The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a major law that goes into effect on June 28, 2025, aiming to make video content more accessible for people with disabilities. It applies to everything from videos, websites, and digital services to apps and livestreams.

But regardless of how you serve video content in the EU, this isn’t just about ticking legal boxes. It’s a chance to make your content more inclusive and reach more viewers.

In this article, we’ll walk through what the EAA means for video creators and media teams, with a clear checklist to help you prepare. We’ll also show how tools like Kapwing’s Closed Captions feature can help you stay ahead quickly and affordably.

Table of Contents

• What is the European Accessibility Act?
• Who Does the EAA Apply To?
• What Does the EAA Require for Video Content Accessibility?
• EAA Compliance Checklist for Video Creators
• Do I Need to Update Older Videos Posted Before 2025?
• Tools to Meet EAA Compliance

What is the European Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an EU law aimed at making everyday products and services accessible to people with disabilities. It covers a broad range of digital experiences, from websites and e-commerce apps to media services and videos.

If video is part of your product or marketing (think YouTube videos, website video embeds, webinars, video ads, etc.), you should pay close attention.

The law aligns with established accessibility guidelines (like the WCAG 2.2 web standards) and, in simple terms, it means your content must be easy to see, use, and understand. For video, that translates to providing alternatives for those who can’t hear audio or see visuals.

Each EU member state will enforce its own rules and set penalties, including financial fines, bans from selling in the EU market, and more. EAA compliance isn’t optional, it’s essential for anyone creating digital video content in 2025 and beyond.

Who Does the EAA Apply To? (Websites, Apps, Social Media, and More)

If you create or distribute digital content or services in the EU (even as a non-EU company serving EU customers), you likely need to comply.

Let’s look at how this affects the key areas for content creators and media teams:

• Websites and Mobile Apps: If you host videos on your own site or app, including e-commerce platforms, educational tools, or corporate websites, those videos must be accessible. At a minimum, this means providing closed captions for spoken content.
• Social Media Platforms: Even if you mainly publish on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, the content should meet accessibility guidelines. Social media accessibility is essential. While many platforms offer built-in auto-captioning, it's your responsibility to ensure captions are accurate and complete. That's why many content teams use third-party Closed Captions tools to improve reliability, especially since auto-captions on platforms like YouTube can be inconsistent.
• Digital Advertising and Promotions: If you run video ads in the EU market, those must also be made accessible. This includes applying closed captions to spoken content and ensuring that any on-screen text or visuals are clear and readable.

• Video Conferencing and Webinars: If you host webinars or virtual events open to the public (especially for EU attendees), make sure you use a platform that supports accessibility features like live captioning for real-time speech. Purely private or internal meetings aren’t subject to these EAA rules, unless an attendee needs an accommodation.
• Entertainment and Media Services: Under the EAA, broadcasters, streaming platforms, and independent creators distributing films, TV episodes, news videos, or narrative-driven games must ensure content is accessible. This requires closed captions for dialogue and key sounds, and could also include audio descriptions and accessible playback controls.

What Does the EAA Require for Video Content Accessibility?

Accessible video content under the EAA means that anyone, including those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low-vision, or with other impairments, can perceive and understand your video’s information. In practice, this rule applies to any video content that is publicly accessible in EU countries. If people in the EU can view your videos, those videos need to be made accessible.

To meet EAA requirements, videos with audio must include closed captions. Other features, like transcripts, audio descriptions, or sign language, may be required depending on the content type and audience needs.

Here's a breakdown of all video and audio accessibility inclusions:

▶ Must include: Closed Captions for Dialogue

• Text equivalents for all spoken words in the video, as well as key non-speech audio (e.g., music cues, applause, sound effects).
• Captions must be accurate, synchronized, and available in the language of the content.
• This is the core legal requirement for video accessibility under the EAA, and you should start familiarizing yourself with how to use captioning tools.

▶  Recommended (not legally required for video): Transcripts

• A text version of audio/video content, useful for screen readers, reference, or alternative consumption of the content.
• Legally required for audio-only content
• Transcripts support broader accessibility and cannot be used as a substitute for captions in video.

▶ Required in certain circumstances: Audio Description

• A secondary audio track or integrated narration that describes important visual elements for users who are blind or have low vision.
• Required when visuals carry key information not conveyed through audio (e.g., scene changes, on-screen text, visual actions).
• Audio description example, “A man walks onto a dark stage and lights a candle,” spoken during a pause in dialogue.

▶ Required where appropriate: Sign Language Interpretation

• Necessary when the audience includes Deaf users who rely on sign language (e.g., educational content, public service announcements, webinars).

Accessibility also applies to visual presentation. Captions and any on-screen text should use a clear, legible font with sufficient size and high color contrast against the background.

Don’t place captions over important visuals. Keep them in a clear spot, usually at the bottom center, without covering anything the viewer needs to see.

EAA Compliance Checklist for Video Creators

Below is an actionable checklist you can use to audit your video content for EAA compliance. Ensure each item is checked off for every video you publish going forward:

✔ Captions for All Speech and Sounds: Add closed captions to every video. Captions should include all spoken dialogue and important sounds (e.g., “[door creaks]”, “[music playing]”). They must be accurate and time-synced with the video. 

Tip: Use a tool like Kapwing’s Closed Caption generator to quickly create captions, then review and edit for accuracy.

✔ Live Captions for Live Streams: If you host live webinars, streams, or meetings, arrange for real-time captioning. Many platforms support live captions, or you can use a third-party live captioning service.

Tip: YouTube, TikTok, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Discord, and most other popular live stream apps already support this.

✔ Transcripts for Audio: Transcripts are optional for video but required for audio-only content like podcasts.

Tip: Transcripts help with accessibility and have SEO benefits, too (search engines can index the text).

This next section offers a set of further recommendations. These features are either required in specific contexts or considered best practices depending on the audience, content type, or how the EAA is implemented in individual EU member states. You should read the full European Accessibility Act or seek legal advice for a full understanding of the law.

• Audio Description for Visuals: If visual elements contain key meaning (charts, actions, silent sequences), then audio description is necessary. For purely dialogue-driven content, it may not be required.
• Sign Language: For content such as educational videos, public service announcements, or conferences, consider adding a sign language interpreter.
• Accessible Player and Controls: If you’re embedding or hosting your own video player, it must support keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and user control over features like captions.

• Accessibility Statement: This is mandatory under the EU Web Accessibility Directive (which applies mainly to the public sector and some large organizations). It’s not a universal EAA requirement, but a good practice.
• Testing and Maintenance: Not explicitly required, but essential for maintaining compliance. Make accessibility testing part of your ongoing workflow. Don’t “set it and forget it.”

Do I Need to Update Older Videos Posted Before 2025?

A concern for many creators is what to do with an existing backlog of videos. The EAA recognizes that retrofitting accessibility into tons of old content can be burdensome. Fortunately, pre-recorded media published before June 28, 2025, on websites and apps are largely exempt from the new requirements. However, they must be made accessible by June 28, 2030.

Likewise, the EAA does not apply to micro-enterprises, defined as businesses with fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million annual revenue. If you fall into this category, you are exempt from these accessibility requirements – though it’s wise to double-check your country’s specific rules and consider accessibility best practices voluntarily.

Tools to Meet EAA Compliance

Complying with these accessibility requirements might sound like a lot of extra work, but Kapwing can streamline much of the process, especially when it comes to captions and transcripts.

Closed Captions

You can create closed captions in a few clicks using Kapwing. Simply select “Subtitles” on the left-hand toolbar of the editor, and a box will appear. Here, you can select the output language of your subtitles and auto-generate them.

Following this, you can add details such as sound effects and speaker labels to turn them in closed captions — just follow the video below!

EAA-friendly Caption Styles

Kapwing's auto-generated black and white subtitles are EAA-friendly in terms of style and readability. However, you can also customize the font, size, color, and position of your subtitles. And, with a saved branded style, your captions can be both compliant and aesthetically pleasing.

Automatic Transcription 

Using Kapwing’s Auto-transcript feature, you can generate a transcript of your audio. The transcript can be edited for accuracy and even downloaded.

AI transcription is highly accurate and supports 100+ languages, saving you time, especially on long videos.

Other Accessibility Features

Beyond closed captions, Kapwing offers tools like Text to Speech, which could be used to create audio voice overs and audio descriptions, either by using a stock voice or by creating a clone of your own — and Kapwing can support audio in 45+ languages!

By incorporating these tools, you’re not just ticking a legal box – you’re making better content. Captions and transcripts also improve social media engagement and SEO, and audio descriptions can make your videos usable in audio-only contexts. Within the Kapwing studio, you can publish directly to YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook.

Not only does this streamline the process from adding closed captions to publishing, but it also ensures you are publishing on video hosting platforms that adhere to the EAA requirements.