Since 28 June 2025, digital accessibility is no longer an optional best practice: it is a legal requirement for a large share of Belgian businesses. In 2026, this obligation becomes concrete for many SMEs: e-commerce sites, online banking services and consumer-facing digital platforms must now meet precise criteria, or face sanctions that can climb up to 200,000 euros.
1. Who is affected, and who isn't yet
The European Accessibility Act, transposed into Belgian law, applies to websites and mobile apps, self-service and payment terminals, and identification systems, as soon as they face consumers. E-commerce and online banking services are explicitly covered. Micro-enterprises, fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet under two million euros, get an additional grace period until 28 June 2030. Every other business covered by the rule must already comply.
2. What the law actually requires
A compliant site must be perceivable, usable, understandable and robust for people with visual, hearing or motor disabilities. In practice: text readable by screen readers, alternatives to visuals such as charts or diagrams, keyboard navigation, and clearly structured forms. Businesses must also publish an accessibility statement setting out the compliance level, any non-conforming points, and a way to report an issue. Belgium's SPF Économie has published dedicated guidelines for e-commerce services, with concrete examples of good and poor practice.
3. Sanctions that are no longer symbolic
Non-compliance carries administrative sanctions. They can reach 200,000 euros or 6% of annual turnover for the most serious breaches. For e-commerce and consumer banking services, Belgium's Inspection économique (part of SPF Économie) enforces these obligations, whether following a complaint or on its own initiative.
4. Compliance that needs planning
A full accessibility audit takes time: reviewing code, content, and user journeys. It's better to plan for it on a roadmap than to discover it during an inspection. Businesses redesigning their site in 2026 are better off building these criteria in from the start rather than fixing them afterwards, which always costs more and takes longer.
The AI lens, people first
An AI tool can scan a site automatically, flag insufficient contrast, generate alt text for hundreds of images, or spot missing tags within minutes. But real accessibility is also checked by hand: keyboard navigation, consistency across user journeys, whether a screen reader actually makes sense of the content. Deciding priorities and validating compliance remain expert calls. Our stance: AI executes, expertise decides and watches.
This week
Check whether your site publishes an accessibility statement. If it doesn't, and your business is above the micro-enterprise threshold, that's a sign an audit is overdue.
With Vistalaro Build, we develop websites and applications that meet accessibility standards from the design stage, whether on WordPress or fully custom-built. With Vistalaro Pilot, we help prioritise this compliance work within your broader marketing and technical roadmap.
Is your website ready for these new rules?
We audit it with you, no jargon, and flag the priorities.
Let's talk