Germany's Accessibility Act (BFSG): is your website affected and what to do
Since 28 June 2025 Germany's Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG), the national implementation of the European Accessibility Act, has been in force. It requires certain products and services to be usable by people with disabilities, including online shops and other websites where consumers enter into contracts. Many small businesses selling to German consumers now ask whether they are affected. This article sets out the key points; it is not legal advice.
Who is affected?
Covered among others are e-commerce services for consumers: websites and apps through which companies sell products or services to end customers, typically online shops and booking flows. A purely informational website without contract conclusion is commonly considered outside this category, but as soon as customers can buy, book or pay online, check carefully.
Offers aimed exclusively at businesses are not covered, because the law targets consumers. Make sure this is genuinely recognisable, for example through clear notices and checking that customers are businesses.
The micro-enterprise exemption
Micro-enterprises providing services are exempt. According to the German chambers of commerce, a micro-enterprise employs fewer than ten people and has either annual turnover or an annual balance sheet total of at most €2 million. The exemption does not apply to micro-enterprises placing certain digital products on the market.
If you are just below the threshold, plan ahead anyway: as the team grows, the exemption disappears. Building accessibility in from the start is much cheaper than reworking a finished shop.
What is required technically
The law itself does not name specific technical standards. In practice the harmonised standard EN 301 549 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) serve as the benchmark. Typical checks:
- Every function works with the keyboard, and focus is visible.
- Images have alternative text, form fields have labels.
- Text and background contrast is sufficient.
- Headings are structured logically, pages have unique titles.
- Form error messages are understandable and tied to the field.
- Content stays usable when zoomed to 200%.
Mandatory information, enforcement and risks
Service providers must provide information in an accessible form, for example in their terms: a general description of the service, how it meets the requirements, and the competent market surveillance authority. Enforcement lies with the federal states' market surveillance body; according to the chambers of commerce, violations can lead to fines of up to €100,000 as well as warning letters from competitors or associations.
There is no transition period for online shops. A sensible start: test the key pages (home, product page, cart, checkout, contact form) with the keyboard and an automated checker, then fix issues by frequency. At Onravetoni, testing and fixing technical barriers is part of website and shop projects; the legal assessment stays with your lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
- Does my company website without a shop have to be accessible?
- A purely informational site without consumer contracts is commonly considered outside the BFSG. Check your case with a lawyer; accessible pages work better for every visitor regardless.
- Is an accessibility plugin or overlay enough?
- Usually not. Overlays change the presentation but do not fix code issues such as missing labels or menus that cannot be operated.
- Does accessibility help with Google too?
- Many requirements overlap with good technical SEO: clear headings, alternative text, descriptive page titles and fast, stable pages.
Sources
Send us your shop's address. We test the home page, product page, cart and checkout for technical barriers and quote a fixed price for fixing them.
Check accessibility