EN 301 549 is the EU regulation for creating accessible websites, mobile apps, and ICT products. It was designed to make sure that people with disabilities have equal access to all digital content and products.
What is EN 301 549?

Accessibility laws and legislation
EN 301 549 is the EU regulation for creating accessible websites, mobile apps, and ICT products. It was designed to make sure that people with disabilities have equal access to all digital content and products.
In 2016, Guillermo Robles discovered he couldn’t order a pizza from Domino’s website or mobile app using his screen reader. His lawsuit against Domino’s has had a major impact, turning it into one of the most important digital accessibility lawsuits.
Although there are a number of places who have adopted different standards into their accessibility laws, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines remain the most well-known and have been named as the guidelines to follow in countries all around the world. This blog contains an overview of what digital accessibility regulations look like worldwide.
In Ireland, 1 in 7 people have a disability, which amounts to more than 600,000 people. According to the National Disability Authority (NDA), they are only half as likely to be in employment as others of working age.
The European Accessibility Act was adopted in April 2019 and will introduce harmonised rules on accessibility for private-sector products and services in the EU for the first time.
Access to education is a fundamental right for everyone in Ireland. However, in 2016, the national census showed that only 13% of people in Ireland with a disability were in education. Of these, only 20% completed higher level education.