Denmark Web Accessibility Compliance

Denmark's web accessibility requirements are grounded in EU directive transpositions and domestic disability legislation:

• Lov om tilgængelighed af offentlige organers websteder og mobilapplikationer (Act on Accessibility of Public Bodies' Websites and Mobile Applications): Enacted in 2018, this law transposed the EU Web Accessibility Directive (2016/2102) into Danish law. It requires all Danish public sector websites and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards
• Forskelsbehandlingsloven (Act on Prohibition of Discrimination on the Labour Market): While primarily focused on employment, Denmark's anti-discrimination framework extends to services, providing a basis for accessibility claims
• EAA transposition (Lov om tilgængelighedskrav for produkter og tjenester): Denmark transposed Directive (EU) 2019/882 into national law. Since June 28, 2025, private sector digital services including e-commerce, banking, and transport must meet accessibility requirements
• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Denmark ratified the CRPD in 2009, reinforcing the obligation to ensure accessible digital services

Digitaliseringsstyrelsen (Agency for Digital Government) under the Ministry of Finance is the primary authority for digital accessibility in Denmark.

Denmark follows European harmonized standards with guidance from Digitaliseringsstyrelsen:

• EN 301 549: The European harmonized standard referenced in Danish law, incorporating WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content and mobile applications
• WCAG 2.1 AA: The required technical standard. Danish guidance emphasizes perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness — including text alternatives, keyboard access, 4.5:1 contrast, and clear navigation
• Digitaliseringsstyrelsen guidelines: The Agency publishes practical guidelines at digst.dk for implementing web accessibility, including checklists, testing methodologies, and common issue remediation advice
• Accessibility statement (Tilgængelighedserklæring): Public bodies must publish an accessibility statement describing conformance level, non-compliant content, alternatives provided, and the complaint procedure. Digitaliseringsstyrelsen provides a template
• Danish design system: Government agencies are encouraged to use standardized design components that are pre-tested for accessibility

Denmark's digital government strategy emphasizes "digital by default" with accessibility as a core requirement, making it one of the most digitally advanced EU member states.

Denmark maintains an active monitoring and enforcement regime:

• Digitaliseringsstyrelsen: Designated as the monitoring body for public sector web accessibility. Conducts both simplified (automated) and in-depth (manual) accessibility monitoring of public sector websites and publishes annual reports
• Monitoring methodology: Digitaliseringsstyrelsen follows the EU's WCAG-EM methodology, combining automated scanning with expert manual testing on a sample of public sector websites each monitoring period
• Complaint mechanism: Citizens can file complaints about inaccessible public sector websites directly with Digitaliseringsstyrelsen. The agency investigates and can require remediation
• EAA market surveillance: The Danish Safety Technology Authority (Sikkerhedsstyrelsen) and the Danish Consumer Ombudsman (Forbrugerombudsmanden) share responsibility for private sector EAA enforcement, with powers to issue orders and impose fines

Denmark's monitoring reports have shown steady improvement in public sector accessibility, though gaps remain particularly in complex web applications and older government systems.

Run a free CompliScan scan to identify WCAG 2.1 AA violations on your Danish website. Our automated scanner checks against EN 301 549 criteria used by Digitaliseringsstyrelsen in their monitoring.

Denmark-specific compliance steps:

• Public sector bodies: Prepare for Digitaliseringsstyrelsen monitoring by identifying and fixing WCAG violations proactively. Use results to update your Tilgængelighedserklæring
• Danish language content: Ensure special Danish characters (æ, ø, å) and Danish-language content are properly encoded and accessible, with correct lang="da" attributes
• Private sector (EAA): E-commerce and financial service companies should audit immediately — Danish regulators have been enforcing since June 2025 and have a reputation for thoroughness
• Ongoing monitoring: CompliScan Shield ($49/mo) provides weekly scans for continuous compliance tracking

Shield Pro ($149/mo) adds daily scans and PDF reports for documentation. For Danish digital agencies managing multiple government or corporate clients, the Agency plan ($299/mo) covers up to 50 sites with priority scanning.