The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is raising questions across the business world – especially in B2B circles. Many companies are hearing about the upcoming June 28, 2025 compliance deadline and wondering how the European Accessibility Act applies to B2B businesses like theirs.
In most cases, B2B companies can breathe easy.
If you run a purely B2B company, the chances are that the EAA does not really apply to your operations.
However, there are key exceptions worth knowing so you don’t get caught out.
In this article, we’ll clarify exactly when B2B companies need to comply with the EAA, walk through common scenarios, and offer some practical steps to reduce risk and improve accessibility where it counts.
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The goal of the EAA (Directive 2019/882) is to make sure that any products and services across the EU are accessible to people with disabilities.
It introduces accessibility requirements for:
Under the law, consumers are defined as “any natural person who purchases the relevant product or is a recipient of the relevant service for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession” as per Directive 2019/882, Article 2.
This definition is key because it clearly indicates that the law targets B2C operations, not B2B interactions between companies.
But that doesn’t mean you can stop reading if you run a B2B business.
💡 For a deeper look at the general scope of the law, see our main article on EAA compliance and why it matters.
If your company sells exclusively to other businesses – and doesn’t engage with individual consumers – your digital properties are generally outside the scope of the EAA.
Think of tools like:
Essentially, the rule of thumb is that as long as your interfaces are exclusively used by people acting within their trade or profession, the EAA doesn’t apply.
The operative word here is ‘exclusively’.
So, how can you be sure you’re truly out of scope?
Now here’s where it gets a little trickier. If your company offers any public-facing elements that can be used by individual consumers, they are within the EAA’s scope.
Common examples include things like:
Even if your core offering is purely B2B, if someone can stumble across your site and interact with it as an individual, that interaction needs to meet accessibility requirements.
Many companies operate in a hybrid model – offering B2B software or products but maintaining consumer-facing digital assets.
In these cases, compliance needs to be assessed on a section-by-section basis.
Here are some examples where this might apply:
| Asset | Is compliance required? |
|---|---|
| B2C user portal | ✅ |
| Internal CRM | ❌ |
| Marketing website with pricing | ✅ |
| Sales documentation download portal (public) | ✅ |
| Support intranet | ❌ |
It’s important to remember that the 2019/882 directive does not contain an explicit list of examples being in or out of scope.
Instead, the determination hinges on whether or not the recipient qualifies as a “consumer” based on the legal definition we mentioned earlier.
Because of this, it’s always a good idea to conduct an accessibility audit that clearly separates consumer-facing areas from internal B2B tools – so you can make sure you’re never caught off guard.
Even if your risk of legal exposure under the European Accessibility Act as a B2B company is low, accessibility is still a smart business move – no matter what kind of business you run.
It gives you:
Before diving into any accessibility updates, it’s worth identifying which parts of your digital presence are actually in scope.
While many B2B platforms are exempt, anything that can be accessed by an individual consumer needs to meet accessibility standards, such as your homepage, contact form, or pricing page.
Here’s a simple approach to get started:
Even if you’re not strictly required to comply with the EAA, taking proactive steps toward accessibility is good business sense. It improves usability, supports your brand’s reputation, and may even help you win contracts.
In short, it’s about making sure you’re as ready as you can possibly be.
But remember, tools like iubenda’s Accessibility Solution are just the start. You can’t guarantee full accessibility with just one tool alone, so it’s important to make sure you’re also doing manual checks and utilizing other accessibility tools.
More and more industries now expect a baseline level of digital accessibility – and B2B is no exception. Forward-thinking B2B companies that embed inclusive design into their workflows will be better placed to compete, adapt, and grow.
And remember, an accessible site is a user-friendly site.
The EAA specifically targets consumer-facing interactions. B2B-only companies are therefore out of scope.
You’ll need to assess each digital asset. Consumer-facing elements must comply, even if the product is B2B.
Yes – if individuals can access them without acting on behalf of a business, they fall under the EAA.
If your blog is publicly accessible and aimed at individual users (even educational), it’s likely in scope.
Not on their own. Overlays improve usability, but full compliance requires fixing underlying code-level issues.
Only for the consumer-facing elements. But publishing one is recommended for transparency.
The public website still needs to meet accessibility requirements, regardless of who your customers are.
Each EU Member State defines its own enforcement measures. This can include corrective actions, sanctions, or other consequences – depending on how the EAA has been implemented at the national level.