What does the European Accessibility Act mean for B2B companies?

From June 28, 2025, it will be mandatory for providers of e-commerce services to make their websites accessible to people with disabilities. This is an important step towards an inclusive society where everyone can participate equally.

What is the European Accessibility Act or European Accessibility Act (EAA)?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a directive from the European Union designed to improve accessibility to products and services for people with disabilities. The purpose of the EAA is to remove barriers caused by differing rules in the Member States, thereby creating a better functioning internal market for accessible products and services.

In Europe, 135 million people are severely restricted in their daily activities due to disabilities; in Belgium, this is 9% of the population between 15 and 64 years old. The legislation is intended to ensure that these people, regardless of their limitations, have access to digital services and products. Failure to comply with this legislation may result in fines and reputational damage. The mandatory accessibility for e-commerce services is an important step towards an inclusive society.

Specifically, web content must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). 2.1 level AA)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of guidelines designed to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. These guidelines were created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and are intended to ensure that web content is accessible to everyone, regardless of their limitations.

WCAG is organized around four principles:

1. Discernible: Information and user interface components must be presented in a way that users can perceive.
2. Controllable: User interface components and navigation must be operable.
3. understandably: Information and user interface controls must be understandable.
4. rugged: Content must be robust enough to be reliably interpreted by a wide range of user agents, including assistive technologies.

Learn more details about WCAG 2.1 here.

Some practical examples of things that need to be in order

Making images accessible

• All product images include alt texts that clearly describe the product
• Mark decorative images correctly so that screen readers skip them
• Ensure sufficient color contrast with product labels (such as “Offer” or “Sold Out”)

Improving forms

• Adding explicit labels to all form fields
• Linking error messages to specific fields
• Enabling keyboard navigation through all elements
• Improved validation with clear instructions about expected input

Making product variants accessible

• Specify color options not only with color, but also with text
• Make radio buttons and drop-down lists fully operable with the keyboard
• Add ARIA attributes where necessary

Shopping Cart and Checkout

• Clear steps and progress indication
• Ability to review previous steps without losing data
• Allow enough time to fill out forms (no automatic timeouts)
• Clearly show options for alternative payment methods

Navigation and structure

• Implementation of “Skip to main content” links
• Consistent navigation structure throughout the site
• Logical tab order for keyboard users
• Customizing the hamburger menu to be keyboard-accessible

Technical

• Use semantic HTML elements (headers, nav, main, etc.)
• Add ARIA landmarks for better navigation
• Provide JavaScript-dependent functions with accessible alternatives
• Optimizing responsive design across devices

Forget the accessibility statement not

This is a document that, as an organization, you must place on your website and keep available as long as your service exists. This statement clearly explains how your service meets the accessibility requirements of the European Accessibility Act (EAA).

The accessibility statement must include:

• An overview of the accessibility features of the service.
• Information about any inaccessible components and the reasons for this.
• Details of the measures taken to improve accessibility.
• Contact information for users who experience problems with the accessibility of the service.
• The purpose of this statement is to provide transparency and inform users about the level of accessibility of the service so that everyone, regardless of their limitations, can use the service.

Strictly speaking, the European Accessibility Act does not apply to pure B2B companies

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is primarily aimed at companies that offering goods and services to consumers within the EU. This means that the EAA applies to companies that sell directly to consumers, such as retailers and service providers.

For purely B2B companies, such as manufacturers and wholesalers who sell exclusively to other companies, does the EAA not apply. However, if your B2B company also offers goods or services to consumers, you must meet the EAA requirements.

Why is the European Accessibility Act still important for B2B companies?

1. Inclusiveness

• Accessibility ensures that people with disabilities can participate equally in society. This means that they can use your webshop without obstacles.
• Benefit: This contributes to an inclusive society where everyone has equal opportunities. It is a moral responsibility for companies to ensure that their services are accessible to everyone.

2. Improved user experience

• An accessible website is understandable and usable for everyone, leading to a better user experience. This includes providing alternative text for images, providing sufficient contrast between text and background, and enabling keyboard navigation.
• Benefit: This increases customer satisfaction and reduces the risk of negative reviews. Customers who have a positive experience are more likely to return and recommend your online store to others.

3. Wider reach

• By making your webshop accessible, you reach a wider target group. This means you're not only reaching people with disabilities, but also their friends and family who may recommend your services.
• Benefit: This can lead to more potential customers and higher sales. A wider target group means more opportunities to sell your products and services.

4. SEO benefits

• Accessible websites rank better in search engines, which has a positive effect on your organic findability and the number of visitors. Search engines like Google prefer websites that comply with accessibility guidelines because they offer a better user experience.
• Benefit: This can lead to more traffic to your webshop and higher conversions. More visitors mean more opportunities to present and sell your products and services.

If you want to get started yourself, check the tools on Belgian Web Accessibility.

Fonda helps your company comply with the European Accessibility Act

At Fonda, we help you optimize your B2B e-commerce and comply with the latest accessibility guidelines. Our tools and expertise ensure that your webshop not only meets legal requirements, but also offers an excellent user experience for everyone.

‍Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the European Accessibility Act.