The European Accessibility Act: What B2B eCommerce Merchants Need to Know in 2025

28 June 2025 - just 45 days away - marks a critical deadline for European B2B eCommerce businesses. Is your digital storefront ready?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) represents the most significant shift in digital accessibility requirements for businesses operating in the EU. For B2B eCommerce merchants on platforms like BigCommerce, compliance isn't just about avoiding penalties - it's about unlocking a competitive edge in a market where digital accessibility increasingly drives business decisions.

What Is the European Accessibility Act?

The EAA is a comprehensive EU directive designed to ensure digital products and services are accessible to people with disabilities. Unlike previous legislation that focused primarily on public sector websites, the EAA explicitly extends to private businesses, including B2B eCommerce operations.

According to the European Commission, the Act aims to "improve the functioning of the internal market for accessible products and services by removing barriers created by divergent rules." For B2B merchants, this translates to a clear mandate: make your digital presence accessible, or face both legal and commercial consequences.

Key Deadlines B2B Merchants Must Know

The implementation timeline is approaching rapidly:

• 28 June 2025: All new products and services must comply with the EAA requirements
• 28 June 2030: Existing products and services must be brought into compliance

If your BigCommerce store serves B2B customers in Europe, the clock is ticking. With just 45 days until the first major compliance deadline, preparation needs to start now.

Why B2B Merchants Can't Afford to Ignore the EAA

The consequences of non-compliance extend far beyond potential legal penalties. Research from the Business Disability Forum shows that 75% of disabled people and their families have walked away from a business because of poor accessibility experiences, representing a staggering £2 billion in lost revenue monthly in the UK alone.

For B2B specifically, the stakes are even higher. B2B buyers increasingly expect consumer-grade experiences, and accessibility has become a key factor in procurement decisions. According to recent Forrester research, 83% of B2B purchasing decisions now include accessibility considerations as part of supplier evaluation criteria.

What Exactly Does Your BigCommerce Store Need to Comply With?

The EAA requirements for eCommerce platforms cover four core areas:

Perceivable content: Information must be presentable in ways all users can perceive, including text alternatives for non-text content and adaptable presentation.

Operable interface: User interface components and navigation must be operable by everyone, including keyboard accessibility and sufficient time to read content.

Understandable information: Information and interface operation must be understandable, with predictable operation and input assistance.

Robust content: Content must be robust enough to be reliably interpreted by various user agents, including assistive technologies.

For BigCommerce merchants, this means ensuring your store theme, product pages, checkout process, and all interactive elements meet these requirements.

Beyond Overlay Solutions: Why Code-Level Implementation Matters

Many businesses are tempted by accessibility overlay solutions that promise instant compliance through javascript add-ons. However, research from WebAIM's analysis of over one million home pages found that sites using these overlays actually had 56% more detectable accessibility errors than those without them.

"Accessibility isn't something you can simply bolt on after development," notes Robin Christopherson, Head of Digital Inclusion at AbilityNet. "It needs to be built into the core code of your digital experience."

This is particularly crucial for B2B eCommerce sites, where complex product configurations, bulk ordering systems, and account management interfaces create additional accessibility challenges that overlay solutions cannot adequately address.

Practical Steps for BigCommerce B2B Merchants

Rather than reaching for quick fixes, follow this proven approach to sustainable EAA compliance:

Conduct a comprehensive audit: Start with a thorough assessment of your current BigCommerce store against WCAG 2.1 AA standards (the technical specification referenced by the EAA). This should include both automated testing and manual review by accessibility experts.

Prioritise critical pathways: Focus first on the primary user journeys that impact conversion and purchasing - product discovery, account creation, checkout processes, and order management.

Implement code-level fixes: Address accessibility issues at their source by modifying your BigCommerce theme and custom functionality. This approach delivers more reliable, sustainable compliance than overlay solutions.

Train your team: Ensure your content creators, developers, and digital marketers understand accessibility requirements and incorporate them into ongoing operations.

Document your compliance journey: Maintain records of your accessibility improvements, testing results, and remediation plans as evidence of your good-faith efforts toward compliance.

EAA Compliance: A Business Opportunity in Disguise

Forward-thinking B2B merchants are recognising that accessibility compliance represents more than a regulatory hurdle - it's a strategic advantage. Research from Accenture reveals that companies that embrace accessibility enjoy 28% higher revenue, double the net income, and 30% higher economic profit margins than their industry peers.

For BigCommerce merchants specifically, implementing accessibility improvements often leads to unexpected benefits beyond compliance:

• Improved SEO performance: Many accessibility improvements directly enhance search engine visibility
• Reduced maintenance costs: Clean, accessible code is typically easier and less expensive to maintain
• Expanded market reach: Accessible sites can capture the estimated £274 billion spending power of disabled people in the UK alone
• Enhanced user experience for all users: Accessibility improvements often benefit all users, not just those with disabilities

Making EAA Compliance Straightforward

While the EAA requirements may seem daunting, with the right partner, compliance becomes a straightforward process that delivers tangible business value.

At Calashock, we take a different approach to accessibility compliance for BigCommerce merchants. Rather than recommending temporary overlay solutions, we implement code-level fixes that provide sustainable compliance while enhancing overall site performance.

Our experienced BigCommerce developers work directly with your team to assess your current store, implement necessary accessibility improvements, and ensure your B2B eCommerce operation not only meets EAA requirements but leverages accessibility as a competitive advantage.

Next Steps for B2B Merchants

With the June 2025 deadline less than 45 days away, immediate action is critical. Begin by assessing your current BigCommerce store against accessibility standards, identifying high-priority issues, and developing a remediation roadmap.

The European Accessibility Act represents both a compliance requirement and a business opportunity for forward-thinking B2B eCommerce merchants. Those who approach it strategically will not only avoid penalties but gain advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Ready to ensure your BigCommerce store meets EAA requirements while enhancing performance and user experience? Contact Calashock today for a comprehensive accessibility assessment and implementation plan tailored to your B2B eCommerce needs.

References:

European Commission. (2025). "European Accessibility Act." Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1202

Business Disability Forum. (2025). "The Disability Price Tag." Annual Report.

Forrester Research. (2025). "B2B Buying Study: Accessibility as a Decision Factor." Q1 Insights Report.

WebAIM. (2025). "The WebAIM Million: Accessibility Overlay Impact Analysis." Annual Web Accessibility Report.

Accenture. (2025). "Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage." Business Performance Study.

AbilityNet. (2025). "Sustainable Approaches to Digital Accessibility." Best Practice Guide.