Website accessibility: what the 2025 accessibility law changes

As of 28 June 2025, a portion of Lithuanian businesses must ensure their websites and mobile apps are accessible to people with disabilities — meaning they meet the WCAG 2.1 AA level. This is set out in the national Accessibility Act, which transposes EU Directive 2019/882 (the European Accessibility Act). In practice, your website must be usable by someone navigating with a keyboard only, by a low-vision user enlarging text, and by a blind user listening through a screen reader. This guide explains who the requirements apply to, what they mean in everyday language, and where to start.

Accessibility is not an extra feature "for disabled people" — it is baseline quality that benefits roughly one in five of your visitors.

What changed on 28 June 2025

The European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) is implemented in Lithuania through the Accessibility Requirements Act, whose provisions started applying on 28 June 2025. Before that date, accessibility duties essentially covered only public-sector websites. From 2025 the scope expanded to the private sector as well — at least for services in certain regulated sectors that are provided online.

Who exactly must comply, and how conformity is assessed, is overseen by the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority (VVTAT). You will find official, regularly updated information on the VVTAT site (vvtat.lrv.lt) and in the guidelines prepared by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. Because the details of scope can change, always verify the current wording in official sources before making compliance decisions — the figures below are illustrative (2026).

The core change, simply put: if your business falls within the list of regulated services, accessibility becomes a legal obligation, not a goodwill gesture. Non-conformity is subject to supervision and enforcement measures.

Who the requirements apply to — does this affect your business

The law targets consumer-facing services delivered by electronic means. The sectors where requirements are most relevant typically include:

• E-commerce — online stores and any website selling goods or services to consumers.
• Banking and financial services for consumers.
• Electronic communications and transport services (ticketing, timetables).
• E-books and audio/video content platforms.

There are also exemptions. The most commonly cited one is for micro-enterprises providing services — that is, businesses with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover below EUR 2 million, with respect to services. Important: this exemption has nuances and does not always cover every case, so do not automatically assume you are exempt — check your specific situation in the VVTAT guidelines or consult a specialist.

Even if you formally fall outside the scope, accessibility still pays off: you widen your audience, improve SEO and deliver a better user experience. And the regulatory landscape evolves — the scope may broaden in future.

What WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA means in plain language

The technical basis is the international WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). The law relies on the WCAG AA level (version 2.1, and increasingly 2.2 in practice). It sounds complex, but most of it is simply good web craftsmanship. Here are the four key building blocks.

Text contrast and readability

Text must stand out clearly from its background. WCAG AA requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text and important elements. In practice: no light-grey text on white, no barely-visible buttons. Text must be resizable up to 200% without losing content or functionality. Contrast is easy to check with free tools (e.g. the WebAIM Contrast Checker).

Keyboard navigation

The entire site must be usable without a mouse — keyboard only (Tab to move between elements, Enter to activate). This is vital for people with motor impairments and for screen-reader users. The check takes a minute: press Tab and see whether the focus indicator is visible (an outline around the active element) and whether every link, button and form field is reachable.

Alternative text for images

Every meaningful image needs alt text — a short description read aloud by a screen reader for blind users. Decorative images get an empty alt attribute so the reader skips them. This also helps SEO — Google indexes alt text.

Clear structure for screen readers

A page needs a logical heading hierarchy (one H1, then H2, H3...), meaningful link text (not "click here" but "view pricing") and properly labelled forms (each field with a label). From this structure, a screen reader "tells" the user where they are and where each link leads.

Why accessibility is good for business too

Accessibility is often framed as a burden, but it is genuinely an investment that returns:

• A larger audience. The World Health Organization estimates that around 15% of people live with some form of disability. Add older users who rely on larger text and contrast, and you have a significant slice of the market that an inaccessible site simply loses.
• Better SEO. Many accessibility practices overlap with what Google rewards: clean heading structure, alt text, semantic HTML, speed. An accessible site often ranks better too.
• Higher conversion for everyone. Clear buttons, good contrast and easy navigation improve the experience for every visitor, not only those with disabilities. That feeds directly into inquiry volume.
• Reputation and risk reduction. Compliance keeps regulators at bay and signals a responsible brand.

How to check your website's accessibility

You can do a first pass yourself in half an hour:

1. Automated tools. Install the WAVE browser extension (wave.webaim.org) or run a Lighthouse audit in Chrome (the "Accessibility" section). They immediately flag contrast, alt-text and structure errors.
2. Keyboard test. Unplug your mouse and traverse the whole site with Tab — is everything reachable, is focus visible?
3. Zoom test. Zoom the browser to 200% — does content stay readable without overlapping?
4. Contrast check. Verify your main text and button colours with a Contrast Checker.

Keep one thing in mind: automated tools catch only about 30–40% of issues. The rest (e.g. whether link text is meaningful, whether forms are logical) needs manual review or a specialist. For a quick overall picture of your site's health — including speed and technical signals — run our free website check.

First steps to adapt

You do not have to fix everything in a day. Start with what delivers the most value:

1. Run an audit and list issues by priority (first: contrast, keyboard, alt text).
2. Fix contrast and alt text — usually quick work that does not touch site structure.
3. Test forms and navigation by keyboard — ensure visible focus and proper labels.
4. Sort out heading hierarchy and link text.
5. Add an accessibility statement describing your conformity status and a contact for feedback — this is often a required formal element.
6. Plan for ongoing maintenance — accessibility "erodes" every time you add new content, so build it into your routine.

If your site is old or technically dated, it is sometimes cheaper and more reliable to bake accessibility in by rebuilding rather than patching the old one. More on that under web development, where accessibility is built in from the start rather than bolted on later.

Note: the requirements and deadlines above are illustrative (2026) and may change. Always verify the exact scope of compliance in official sources — VVTAT (vvtat.lrv.lt), the Ministry of Social Security and Labour guidelines, and EU Directive 2019/882 (EUR-Lex).

Want to know whether your website meets accessibility requirements and which fixes to make first? Start with a free website check, and if you need a concrete plan and assessment, book a consultation. We will help bring your site up to standard so it is accessible to all visitors and meets current requirements.