RGAA Guide: how to achieve compliance?
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Updated on ·
By 
Bertrand Bucelle · 6 min read
In brief
- The RGAA (Référentiel Général d'Amélioration de l'Accessibilité) is the French framework that provides a practical implementation of the digital accessibility obligation. Achieving compliance means bringing your websites and applications in line with its criteria, measuring a compliance rate, publishing an accessibility statement, and producing a multi-year plan.
What is the RGAA?
The RGAA is the reference framework that makes France's legal digital accessibility obligation operational. It translates international criteria (WCAG) into a list of testable criteria and an evaluation methodology, enabling the accessibility level of a website or application to be measured objectively.
It is primarily aimed at the public sector (government bodies, local authorities, public institutions) and certain large companies, but serves as a useful reference for any organisation committed to accessibility.
Beyond technical compliance, the RGAA requires a structured approach: measuring, declaring, and planning improvement over time through a multi-year scheme. Accessibility is viewed as a continuous process, not a fixed state.
Who is affected?
The scope of the RGAA covers the public sector and part of the private sector. The EAA further extends accessibility to many private services.
- Government bodies, local authorities and public institutions.
- Organisations delegated to deliver public services.
- Large companies exceeding certain turnover thresholds in France.
- By extension via the EAA: many private services (e-commerce, banking, transport).
The concrete obligations of the RGAA
RGAA compliance takes the form of specific, visible deliverables that are regularly monitored.
| Obligation | What it entails |
|---|---|
| Compliance rate | Measurement of the percentage of RGAA criteria met |
| Accessibility statement | Public document indicating the level achieved |
| Visible notice | Display of the compliance level on the website |
| Multi-year scheme | Accessibility roadmap and annual action plans |
The statement and the level notice must be accessible and up to date; their absence constitutes a breach in itself.
RGAA, WCAG and EAA
The RGAA does not exist in isolation: it implements the WCAG and works in conjunction with the EAA.
- WCAG: the international foundation whose criteria the RGAA implements in a testable manner.
- EAA: extends accessibility to the private sector, with converging requirements.
- Pooling: targeting WCAG Level AA serves both the RGAA and the EAA simultaneously.
- Evidence: a declaration and a roadmap are expected under both frameworks.
What penalties apply in the event of non-compliance?
Non-compliance with RGAA exposes organisations to financial penalties and remediation obligations, as well as reputational risk and the exclusion of a portion of users.
| Breach | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Missing declaration / statement | Financial penalty, formal notice |
| Persistent non-accessibility | Remediation obligation, sanctions |
| Exclusion of users | Loss of audience, reputational damage |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Failing to publish the accessibility statement and the compliance level indication, both of which are mandatory.
- Neglecting the multi-year roadmap, which is nonetheless required.
- Relying solely on automated testing, which is insufficient for the RGAA.
- Addressing accessibility at the end of a project rather than from the outset.
- Ignoring the relationship with the EAA for the private sector.
- Not re-auditing after updates, allowing regressions to take hold.
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How to achieve compliance: the 6-step roadmap
Step 1 — Determine your obligations
Check whether you fall under the RGAA (public sector, delegated operators, large enterprises) and, where applicable, the EAA. Document this analysis to frame your obligations.
The scope includes websites, intranets, applications and relevant documents.
Step 2 — Audit against the RGAA
Carry out a RGAA compliance audit, which implements WCAG criteria, and calculate your conformance rate. Combine automated testing with manual testing using assistive technologies.
This audit establishes your baseline and feeds into the multi-year plan.
Step 3 — Remediate and embed accessibility
Fix non-conformities (colour contrast, keyboard navigation, alternatives, structure, forms) and integrate accessibility from the design stage of all future developments.
Prioritise the most frequently used and most critical user journeys.
Step 4 — Publish the statement and notice
Draft and publish the accessibility statement, display the conformance level prominently, and provide a means of reporting accessibility issues.
These elements are mandatory and subject to oversight.
Step 5 — Establish the multi-year plan
Formalise a multi-year accessibility plan and annual action plans, describing the planned actions and their timeline.
This plan gives concrete form to the continuous approach required by the RGAA.
Step 6 — Maintain compliance
Re-audit regularly, fix regressions and update the accessibility statement and conformance rate. Accessibility is a process, not a one-time achievement.
Integrate checks into every production release.