---
title: "EU Accessibility Act disproportionate burden decision"
canonical_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/disproportionate-burden-decision"
source_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/disproportionate-burden-decision"
author: "Sorena AI"
description: "How to document an EU Accessibility Act Article 14 disproportionate burden decision with supported criteria, retained evidence, limits, notifications, and review triggers."
published_at: "2026-05-09"
updated_at: "2026-05-09"
keywords:
  - "EU Accessibility Act"
  - "EAA"
  - "Directive (EU) 2019/882"
  - "Article 14"
  - "disproportionate burden"
  - "EAA compliance"
  - "EAA evidence"
---
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# EU Accessibility Act disproportionate burden decision

How to document an EU Accessibility Act Article 14 disproportionate burden decision with supported criteria, retained evidence, limits, notifications, and review triggers.

*Artifact Guide* *EU*

## EU Accessibility Act disproportionate burden decision

The EU Accessibility Act sets accessibility requirements for selected consumer products and services, including e-commerce, banking, transport, electronic communications, e-books, and self-service terminals.

Use this page to document when Article 14 is relied on, what Annex VI criteria were assessed, what evidence is retained, and when the assessment must be reopened.

An EU Accessibility Act disproportionate burden decision is not a broad opt-out. Article 14 allows accessibility requirements to apply only to the extent that compliance would not fundamentally alter the product or service and would not impose a disproportionate burden, and it requires a documented assessment against the Directive's criteria.

## When Article 14 can be used

Use this record only after confirming that the product or service is covered by Directive (EU) 2019/882 and that a specific Annex I accessibility requirement is being assessed. The decision should identify whether the issue is a fundamental alteration of the product or service's basic nature, a disproportionate burden, or both.

The Directive narrows the outcome: requirements still apply to the extent they do not create the fundamental alteration or disproportionate burden. The record therefore needs to state which accessibility requirements remain fully applicable and which requirement is limited.

- Name the product or service, covered category, operator role, market or Member State, and the exact Annex I requirement being assessed.
- Separate fundamental alteration from disproportionate burden; do not use cost evidence to justify a change that would instead alter the basic nature of the product or service.
- Do not rely on lack of priority, time, or knowledge as a legitimate reason for non-compliance.
- Do not claim disproportionate burden for financial reasons where public or private funding was provided for improving accessibility.
- For a specific product or service, send information that Article 14 is being relied on to the relevant market surveillance authority or service-compliance authority, unless the Directive's microenterprise exception applies.

Sources for this answer:

- [Directive (EU) 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0882&ref=sorena.io) - Article 14 limits accessibility requirements only where compliance would fundamentally alter the product or service or impose a disproportionate burden, and requires notification when the exception is relied on.

*Recommended next step*

*Placement: after implementation section*

## Review an Article 14 evidence pack

Check whether an EU Accessibility Act disproportionate burden file names the limited requirement, applies Annex VI criteria, keeps the right evidence, and has clear review triggers.

- [Open Research Copilot](/solutions/research-copilot.md): Answer EAA Article 14, scope, and evidence questions with cited outputs.
- [Talk through implementation](/contact.md): Review your scope, evidence model, controls, and next actions.

## Annex VI decision criteria

Annex VI makes the assessment quantitative and product- or service-specific. The record should show the cost basis used, the affected accessibility work, the operator's overall cost or turnover context, and the expected benefit for persons with disabilities.

A useful decision table has one row per accessibility requirement being limited. Each row should include the requirement, proposed accessibility work, one-off organisational costs, ongoing production or development costs, benefit assessment, turnover or overall-cost ratio, conclusion, and remaining accessibility measures.

- One-off organisational costs can include additional accessibility expertise, training, new accessibility processes, accessibility guidance material, and one-off costs of understanding accessibility legislation.
- Ongoing costs can include designing accessibility features, manufacturing process costs, accessibility testing, and documentation.
- Compare estimated operator costs and benefits with the estimated benefit for persons with disabilities, including the amount and frequency of use of the product or service.
- Compare net compliance costs with the economic operator's net turnover.
- Record partial-compliance measures, because the exception should not go beyond what is necessary for the individual product or service.

Sources for this answer:

- [Directive (EU) 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0882&ref=sorena.io) - Annex VI supplies the disproportionate-burden criteria, including cost ratios, accessibility expertise and testing costs, benefits for persons with disabilities, and net turnover comparison.

## Evidence to retain

Article 14 requires economic operators to document the assessment and keep all relevant results for five years from the last making available of a product on the market or after a service was last provided, as applicable. Authorities can request a copy of the assessment.

For products, the Article 14 analysis should sit with the technical documentation because Annex IV says the technical file must be able to demonstrate that relevant accessibility requirements would introduce a fundamental alteration or disproportionate burden when Article 14 is relied on.

- Keep the scoped requirement list, Annex VI cost calculations, benefit assessment, and final conclusion for each requirement being limited.
- Keep design, manufacture, operation, testing, supplier, training, process, and documentation evidence used in the calculation.
- For products, keep the technical documentation, EU declaration of conformity context, and any statement of which requirements are subject to the Article 14 exception.
- For services, keep the general terms or equivalent service information showing how applicable accessibility requirements are met, plus the Article 14 assessment for requirements not fully met.
- Keep authority requests, copies sent to authorities, corrective-action commitments, and any updated assessment versions.

Sources for this answer:

- [Directive (EU) 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0882&ref=sorena.io) - Article 14 sets the five-year retention rule and authority access to the assessment; Annex IV ties Article 14 product reliance to technical documentation.

## Review triggers and authority checks

Service providers relying on disproportionate burden must renew the assessment for each category or type of service when the service changes, when the service-compliance authority requests renewal, and at least every five years. Product records should also be ready for market surveillance review when Article 14 is relied on.

Market surveillance authorities and service-compliance authorities can check whether the Article 14 assessment was conducted and whether the Annex VI criteria were used correctly. That makes the review log part of the evidence, not an administrative afterthought.

- Reopen the assessment when the service offered is altered.
- Reopen it when the competent service authority requests a renewed assessment.
- For services, renew in any event at least every five years.
- Prepare an authority-response pack with the assessment, Annex VI calculations, retained evidence, notification record, and any corrective-action plan.

Sources for this answer:

- [Directive (EU) 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0882&ref=sorena.io) - Article 14 sets service reassessment triggers; Articles 19 and 23 require authorities to check Article 14 assessments for products and services.

## Primary sources

- [Directive (EU) 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0882&ref=sorena.io) - Primary legal source for Article 14 limits, Annex VI disproportionate-burden criteria, five-year retention, notification, reassessment, and authority checks.
  - Quote: "Fundamental alteration and disproportionate burden"
- [European Commission - European Accessibility Act policy page](https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/disability/european-accessibility-act-eaa_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission source used for public-facing EAA context and covered product and service areas.
  - Quote: "European Accessibility Act"
- [ETSI - EN 301 549 accessibility standard overview](https://www.etsi.org/human-factors-accessibility/en-301-549-v3-the-harmonized-european-standard-for-ict-accessibility?ref=sorena.io) - ETSI source used only for ICT accessibility evidence context where teams map technical requirements to products and services.
  - Quote: "Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services"

## Related Topic Guides

- [EAA Accessibility Conformance Statement Template](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/accessibility-conformance-statement-template.md): Template language for an EU Accessibility Act conformance statement covering scope, Annex I mapping, service information, standards, support routes, evidence, and limits.
- [EAA Article 14 disproportionate burden workflow](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/disproportionate-burden-assessment-workflow.md): A grounded EU Accessibility Act workflow for Article 14 fundamental alteration and disproportionate burden assessments, records, reassessment triggers, and evidence.
- [EAA conformance statements: products, services, EN 301 549 evidence](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq/conformance-statements.md): What an EU Accessibility Act conformance statement should include, with product EU declarations, service information, EN 301 549 and WCAG evidence boundaries.
- [EAA e-commerce checkout accessibility FAQ](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq/e-commerce-checkout.md): How to test an e-commerce checkout under the European Accessibility Act, including service scope, payment and identification flows, service information, and evidence.
- [EAA e-commerce checkout accessibility guide](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/e-commerce-checkout-accessibility.md): Grounded EU Accessibility Act guide for accessible e-commerce checkout scope, payment and identification requirements, evidence, standards mapping, and customer information.
- [EAA EN 301 549 and WCAG mapping](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/en-301-549-and-wcag-mapping.md): Map European Accessibility Act Annex I requirements to EN 301 549 and WCAG evidence without overstating what WCAG tests can prove.
- [EAA EN 301 549 clause mapping for ICT evidence](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/en-301-549-clause-mapping.md): Map EN 301 549 clauses to EU Accessibility Act evidence, Annex I outcomes, product and service records, and gaps that need non-ICT support.
- [EAA procurement clauses and accessibility acceptance criteria](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/procurement-language-and-acceptance-criteria.md): Buyer-side EU Accessibility Act procurement language for covered products and services, with supplier evidence, EN 301 549 limits, Article 14 exception records, and acceptance criteria.
- [EAA scope classifier workflow for products and services](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/accessibility-scope-classifier-workflow.md): Classify EU Accessibility Act scope by product or service category, consumer use, market or service date, operator role, exclusions, exemptions, Article 14 records, and evidence.
- [EAA testing and conformance evidence | Annex I, EN 301 549 and Article 14](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/testing-and-conformance-evidence.md): How to document European Accessibility Act testing evidence: Annex I mappings, product technical files, service information, EN 301 549 boundaries, harmonised-standard limits, and Article 14 exception records.
- [EAA WCAG evidence and procurement acceptance](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/wcag-evidence-and-procurement-acceptance.md): How to use EN 301 549 and WCAG evidence in EU Accessibility Act procurement acceptance without overstating presumption of conformity.
- [EN 301 549 clause mapping for the EU Accessibility Act | EAA FAQ](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq/en-301-549-clause-mapping.md): How to map EN 301 549 and WCAG evidence to EU Accessibility Act Annex I requirements without overclaiming presumption of conformity.
- [EN 301 549 evidence matrix workflow for EAA readiness](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/en-301-549-evidence-matrix-workflow.md): Build an EN 301 549 evidence matrix for European Accessibility Act work: scope rows, clause mapping, test evidence, owner sign-off, exception records, and limits of standards evidence.
- [EN 301 549 vs WCAG for EAA evidence](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/en-301-549-vs-wcag.md): Compare EN 301 549 and WCAG for European Accessibility Act planning: ICT scope, web-content overlap, harmonised-standard limits, and evidence beyond WCAG-only tests.
- [EU Accessibility Act Applicability Test](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/applicability-test.md): Check whether the European Accessibility Act covers a product or consumer service, which role applies, which date matters, and what evidence to keep.
- [EU Accessibility Act authority request response FAQ](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq/authority-response.md): How to answer EU Accessibility Act checks from market surveillance or service authorities with technical documentation, service information, Article 14 records, and corrective actions.
- [EU Accessibility Act checklist for products and services](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/checklist.md): Checklist for EAA scope, operator role, Annex I mapping, product technical files, service information, Article 14 assessments, supplier evidence, release checks, and monitoring.
- [EU Accessibility Act compliance operating model](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/compliance.md): Build an EU Accessibility Act compliance file for covered products and services: scope, operator roles, Annex I mapping, conformity evidence, Article 14 assessments, corrective actions, and records.
- [EU Accessibility Act deadlines and compliance calendar](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/deadlines-and-compliance-calendar.md): Calendar for the EU Accessibility Act: 2022 transposition, 2025 application, 2027 emergency communications timing, 2030 transition rules, owner actions, and evidence records.
- [EU Accessibility Act deadlines and transition plan](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/deadlines-and-transition-plan.md): Plan for the European Accessibility Act application date, service-contract transition, self-service terminal transition, 112 derogation, and evidence gates.
- [EU Accessibility Act exemptions and disproportionate burden](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/exemptions-and-disproportionate-burden.md): Article 14 EAA guide covering fundamental alteration, disproportionate burden, service microenterprise exemptions, content exclusions, transition limits, and documentation.
- [EU Accessibility Act FAQ: scope, dates, services, Article 14](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq.md): Clear answers on EU Accessibility Act scope, 28 June 2025 application, covered products and services, microenterprises, Article 14, service information, standards, and penalties.
- [EU Accessibility Act for ecommerce websites](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/accessibility-act-for-ecommerce-websites.md): Grounded guide for ecommerce teams applying the EU Accessibility Act to consumer checkout journeys, service information, accessibility evidence, and exceptions.
- [EU Accessibility Act microenterprise exemption and disproportionate burden FAQ](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq/microenterprise-and-disproportionate-burden-decisions.md): FAQ explaining when EAA microenterprise relief applies, how Article 14 disproportionate-burden assessments work, what Annex VI requires, and what records to keep.
- [EU Accessibility Act penalties and enforcement](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/penalties-and-fines.md): How Directive (EU) 2019/882 handles penalties, Member State enforcement, market surveillance for products, and service compliance checks.
- [EU Accessibility Act procurement acceptance criteria | EAA FAQ](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq/procurement-acceptance.md): How to write EAA procurement acceptance criteria that ask suppliers for scoped accessibility evidence, standards mappings, declarations, and exception records without overclaiming conformity.
- [EU Accessibility Act Product and Service Scope](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/product-and-service-category-scoping.md): Scope products and services under the EU Accessibility Act using Article 2 categories, Article 3 definitions, limited content exclusions, microenterprise treatment, and evidence records.
- [EU Accessibility Act products and services in scope](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/products-and-services-in-scope.md): Article 2 scope guide for the European Accessibility Act: covered products, covered consumer services, economic-operator roles, Article 3 definitions, and evidence records.
- [EU Accessibility Act Requirements: Annex I, Products, Services](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/requirements.md): Map EU Accessibility Act requirements by Article 4, Annex I, product and service obligations, Article 13 evidence, standards, and Article 14 exceptions.
- [EU Accessibility Act service transition rules under Article 32 | EAA FAQ](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq/transition-services.md): FAQ on EU Accessibility Act Article 32 transition rules for service providers, pre-28 June 2025 contracts, 2030 limits, self-service terminals, evidence records, and change triggers.
- [EU Accessibility Act services: banking, transport, media and e-books](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq/banking-transport-and-media-services.md): FAQ on which consumer banking, transport, audiovisual media access, electronic communications, e-book, and e-commerce services fall under the EU Accessibility Act.
- [EU Accessibility Act vs ADA and Section 508: EAA-grounded comparison](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/accessibility-act-vs-ada-and-section-508.md): Compare the EU Accessibility Act with ADA and Section 508 planning boundaries, using grounded EAA scope, evidence, standards, procurement, and operator-duty points.
- [EU Accessibility Act vs Web Accessibility Directive](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/accessibility-act-vs-web-accessibility-directive.md): Compare the European Accessibility Act with the Web Accessibility Directive: scope, covered actors, services, standards, evidence, monitoring, enforcement, and key dates.
- [WCAG Evidence for the EU Accessibility Act and EN 301 549 | EAA FAQ](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq/wcag-evidence.md): When WCAG test evidence helps EAA work, how it maps through EN 301 549, and why WCAG alone does not prove European Accessibility Act compliance.
- [Which products and services does the EU Accessibility Act cover? | EAA FAQ](/artifacts/eu/accessibility-act/faq/product-and-service-categories.md): Article 2 and Article 3 scope summary for EU Accessibility Act covered products, services, exclusions, product-service boundaries, and records to keep.


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