Member State Nuances

Two other areas of common confusion when understanding EAA video requirements include backlog content and member state rules. 

• Member State Rules: Each member state interprets and enforces the EAA baseline differently. Staying informed is key, as not all member states have published specific rules yet.
• Backlog Content: The purpose of your video matters. If you are producing e-learning or streaming videos where video is your product, you have until 2030 to make your backlogs accessible. Marketing videos may be exempt.

Achieving EAA Compliance with 3Play Media

Meeting the European Accessibility Act (EAA) requires delivering accessible, localized video experiences across every market you serve. 3Play Media helps organizations do exactly that by combining accessibility expertise with scalable language services.

From captions and audio description to video translation and dubbing, 3Play ensures that video accessibility features are not only accurate, but also available in the languages your EU audiences actually use.

With support for dozens of languages and a global network of accessibility and language experts, combined with AI-powered workflows and human quality control, 3Play makes it easier to meet WCAG requirements across all your localized content.

Get your copy of our EAA compliance checklist to verify that your video library meets the latest accessibility standards:

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This blog post is written for educational and general information purposes only, and does not constitute specific legal advice. This blog should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

This blog was originally published on September 9, 2025, by Elisa Lewis and has since been updated for accuracy, clarity, and freshness.

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