Estonia

Product and Service Accessibility Act (Toodete ja teenuste ligipääsetavuse seadus), Estonia’s digital accessibility regulation, is governed by the Consumer Protection and Technical Supervision Agency.

What it includes

• E-readers
• Payment terminals
• Ticket machines
• Registration machines
• Cash or payment machines
• Interactive self-service terminals providing information, except for terminals installed as an integrated part of a vehicle, aircraft, ship and rolling stock
• Consumer terminals devices that have interactive data processing capacity and are used to access audiovisual media services
• Consumer’s terminal devices with interactive data processing capacity and which are used in the provision of electronic communication services
• General-purpose computer hardware systems and their operating systems intended for consumer use

Exceptions

The Public Information Act and its accessibility-related amendments outline specific exceptions to digital accessibility requirements. The exclusions in the Act include:

• An internet-based map and mapping service, provided that in the case of a map used for navigation, the most important information is presented in an accessible digital form
• In relation to the content of the website and mobile application offered to a third party, which is not financed or developed by the relevant company and which it cannot influence
• To the self-service terminal integrated in the vehicle, which is used in the provision of any part of the passenger transport service
• For occasional transport to a municipal, city or county line to which only the accessibility requirements for interactive self-service terminals
• The service accessibility requirements do not apply to water transport passenger transport services, listed below:

• On excursions and pleasure trips, excluding sea trips
• On a historical original passenger ship designed before 1965 and its single copy, which is built mostly from original material and is intended to carry up to 36 passengers
• On a sailing ship
• On a ship designed to carry up to 12 passengers
• On a ship whose crew consists of up to three crew members
• On any ship, if the distance of passenger transportation in one direction is less than 500 meters

• The requirements of this Act shall not be applied to the activities of a micro-entrepreneur service provider

Fines and penalties

In Estonia, non-compliance with digital accessibility requirements can result in significant fines. For individuals, penalties can reach up to 10,000 euros, while for legal entities, the fines can be as high as 20,000 euros.

Reporting

Estonia follows the EU-wide mandate for accessibility statements on public sector websites and digital services. These statements are essential for maintaining transparency and accountability.

This statement must be publicly available on their websites and provide clear information on the accessibility status of their digital services, such as whether they meet the required standards or outline existing accessibility issues. The statement should also detail the measures taken to improve accessibility, including any ongoing efforts or plans for remediation. Additionally, the accessibility statement must specify how users can report accessibility problems and request assistance, ensuring that organizations remain accountable and transparent in their commitment to accessible digital experiences.

For the latest and most accurate information on digital accessibility requirements, please refer to the official documentation provided by the Estonian government.