Spain Web Accessibility

Spain Web Accessibility Laws

The main web accessibility law in Spain is the European Directive on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies, known as EN 301549. The E.U. Web Accessibility Directive was enacted in 2016, ratified by the E.U. Parliament and the Council of the E.U. It primarily applies to government agencies but does have consequences for private organizations as well. As of today, all public sector bodies in E.U. Member States must comply with EN 301 549 standards, including Spain.

Accessibility Standard EN 301549 applies to government agencies, government-funded bodies, and third-party contractors who provide services to the government. Non-compliance may result in exceeding penalties, as mechanisms for complaint were put in place by the legislators.

LSSI and SRD compliance

Spanish Law 34/2002 on Information Society Services and Electronic Commerce (LSSI) establishes the obligation for service providers, including websites, to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. It references WCAG 2.0 AA as the standard to follow for web accessibility.

The Spanish Royal Decree 1112/2018, known as the Law of Accessibility and Electronic Services for Information Society, further specifies the technical requirements for web accessibility based on WCAG 2.0. It applies to public sector bodies as well as private entities providing services of general interest.

Moreover, several autonomous communities in Spain have their own accessibility regulations and guidelines that may supplement the national laws. For example, the Catalonia region has its own specific legislation on web accessibility, known as Law 19/2014 on accessibility in Catalonia.

At EqualWeb, we recommend you remediate and audit your website against WCAG 2.1 guidelines to avoid any legal risk and to open your doors to the large population of individuals living with disabilities.