EN 301 549

EN 301 549 is a European standard specifying accessibility requirements for
information and communications technology (ICT) products and services. It is
published by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and
referenced by both the Web Accessibility Directive and the European
Accessibility Act as the harmonised technical standard for digital
accessibility compliance in the EU.
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Structure

EN 301 549 covers a broader range of ICT than WCAG alone. Its requirements
are organised into chapters addressing different types of technology:

Relationship to WCAG

Chapter 9 of EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA by reference
for web content. This means that for websites and web applications, meeting
WCAG 2.1 AA satisfies the web content requirements of EN 301 549.

However EN 301 549 goes beyond WCAG for non-web content. Chapter 10 applies
WCAG-derived criteria to documents such as PDFs, Word files, and
spreadsheets. Chapter 11 applies similar criteria to native mobile
applications and desktop software.
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Versions

EN 301 549 has been updated several times since its initial publication:

Scanning against EN 301 549

Because Chapter 9 of EN 301 549 maps directly to WCAG 2.1 AA, automated
accessibility scanning tools that test against WCAG 2.1 also satisfy the
web content requirements of EN 301 549. Tools such as a11ytest.ai include
EN 301 549 in their tag set, allowing organisations to confirm coverage
against the standard in a single scan.
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The non-web chapters (10 and 11) require separate testing approaches for
documents and native applications that go beyond standard web scanning.

Who needs to comply

• Public sector bodies in EU member states under the Web Accessibility Directive
• Private sector organisations providing covered products and services in the
  EU under the European Accessibility Act from 28 June 2025
• Organisations tendering for public contracts in the EU, where accessibility
  compliance is increasingly a procurement requirement

References

1. ETSI. EN 301 549 V3.2.1 — Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services. https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/301500_302000/301549/03.02.01_60/en_301549v030201p.pdf ↑
2. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. EN 301 549 and WCAG. https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/wcag2-ict/ ↑
3. A11YTEST.AI LTD. a11ytest.ai — Automated Accessibility Scanning. https://a11ytest.ai ↑