96.5% of French businesses are exempt from the Accessibility Act’s service rules. Your chat should still be usable

Since 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act has required many digital services sold to consumers, including e-commerce, to be accessible to people with disabilities. France transposed it through the law of 9 March 2023 and a decree of 9 October 2023.

Who is exempt

Article 4(5) of the directive exempts microenterprises providing services. Article 3(23) defines a microenterprise as one that employs fewer than 10 people and has an annual turnover or an annual balance sheet total of no more than €2 million. French law uses the same thresholds.

That is exactly Insee’s definition of a microenterprise. In 2023, Insee counted 5,178,283 enterprises in the market sectors outside agriculture and finance, of which 4,995,894 were microenterprises.

Why accessibility still matters for your chat

An exemption is not a reason to shut people out. A visitor who uses a screen reader or a keyboard, or who has poor eyesight, is still a potential client, and a chat window they cannot operate costs you that lead.

• Keyboard access: the chat opens, can be used and closes without a mouse, and Escape closes it.
• Labels: the chat button and fields have text a screen reader can announce.
• Contrast and size: text stays readable, and the window does not hide the whole page on a phone.
• Another way to reach you: a phone number or form stays available for anyone who prefers it.

If your business grows past 10 people or €2 million, the rules apply in full. Choosing an accessible tool now saves you from changing later.