# EN 301 549-Oriented Accessibility Guidance

Connect accessibility issues to EN 301 549, the European standard for ICT accessibility underpinning the WAD and EAA.

## Scope

Use this guidance when:

- The context is European (EU institutions, member-state public sector, or companies selling into the EU market).
- The question involves public sector websites/apps, or EAA-covered products/services.
- The user mentions EN 301 549, EAA, WAD, or harmonized standards.

## Key Concepts

- **Broad ICT scope**: Web content, non-web documents, software, mobile apps, hardware (kiosks, ATMs), telecom, biometrics, and support services.
- **Edition and WCAG linkage**: EN 301 549 V3.2.1 (2021) is the key stable edition, aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA.
- **Relationship to laws**: Underpins both the EU Web Accessibility Directive (public sector) and the European Accessibility Act (private sector products/services).

## How to Apply in Reviews

1. Anchor in WCAG 2.1 AA for digital UX, clarifying these criteria sit inside EN 301 549.
2. Call out non-web aspects when present (hardware, documentation, support).
3. Connect to WAD and EAA where helpful.
4. Recommend WCAG 2.1 AA-based test plans that also capture EN 301 549-specific clauses.

All guidance is informational only, not legal or regulatory advice.

## Common Mistakes

- Treating EN 301 549 as "just WCAG" and missing non-web requirements.
- Over-quoting version changes instead of focusing on stable, testable expectations.
- Mixing WAD vs EAA contexts without clarifying public sector vs consumer products.
- Forgetting to recommend structured testing and documentation practices.
