European Accessibility Act B2B Guide for Website Accessibility

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is changing how digital products and services are built and bought in the EU. For B2B organizations, accessibility is no longer just “nice to have”; it affects your legal risk, your sales pipeline, and how enterprise clients evaluate your platforms.

What is the European Accessibility Act, and who does it affect

The European Accessibility Act is an EU directive that sets common rules so people with disabilities can use key products and services on equal terms with others. It covers both physical and digital products, with a strong focus on online services.

Even though the act is often described as “consumer-focused,” it still affects many B2B companies. If you build or operate websites, mobile apps, SaaS platforms, or white-label tools that reach EU consumers, you are in scope, even if your company is based outside the EU.

For B2B teams, this includes white-label banking platforms, youth banking apps, customer portals, payment dashboards, and any other interface that your clients’ customers use.

Understanding EAA compliance requirements

In simple terms, the EAA expects your digital products to be usable by people with different abilities. That means supporting a wide range of needs: visual, hearing, motor, and cognitive.

For digital content, the main reference is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), usually at level AA. These guidelines cover things like text alternatives for images, color contrast, keyboard navigation, clear structure, and predictable interactions.

To make the rules concrete, the EU uses a technical standard called EN 301 549. It maps accessibility principles to detailed criteria for websites, software, mobile apps, documents, and support services. If you already work with WCAG in your design and development process, EN 301 549 will feel familiar.

How B2B companies can prepare for EAA

Getting ready for the EAA is not a one-off project. It is a shift in how you design, develop, and maintain your digital products. A simple starting plan can look like this:

• Run an accessibility audit on your main websites, web apps, and mobile apps.
• Prioritise fixes on critical journeys such as onboarding, login, payments, and support.
• Define an accessibility strategy with clear owners in product, design, and engineering.
• Update your design system with accessible components and patterns.
• Train designers, developers, and content editors on accessibility basics.

This helps you move from “patching issues” to building accessibility into your normal delivery process. At FF Next, we often start with an audit, then update the design system and core flows, so every new feature benefits from the same improvements.

Mini case: A B2B fintech platform selling a white-label youth banking app into several EU markets discovers through an audit that its onboarding has low contrast buttons, unlabeled icons, and inaccessible PDFs. After redesigning the flows and components, support tickets about “stuck registration” drop, and more teens and parents complete sign-up without human help.

EN 301 549 and its relevance

EN 301 549 is the harmonized European standard for accessibility of information and communication technology. It gives a shared checklist for vendors, buyers, and regulators.

For web and mobile, EN 301 549 points to WCAG criteria, like:

• Text alternatives for non-text content.
• Keyboard accessibility for all interactive elements.
• Sufficient color contrast between text and background.
• Clear focus order and visible focus states.
• Error identification and help to correct mistakes.

It also adds requirements for software, documentation, and support. For example, user guides must be accessible, support channels must be usable by people with disabilities, and software should work with assistive technologies.

For B2B companies, referencing EN 301 549 in RFPs, contracts, and acceptance criteria reduces debate over what “accessible” means. If you ship white-label fintech modules or SaaS tools, being able to show conformance with EN 301 549 can give you an edge in vendor due diligence.

Website accessibility in B2B

B2B websites and platforms often have complex flows: multi-step onboarding, dense tables, filters, reporting, and multi-role access. These are high-risk areas for accessibility because they mix custom components, heavy interaction, and large amounts of data.

If you run a banking-as-a-service platform, investor portal, or payment dashboard, you need to look beyond the marketing pages. Authenticated areas count. Self-service tools count. Embedded widgets count.

This is where product-focused accessibility work matters. At FF Next, we specialise in UI-heavy development and fintech product design. We build pixel-accurate interfaces for mobile and web from validated prototypes, and we make sure that the shipped product keeps all the accessibility details: labels, focus states, error handling, and responsive behaviour.

Short example: A regional bank wants its SME onboarding portal to be more accessible and consistent across countries. By redesigning the registration wizard with clear headings, keyboard-friendly navigation, and screen reader-friendly field labels, we help reduce drop-offs in the first session and make internal sales teams more confident when they onboard new business clients.

Working with a website accessibility agency

Most B2B organizations do not have full-time accessibility experts. Partnering with a specialist agency or a UX/UI team that understands both regulation and product design can speed up your progress and reduce risk.

A good partner will help you:

• Run expert audits and real-world assistive technology testing.
• Translate EN 301 549 and WCAG requirements into clear design and dev tasks.
• Update or create an accessible design system and component library.
• Plan a realistic roadmap that balances compliance, UX, and delivery timelines.

FF Next often works in this combined model. Accessibility specialists focus on audits and compliance depth. Our team handles UX research, fintech product design, and UI-heavy development for mobile banking app design, trading dashboards, or youth banking products.

We have delivered projects in more than 20 countries and received recognition in international design and fintech communities. For product leaders, this offers a mix of regulatory awareness and high-quality interface design.

Common accessibility issues to watch out for

Even teams with strong design skills often miss the same recurring problems:

• Text and background colors do not have enough contrast.
• Some interactions work only with a mouse, not with a keyboard.
• Icons and buttons lack clear labels for screen readers.
• Focus indicators are hidden or confusing.
• PDFs, statements, and forms are not accessible.
• Error messages are unclear or not announced to assistive tools.

In B2B platforms, complex tables, charts, and filters also need careful attention. If they are not structured properly, they can become unusable for people using screen readers or keyboard navigation. Fixing these issues at the component level in your design system helps every future feature.

Timeline for EAA implementation and penalties

The key date for the EAA is 28 June 2025. From that date, new products and services placed on the EU market, or major updates after this date, must meet accessibility requirements from day one.

Existing products that were already on the market before 28 June 2025 have a transition period until 28 June 2030. Long-life self-service terminals have more time, up to 20 years from installation or until 2045, depending on the type of product.

Penalties are handled by each EU country. They can include fines, formal orders to fix issues, bans on certain products, and public notices that hurt your reputation. On top of this, you may face higher sales friction if potential clients see your platform as a compliance risk.

Tools and resources for EAA compliance

Many tools and resources can help B2B teams meet EAA and EN 301 549 expectations:

• Automated checkers such as WAVE and Lighthouse accessibility audits.
• Screen readers like NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver are used for manual testing.
• WCAG 2.2 and EN 301 549 documentation and guidance.
• Internal design system docs that encode accessibility rules in components.
• External UX/UI agencies and accessibility specialists who support audits and remediation.

Tools alone are not enough. You also need accessible UX patterns, accessible components, and a design-to-development handoff that keeps accessibility requirements intact as work moves into code. At FF Next, our end-to-end services from UX research through UX/UI to implementation are built to protect that handoff, so the final product matches the validated prototype and remains accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the European Accessibility Act for B2B organizations?

The EAA aims to make key products and services accessible to people with disabilities across the EU. For B2B organizations, that means your digital products and services need to meet a clear baseline of accessibility if they serve EU consumers, even when you sell them to businesses rather than directly to the public.

In practice, this affects your UX, your technical architecture, and your ability to sell into regulated sectors like banking and telecom.

How does EN 301 549 relate to the EAA?

EN 301 549 is the technical standard that explains how to meet accessibility requirements across ICT products and services. While the EAA sets the legal framework, EN 301 549 provides the detailed criteria for websites, software, mobile apps, documents, and support.

If your digital channels comply with the relevant parts of EN 301 549, you are in a strong position to show that you meet the accessibility expectations of the EAA.

What kind of digital products must comply with the EAA?

The EAA covers many digital products and services. Examples include e-commerce services, computers and operating systems, smartphones, banking services, ATMs and ticket machines, e-books, and many websites and apps that serve consumers in the EU.

For B2B companies, this often means SaaS platforms, white-label fintech modules, mobile banking apps, and other customer-facing tools that your clients deploy for their end users in the EU.

Are small B2B companies exempt from EAA requirements?

There are limited exemptions for some very small companies, depending on the type of product and service. However, many small and mid-sized B2B organizations will still be affected, especially if they sell digital products at scale or work with regulated clients.

Even if you qualify for an exemption, many enterprise buyers will still require accessibility in their procurement process. Meeting accessibility expectations can help you win and keep those clients.

When will enforcement of the EAA begin?

The EAA becomes fully applicable from 28 June 2025. From that date, new products and major updates must be accessible at launch. Existing products have until 28 June 2030 to comply, with some special rules for long-life terminals and hardware.

Enforcement will vary by country, but you can expect a mix of audits, complaint handling, and checks linked to sector regulation and procurement.

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Source contents

• https://accessibility.testdevlab.com/european-accessibility-act-compliance
• https://reciteme.com/news/european-accessibility-act-for-b2b-organisations/
• https://www.iubenda.com/en/help/181280-european-accessibility-act-b2b-guide
• https://accessibe.com/compliance/eaa

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