French RGAA: The Official General Accessibility Improvement Framework Guide
France's RGAA 4.1 enforces 106 technical criteria across public and commercial websites with turnover > €250M, with penalties up to €50,000. Learn how to achieve compliance.
In France, digital accessibility is regulated by Article 47 of the 2005 Disability Law and executed through the Référentiel Général d’Amélioration de l’Accessibilité (RGAA 4.1). Governed by the audiovisual and digital communications regulator Arcom and the digital transformation agency DINUM, non-compliant entities face direct financial penalties and public administrative sanctions.
The French Legal Mandate: Article 47 & RGAA 4.1
The RGAA provides an exhaustive testing methodology composed of 106 specific verification criteria organized into 13 thematic topics (images, frames, colors, multimedia, tables, links, scripts, mandatory elements, structuring, presentation, forms, navigation, and consultation).
Which Organizations Fall Under RGAA Jurisdiction?
Under French law, the obligation to comply with RGAA applies to:
- All French state and local government administrative bodies.
- Public institutions and state-owned commercial enterprises.
- Private companies with an annual global turnover exceeding €250,000,000.
- All B2C e-commerce, banking, and digital service platforms under the European Accessibility Act.
The 106 RGAA Technical Criteria vs WCAG 2.1
| RGAA Thematic Topic | Number of Criteria | Key Compliance Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Topic 1: Images | 9 Criteria | Informative vs decorative alt text, CAPTCHA alternatives |
| Topic 3: Colors | 3 Criteria | 4.5:1 text contrast, non-color conveyance of critical data |
| Topic 7: Scripts & Modals | 5 Criteria | Keyboard accessibility, screen reader announcements, escape triggers |
| Topic 11: Forms | 13 Criteria | Explicit label bindings, input formatting hints, real-time error messages |
| Topic 12: Navigation | 11 Criteria | Skip links, multiple navigation pathways, consistent tab order |
The Mandatory Three-Part Compliance Declaration
Covered websites must publish three mandatory compliance artifacts on their homepage footer:
- Accessibility Declaration (Déclaration d'accessibilité): Citing the exact compliance percentage (e.g. "Accessibilité : totalement conforme / partiellement conforme").
- Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (Schéma pluriannuel): A 3-year strategic roadmap detailing planned investments and engineering resources.
- Annual Action Plan (Plan d'action annuel): Specific milestones and scheduled audits for the current calendar year.
Arcom Enforcement and Multi-Year Action Plans
Failure to publish compliant declarations or rectify accessibility violations exposes organizations to administrative fines of up to €20,000 per service for public bodies and €50,000 for commercial enterprises, recurring annually until compliance is achieved.
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