EN 301 549
The European standard for the accessibility requirements of ICT products and services. It is technical and voluntary on its own, but other rules take it as a reference.
About the rule
- Type
- European technical standard
- Version cited
- ETSI EN 301 549 V3.2.1, March 2021
- Bodies
- ETSI, CEN and CENELEC
- Web part
- Its clause on web content builds on WCAG 2.1, level AA
- Official source
- ETSI, EN 301 549 V3.2.1 (2021-03)
What it says, in broad terms
It gathers accessibility requirements for information and communication technology products and services. For web content it points to WCAG, version 2.1 at level AA.
We measure against WCAG 2.2 AA. Since WCAG 2.2 includes the criteria of 2.1, a 2.2 measurement also checks what that version of EN 301 549 asks for.
The four principles of web accessibility
WCAG, the technical reference we measure against, groups its criteria into four principles.
Perceivable
Visitors can perceive the information by sight, hearing or touch. For example, alternative text on product photos or enough contrast on buttons.
Operable
Everything can be used with a keyboard and without unfair time limits, and controls are big enough to press.
Understandable
Text reads well, the site behaves as expected and form errors say what happened and how to fix it.
Robust
The code is interpreted correctly by different browsers and by assistive technologies such as screen readers.
Where it is used as a reference
A summary by area. Each rule that cites it sets how.
Public administrations
It is the technical reference of the European framework for the accessibility of public websites and apps.
Private companies
It can be taken as a technical reference to meet the requirements of other rules. Whether yours accepts it is for your adviser or lawyer to confirm.
Technology procurement
It is used as an accessibility criterion when buying ICT products and services.
What we measure
- Text contrast: at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (WCAG criterion 1.4.3, which EN 301 549 takes up for the web). Method: an automatic check in the browser.
- Alternative text, form labels, keyboard and structure, with partial coverage.
What we don't measure
- The clauses of the standard that are not about web content, such as hardware, documents or product documentation.
- Whether your website meets the standard as a whole: that needs an evaluation with human review.
- Whether a law asks you to follow it.
Pending review by an adviser or lawyer
We could not confirm this against the official source, or it depends on your case. Don't take it as valid until someone has reviewed it.
- Which version of the standard is in force under each legal framework, and whether a newer one than V3.2.1 exists.
- How it relates to RD 1112/2018 and Law 11/2023 in practice.
- The exact scope of each use as a reference listed above.
Open the official source. Page written on 1 November 2026.
Other rules you may have heard of
Each one answers a different question. The pages complement each other.
Law 11/2023
The Spanish law that transposes the European directive on the accessibility of products and services. Here is what it says in broad terms and what we can measure on an online shop.
See the page
RD 1112/2018
The Spanish royal decree on the accessibility of public sector websites and mobile apps. It is the rule most often mixed up with the ones for online shops.
See the page
WCAG
The W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. They are not a law: they are the technical reference we measure against.
See the page
ADA
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a United States law. It only matters to you if you sell or provide a service there, and it is a subject for a lawyer.
See the page
EAA
The European Accessibility Act is Directive (EU) 2019/882. It is the European rule that affects people who sell online the most.
See the page
Start by measuring your shop.
The automatic audit measures what can be measured from the outside and tells you what is left for your adviser or lawyer.